Creative Life Sampler

  For the things we have to learn before we can do them,  we learn by doing them.          Aristotle I think it's really healthy to take stock of the progress one makes on their creative journey  from time to time . Like so many things in life, that retrospective process is often put aside in favor of the tasks at hand. Those consuming activities bring us joy and fulfillment but they can also stir up frustration and discouragement. Sometimes we just need a little perspective. I've been given the opportunity to get that perspective, and it's come in the form of an invitation to speak at a quilt guild about my work. So, I'm gathering up my thoughts and choosing quilts to share for a trunk show (lecture) in May. It has made me a stop to appreciate the stages of my artistic evolution.  Lord's Snowfall (10/2015-2/2018) The presentation will start with early hand appliqu é d and hand quilted pieces. It will gradually move to the last quilt I shared...

  "I'm always thinking about creating.  My future starts when I wake up in the morning  and see the light." Miles Davis  American Jazz Musician ( 1926-1991) (Check out this link to learn more about Miles Davis and his music:    https://www.milesdavis.com/ )

'Tis a month before the month of May, And the Spring comes slowly up this way.   Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772-1834   Wishing one and all a very hopeful, happy spring.   Note: Englishman  Samuel Taylor Coleridge   was a poet, philosopher, & theologian  who joined William Wordsworth, in founding the Romantic Movement (1790-1850), which focused on individual experience, and idealized women, while extolling nature and the common man. His work would greatly influence Ralph Waldo Emerson  and American transcendentalism.  

Summer afternoon- summer afternoon; to me  those have  always  been the two most beautiful words in the English language.                                                                       Henry James, quoted by Edith Wharton                                                                                                                                                            ©Lauren Klementz-Harte...

Take Heart, and Do Your Part ... VOTE! The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide  that you are not going to stay where you are.   Chauncey Depew  

Creative Process: Slow or Fast? I'm always on the lookout for quotes that speak to creative people in all sorts of disciplines, so I thought I'd share this one with you:  "Without totally insulating themselves against everyday matters, many quilters state that the quilting process itself is an aid in setting one's pace, offering social and communal contacts, and developing respect for oneself and for others. Quilters are learning through practice that creativity is best nurtured, not through exhaustion, but by allowing sufficient time for leisure, and they are realizing that their work partakes of their personality."   Contemporary Quilts, essay by Luella Doss                                                                                  America's Glorious Quilts (pub.1987...

This shawl was created in 2014 with a pattern from knitsimple: 33 knit Shawls by SoHo Publishing Co. It's a collection that ranks the projects on complexity with a scale of 1 to 4, which means that with one book the beginner can progress through each project and eventually tackle the "experienced" category. The advantage of knitting shawls is there are no complicated edges, like the armholes or neck edging of a garment, to navigate. The simplicity of the shawl shape focuses your attention on the pattern itself, (and sometimes it requires a lot of attention to get lacy patterns right.) It's been a while since I've posted a knitting project. So, as I was collecting my thoughts to write, I googled quotes on knitting for a little inspiration and ran across this one from writer/knitter  Stephanie Pearl-McPhee : Every ball or skein of yarn holds something inside it, and the great mystery of what that might be is almost spiritual.  Gears started turning and I rem...

The Road of Creativity and Candy Crush Certainly we have all had those moments of marveling at something truly creative and pondering “how did they think of that?” How indeed. How does one even describe the creative process? It is at once simple and complex, individual and universal, solitary and humanly interconnected. And it is always exciting and inspiring. For an road map of the creative process we might look at something very familiar to computer game enthusiasts: Candy Crush . If, you are not familiar with this game, it is literally laid out in a board game format along which the player advances through a never ending series of challenges. Argue what you will on the merits of computer games, this one documents the evolutionary aspect of creativity. Webster defines the word method as a “system of doing things or handling ideas .” Looking carefully at the process used to create each level in  Candy Crush, we might find some hints on "handling ideas"...

And Silence, like a poultice, comes to heal the blows of sound. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. I ran across this powerful quote recently in an article on meditation, and I’ve been turning it over in my head ever since. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a poultice is a heated adhesive substance spread on a cloth and applied to an aching or inflamed part of the body. Think of that,- silence is a warm relaxing remedy for “the blows of sound.” Right now those blows come at us in the form of constant news updates and press coverage, discontent, fear, and restlessness shared between friends and colleagues, or just mounting personal fall-out from stay-at-home mandates. All of it calling for our attention.  It can weigh heavy. But, whether you are aching and weary over burdens or just inflamed with anger over having to face current challenges. applying the warmth of silence to our thinking brings relief. That refocusing can begin the process of healing our ps...

A Note on Creativity The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.  The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.  Carl Jung (1875-1961)

Thought for today                    … Things won are done;                 joy’s soul lies in the doing .                                           William Shakespeare                ...what more can be said? When a project is finished, it's great to take the time to appreciate "the win," of the accomplishment. But for continued joy, progress, and fulfillment let's "up and be doing!" 

Originality Letters for the final word in my text quilt Original : belonging or pertaining to the origin or beginning of something               capable of or given to thinking/acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner               presented for the first time               new               fresh               novel I've been thinking about what it means to be "original" lately. Once an artist in any art form has  developed a proficiency with their medium, the desire to create something really unique naturally follows. The urge to express our individuality can be quite a motivator in creating. No doubt the modern phenomenon of viral trend setters and "influencers" began with individuals who just wanted to express their unique style or vision. But few genuine trail blazers have ...

Wishing everyone a new year of  hope, health, peace, and creative fulfillment.  Happy 2020!!! Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.  Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892  Note: A prolific and successful English poet in the Victorian era, Tennyson was made England's the Poet Laureate in 1850. His work includes such titles as "Lady of Shalott", "Ulysses", and "Charge of the Light Brigade."

A Summer Wish Summer afternoon- summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  Henry James, quoted by Edith Wharton It's sure sign that we are more than half way through summer when school supplies fill multiple store isles and parents stock up in anticipation of the fast approaching new school year. May you have the opportunity in these next few weeks to savor relaxed summer afternoons and brilliantly starry evenings, warm weather activities and happy moments with family and friends; even as Mother Nature also quietly sets the stage to usher in autumn with vibrant colors, crisp temperatures, and fresh possibilities. Note: Henry James (1843-1916) and Edith Wharton (1862-1937) were each prominent American authors in their own right and struck up a relationship in 1900. You can read about their connection at this link: https://gvshp.org/blog/2017/10/26/how-edith-wharton-and-henry-james-struck-up-a-friendship-a...

Something to Think About (1 of 2) How different our lives would be if this thought were in the back of our mind every time we met someone new! It implies that each human interaction actually holds within it a gem to enrich our experience and expand our knowledge; an unexpected gift from the person whose path happens to cross our path, in the check-out line,  on a park bench,  in the theater seat beside us, and on and on. But what if we expected that gift from every interaction? What a joy-filled day we would have; so many presents!  Underlying this sentiment is an inherent respect for our fellow-beings, and their life experiences. How different the world would be with this kind of "gift-giving" exchange...    A flock of birds resting together as the tide comes in on our beach walk. Check out this guy ↑  Note: You might know Bill Nye from the 1990's syndicated children's television series, Bill Nye the Science Guy . This show r...

Inspiration from Chefs (3 of 3) Finding a path through the woods I was hooked on  Chef's Table after the first episode of season one, when we become acquainted with Italian chef Massimo Bottura, of the three Michelin star restaurant  Osteria Francescana in Modena. While sharing his history, Massimo recalls when his future wife introduced him to the world of art and describes his impressions and reactions to what he saw in the museum. Moved by the experience, he tells of wanting to bring that aesthetic to his work. In essence, he stepped out of the familiar and was open to what this new environment had to offer.  This was a turning point in his career.  It is a wonderful narrative of being inspired by an outside influence, and letting what you see and feel from that experience inform the work you love.  But, keep in mind that this was after years of developing the skills of a chef. He had already grasped some of the possibilities of what ...

                              inspire ( v )- to inhale                                               to stimulate or impel as to some creative effort                                               to arouse a thought or feeling in someone                                                                                                     (Webster's New World Dictionary) A few weeks ago a friend gave me a book which she had r...

Renewal  Welcome Spring! Fires, which left charred patches of earth and blackened trees,  were followed by  a generous  season of rain. So we are now seeing hopeful signs of renewal here in Southern California. If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:  if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.   Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) Anne Bradstreet migrated from England to Massachusetts in 1630 and was the first writer from the new colonies to be published. She gained considerable prominence as a prolific poet who developed her own style of poetry, writing about life's struggles, her Puritan faith, and motherhood- she  was the mother of 8 children. In 1650 her first book, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, was published in London and became quite popular in both England and America.  Just an editorial note: WHAT AN EXAMPLE! This woman juggled raising eight children with th...

A Poignant Thought to Ponder There's one other thing I wanted to share from my visit to the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. This sign was posted outside the door of Marni Maree's watercolor studio: Wow. Makes you think, doesn't it?  Thanks, Marni for giving voice to this sentiment... and posting it for all to see! 

Quote for Today “A few hints as to literary craftsmanship may be useful to budding historians. First and foremost, get writing! ” Samuel Elliot Morison History as a Literary Art , Old South Leaflets Often we find sage advice in the wisdom of people far removed from our own areas of interest and expertise. Samuel Elliot Morison, (1887-1976), was an American historian who won two Pulitzer Prizes, among other accolades, for his work in American and maritime history. You don’t have to love history or ships and water to understand what he is sharing here. This is an encouragement to get doing !   I doubt Morison started out with the goal of winning a Pulitzer Prize, that naturally came to him after years of developing his writing and researching skills.   The use of the word “craftsmanship” in reference to becoming a writer of history  caught my attention here. In certain circles, the word ”craft” conjures up visions of handwork in wood, yarn, pa...