The Muses....

The Muses have me on a need-to-know basis these days....which is actually just fine, as I now realize that it's the way I work best. It means the internal conversation is flowing and that I'm listening more than thinking, which in my case, is a very good thing. I'm working on a pretty large piece (24"x24" is quite large for me!) on a cradled clayboard, which is being created as part of fundraiser for the Design Center in Sioux Falls. I LOVE the coated surface of this panel and also that it doesn't need to be framed....anyway, I'm quite getting away from my original point. Between feeling my way on this project and my work on the continuing Notes From The Ancestors series, I "know" just enough to take the next step on each piece. There is some kind of magical "knowing" that emerges, just at the right time, as if I am being told exactly what step to take and why. Beyond that, I don't know where the piece is going and I certainly don't see it ahead of time in its final outcome....but at each new stage, when the time is right, I am given the next bit and so I move forward on the work, inch by inch. It is a slow way of working and if I don't sense the next step forward, I just step back and walk away from the piece, until the magic envelope is slipped under the door of my psyche by those dear invisible Muses. Where would I be without them?!

Notes From The Ancestors no.12

detail

detail

Lately, I've been starting to acknowledge some of the slow realizations that have been lurking beneath the surface for awhile. I know many of you (dear and faithful readers) are artists as well, working through your own creative process, struggling to find the time to make the work that you are called to make. The internet has obviously transformed our lives in so many magnificent ways....I am amazed by all the wonderful connections and friends I've made across the world....and yet, there are some aspects that I fear I'm going to have to let drop. This blog is not one of them....the exchange that happens here has meaning for me and I hope for you, as well. I'm talking about all the social media networking that we are told is a must in order to be successful, especially with an online shop (or 2). With the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, there are just way too many ways of following and being followed. Everything has to be some sort of tool for exposure. Huge amounts of time that can be spent on Etsy creating and making treasuries to get your work seen by those who might be interested in making a purchase. The image that comes to mind in trying to keep up with all of it is that poor, tired mouse on that endlessly spinning wheel in his cage.  

Not only is it all time consuming, taking me away from the studio, but there doesn't seem to be any payoff. Either I am mismanaging this social media thing, or it is just a bottomless pit. Being in the studio has meaning for me, as it allows me to explore an evolving understanding of humanity and my place in the larger cosmos. This blog has meaning for me, as it provides the possibility for meaningful dialogue (something more than sound bites) with people I will never have a chance to meet face to face. Spending time with books, engaged in reading means a great deal to me, as language and ideas are a major source of nourishment. Slowing down enough to enjoy the process of cooking and savoring the deliciousness of food....that too is important. And there must be time to enjoy the company of my husband, who is way over too committed himself....but I think we both seek a simpler life.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about how you navigate the world of social media....actually, the real question is whether anyone else is wondering if all these tantalizing ways to spend time on the computer are not just creating a smoky haze that threatens to stifle our ability to breathe. 

The dailies for the last few days are here....and listed in my shop (15% off with coupon code: AUTUMNSALE)

October 10, 2012

October 11 2012

October 12, 2012

Thanks for reading....always do love to hear from you, so feel free to drop a line. Once I get my own time realigned I'll get back to reading the blogs that I've followed....another part of life that seems to have dropped away! Hope you have a fine weekend!