Providing Space For Possibility

(this is a simultaneous post on the "8 That Create" blog)

I've been thinking a lot about that lately, providing space for possibility.

Carol here, opening a discussion on how we can open up a space for possibility.

I am smack dab in the middle of a huge purge and reorganization of my home.

It started out innocently enough with me wanting to clean out my studio.
It was cluttered, packed with useless ("I might need that one day") items that are easily accessible.

Why keep all of these things in my studio when I can pick them up locally for a few coins when I need them?
I understand that I need some of them  in front of me for inspiration but I was/am sick to death of a packed, cluttered work space!
When I am in the middle of a project (or two), my work table is always cluttered - but with purpose.
And that type of clutter is easily dealt with after a project is completed.

It's the ever present clutter that haunts me.

I truly believe that it inhibits creativity and restricts inner vision.

In short, it cripples my ability to bring concrete form to my creative voice.

With all of that in mind, I began the arduous task of picking through decades of "precious" items.
Some of them were easy enough to part with. They no longer fit my idea of suitable art supplies (to me anyway), my color preferences changed or I was no longer interested in completing that particular project.

But what I did notice was that the longer I worked at cleaning out my space, the easier it got to toss the items to the "throw away" or "donate" pile.
And, when that happened, I felt that a weight had been lifted off of me. I could really feel my spirits lifting.

I believe that I was opening up space for something new, something fresh in my life.

I didn't want to allow the past, in the form of clutter, to hamper future possibilities.

The action of purging the studio fueled a passion to do the same thing throughout my home.

At the end of the day, the pain that I feel is an odd comfort.
It tells me that I am doing a good thing, that I am putting in the important work it takes to create not only a physical space that invites creativity and inspiration but I am also creating that same space within myself.

I did not plan on this being a New Year's resolution. It just happened to be this time of the year.

If I was one to make resolutions, I'd resolve to continue to simplify my life, my home and attitude.
For they have become much too cluttered.

I hope that you all continue to invite inspiration into your life.
A good place to start is to create a space for it - open yourself up to possibility.

Getting To Work

It's no secret that I love rusting fabric, fibers, threads, paper, clothing and most anything that I can get my hands on.
I love the color, the texture and the serendipitous possibility of it all.

I've been selling rusted fabrics and fibers in my Etsy shop for several years now.
I have a stack of beautiful rusted papers that I need to add to the shop...just gotta do it.

I've had an idea for a book for a couple or three years now that involves a series of rusted elements that appear to flow through the pages.

(my friends will roll their eyes because they have heard this over and over)

I have all of the pages completed and in a nice little stack.
The cover materials are in the very same stack, waiting for the creation of a collage.

Just sitting there waiting on me,
the creator,
to create.

Staring at me, taunting me (in a challenging way) every time that I walk into my studio.

Why have I waited to start (or finish) this project that I (so obviously) want to create?


I think (part of) it could be that I fear my romanticized idea of the book will not match the book that I actually create.

The book is so beautiful in my mind but I may not be able to match it in reality.

Do you ever feel that way?

I think that a lot of artists do.

And I feel that the answer to that fear is to get into the studio and create.
And keep creating and making until I am satisfied with the end result.

Right?

With that in mind, I did begin the cover this past week.

Of course it is taking on a life of its own...
A lot of "what if I do this?" "Or what about that?"
or "Hey, wouldn't this be great!?"

Most importantly, I have started.

What do you have in your studio or your life that you want to create (or do) (or see)?

If there a project that pulls at you, then you need to focus your attention on it, allow it to come to fruition.

And I think that right now is a great time to do just that.

Inspiration

Inspiration is all around us.
This is a tiny slice of what I found outside of my home - on the patio railing.

Some of these look kind of like snowflakes!

Inspiration

I love to look around me for inspiration.

Imagine my surprise when my own artwork totally knocked the socks off of the "inspiration meter" today!
(something that I noticed on my artwork, that is)

I had this quote hidden under a strip of lace on the inside of a book that I made.


"Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher."
William Wordsworth

I love that.

"Come forth into the light of things, let nature be you teacher".

How smart would we be if we actually did that?

Inspiration

More pages from my small Moleskine.
If you look closely, you will see clues from the places I sketch at...
A small section of a bone in the top left-ish corner...
a hip socket down there in the lower right hand corner...
guess where I was then?
The large leaves are from a bookmark that my husband was using.

Here on the bottom of the page, you will find a spider plant from another doctors waiting room.
So...you can see that it is possible to find inspiration (and images) everywhere!
If you will just take the time to look around you,
notice the different shapes and forms that surround you,
you may be surprised at how you can find inspiration anywhere!

Stay curious my friends!

Scraps, Fragments and Artifacts

Inspiration has hit...

Fabric is flying.
Threads are humming.
Beads are rolling.
Mistyfuse is fusing.

My studio is, once again, a very happy place to be.

I've got a new class in the works!
You ladies are going to love this one...

Be gathering all your bits and pieces, your favorite little scraps of fabric, all those little things that you just couldn't stand to part with -
you know what I mean, don't cha?
While you're looking - pull together some of your favorite keepsakes from a loved one.
Those artifacts you hide away - maybe pulling them out once or twice a year to look at.
This project is all about making a memory...
saving some space...
and having an heirloom when you're finished.

Let Nature Be Your Teacher

The Italians would say "finito".

The French would say "fini"

The Germans would say "fertig".

I would say "finished"

"done"

"complete".

I let Nature be my Teacher.

This weekend she will do the same as my husband and I are off on another adventure.

This one includes a kayak, some collection bags, sharks teeth and feathers from protected birds.

Nature.

It includes a lot of Nature.

The one thing that never fails to inspire and entice me.

Find some inspiration this weekend.

Lower Whitewater Falls

Continuing with the waterfall story here...

The "logs" that you see in the first photo are actually two tree trunks.

They were probably about 20-30 feet long. This should give you another idea of just how large this waterfall is.
This is one of the smaller side falls. My husband climbed up higher than I did. His legs are much longer than mine so he was able to go farther...

I asked him to take this photo of the kayak so you could see how far we (I) went.

I have a slight fear of heights...I didn't know that he was taking this.

I wanted to look over the side of the rock but kept getting kinda dizzy when I tried...

This position made it a lot easier!

He evidently went up much farther than I thought...

Isn't this beautiful?

Here's another photo of me that he took from his vantage point. Such large rocks!

Isn't this awesome!? Life does find a way, doesn't it?

These skinny trees are growing up out of a crack in the boulder.

I'll post more photo's tomorrow.

T.R. found a cute little (dirty) turtle.

I hope that all of you look around today -

check out your surroundings for inspiration.

You just never know what you will find!

Wow...

OK. I've got all of my clothes unpacked (yeah, I know - that was the easy part!)
but the art supplies will take a little longer...
especially since I keep stopping and doing things with the supplies
as I take them from their case...
I decided to go ahead and load up some of the pictures that I took.
The first few are pics of other folks projects.
We did the "Field Guide to Creativity" theme.
We took wooden cigar boxes and altered them.
Then made a canvas Field Guide to place inside.
Enjoy the photos of some very amazing art work!
Above is Donna Williamson's project. I loved her color palate!

This is the front of Jane Bradley's beautiful Field Guide (above). Notice the heavy crackling she got on the background piece!
My buddy Tonya Peters. I love how she altered the Altoid tin and

placed it in an arrangement on the altered cigar box.

Nothing is safe in the artist's world...

My buddy Crystal Chappell. I love the teeny tiny glass jar

with even teenier tiny glass beads in it! Awesome!

And look at what my friend Mary Ann Schuler did!
She used vintage rulers to make the birdhouse. And then added some of those
teeny tiny green glass beads to the lower right hand corner...
can you see how wonderfully they cascade down the arrangement?
Love it!

This is Nancy Isom's tribute to the Smokey Mountains. Great job Nancy!

And look at Sally Casper's little teaspoon fairy! How cute is that?!

Here's a picture of Sally's altered box. Love it!

Sally had a miniature table saw that we all used.

It was SO cute and quite functional.

The next couple of photos are from the

"Farewell Tea" that we have every year.

This year the Retreat was at a different place

and they really handled it well.

The food was great, rooms were very , well, roomy and

great air conditioning!

All of you menopausal women out there will appreciate that!

Thank goodness my room mate liked the room cold also.

Now here I've added some pictures of my project. I almost completed the box itself at the retreat.

I only have a few beads and things to add on the inside.

I wanted to work on the actual Field Guide at home.

I did get a couple of the pages started though.

So no pics of that for you right now...

When I was a little girl, my family called me "The Bag Lady"

because I always carried a paper bag with me.

You can look at pictures of me as a child and I've always got that bag clutched in my hands.

And it was full of all kinds of treasures...bird feathers, rocks, leaves, twigs...

the same kind of things that I collect now.

So, when we were told to bring items from nature -

all I had to do was walk into my studio and

*wa-la*

I had an abundance of related items on hand.

Driftwood from kayaking

rocks from the river

Indian pottery from Keowee

bird legs from back yard

twigs from the apple tree

rust items from who knows where

my growing collection of heart shaped rocks

animal bones

Well...you get the picture.

I am an avid watcher, collector and lover of Mother Nature.

She rocks my world.

And just where do YOU get your Inspiration from?

Does "love" make you see the world in a different light?

Are you trying to Be Bold in your creativity?

Maybe "play" is important to you. It is to me.

Perhaps you need to "foster" your creative spirit.

I love the tree that was made from a twig from our apple tree.

We wrapped it with this and that, wound a little bit of magic around it

as we added few beads, baubles and affirmations.

Here are some of my heart shaped rocks.

Oh, and the little bone too - notice the hole is heart shaped also.

We all have to Be Brave, don't we?
That key?

The Key to my creativity.

I'm going to hang a tiny copper tag

with that on it as well as a couple of beads and things.

The little tea bag tag reads "Enjoy the Experience".

Bird legs, dried cranberries and background collage all by little ol' me.

A reminder to myself...
This next picture shows the front of the altered cigar box.

I used bark from a tree in our yard, dried flower from my garden,

vintage ruler pieces, shells beads from Hawaii, seeds from our magnolia tree, seeds from canna lily in yard,

wooden button for the moon, Indian pottery (lower left hand corner), driftwood and a little coyote that my son gave me.

It represents my own tendency to howl at the moon from time to time...

I hope that you enjoyed the visit.

Maybe next year you'll join me and 50 of my good friends in Blowing Rock.

Dates are set already...Sept. 9 - Sept. 12, 2010.

Believe in Yourself.