Finding our way back …
We have finally reached the time to find our way back to being together.
Yesterday I had a lovely conversation/coffee with my friend Lori, and we got talking about the need to practice our social skills, to get back to being able to socialize like it’s a normal thing. Turns out, it’s going to take some work!
We talked about how our ability to converse is a wee bit rusty … we don’t seem to “do” enough to have something to talk about. I joked that we need to elevate the mundane to a level of interesting … reach in to our storytelling abilities, and have some serious fun with it.
There was a good laugh between us when I made my adventure in disassembling my vacuum cleaner to clean it, an actual story of an accomplishment of the day. As it turns out, you don’t really have to embellish things … the simplest things can take on a whole new dimension if we just encourage them a bit. There is great depth in the mundane! There is also great learning.
I was also struck by the unexpected stories that we might share, as we emerge into the world of being with others. Discoveries we’ve made along the way. Things that we no longer do or want, simply because we haven’t had it, or as it turns out, missed it in the past two years. There is the musing about what things won’t come back into our lives.
I am now back to seeing things in my immediate environment as being very important, and worthy of talking about. My encounters with the wildlife in our new neighbourhood, the land we live on, and it is quite possible that I will become a bird person. For the first time in my life, I purchased a Hummingbird feeder … wowza …. that’s a blast of colour you want to see every day! And Stellar’s Jays, who’s electric iridescent blue makes takes my breath away … oh yes, and their impressive size too!
Here we are blessed with a plethora of bird species, who all seem so much more interesting when you see them up close, and in quantity. I want to learn and remember their names, and watching their daily habits. These are some of the things in my new daily world that might be interesting conversation starters.
Although I am trying to take pictures of birds, I am not that successful. I feel quite lucky to have captured this Stellar’s Jay grabbing a snack. I am enjoying the rhythm of the birds, they seem to come at certain times of the day, and that feels very comforting.
I stumbled across this amazing “bookazine” in the bookstore a little over a month ago, and I am still enjoying it tremendously.
Handværk decoration comes from Denmark, and this one is the English edtion. Each article is about somone doing work by hand. in this issue I have, there are articles on hand made lampshades; textile design; jewelery, mosaics, traditional wallpaper making; a cabinetmaker; costume work; fabric repair, a tattoo artist, and a delightful collection of other things. It is very inspiring!
I am loving it because it reflects my own desire and practice to work with my hands, do things with intention and not rush. It is about getting in touch with all the senses and aspects of your chosen work.
To get a visit inside really old factories making traditional wallpaper is fascinating. I love their intentional decision making about each aspect, from the inks to the paper surface, Ulricehamn’s Wallpaper Factory, (Ulricehmns Tapetfabrik) wants to improve the quality of their work, they look toward collaboration with others, and are dedicated to sustainability in both materials, deposal and in the new people they bring onboard.
In a world where so much is mass manufactured, and faster is seen as better, this bookazine is reminding me that those concepts couldn’t be further from the truth!
And here, for your desktop pleasure, I offer you some calendar wisdom. You can click on it to upload and then use it as your desktop!
Also … my calendar tells me that April is a very big month of great things to celebrate … it all starts off with being National Poetry Month!
On the 2nd you can celebrate International Pillow Fight Day (please use soft pillows).
Don’t miss International Moment of Laughter Day on the 14th and Erasure Day on the 15th.
We end the month with two of my favourites, on the 28th, World Pay-It-Forward Day, and on the 30th, World Indie Bookstore Day!
What a wonderful month to celebrate!
photo by Wendy Morisseau
This week finds me back in full swing in my new studio … four pieces on the go, on the painting side of things … and more ideas for non-paint projects.
I was reminded this past week how important it is that we are aware of our own energy. I knew mine was low and a bit disconnected for a wee bit too long, but when it came back, suddenly my work started to sell again. I became “visible” in the world, just as if I had walked through a doorway and into another room.
Having experienced this before, it didn’t surprise me, but rather it reminded me how much I need to be connected to a larger picture.
Here’s wishing you a joyous and connected week ahead, filled with pithy conversations about what’s happening in your life!
~sarah
