1. Morning notes: 6/7. Any daydreams about creative risks are mere fleeting thoughts. I'd settle for being able to pursue the creative paths I enjoy. And nope, the artist child didn't get coddled this week.
2. I took a bona fide artist's date this week. (The only risk was driving my car.) I went to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, which opened about two years ago in the old Art Deco downtown post office building. (Yes, it's named for the Frist family, as in Senate Majority Leader Dr. Bill Frist, who I point out never even registered to vote until he was 35 years old.) I went to see an exhibit of Hudson River School of painters. I learned that the genré is 50 years older than I'd thought—it was from the early 19th century, introducing the new frontier and native Americans. Intellectually appealing, but no emotional response.
A small exhibit of 14 French Impressionist paintings confirmed that my favorite painters are the French Impressionists and the Dutch Masters. Pedestrian, I know, but I have to have an emotional response and these are the ones I respond to.
I enjoyed seeing the renovation of the old Post Office, which I worked across the street from when I first came to Nashville 38 years ago, and which my husband visited every business day for 30 years (his company's PO box was located there). I was pleased to see how busy the museum was, but didn't feel much refilling of the well.
3. I thought I experienced some synchronicity until today. I've been looking for a friendly and convenient knit shop where my mother and I could take a class. (I need another creative pursuit like I need a hole in the head, but I hoped to get Mother involved in something besides herself.) By accident I learned of a new shop near her home, and today we visited the shop. The clerk wasn't very friendly and she decreed we would have to make scarves and could use only smooth stranded wool. I said, "But I don't want a scarf; I want to make a very simple baby sweater, blanket, or hat." I was told I would have "plenty of time" (how the hell does SHE know?) to do that "later … unless your are super good at craft things." I said, "I am!" and that I didn't really want to spend time and money making something I don't want. She was dull as dirt and the yarns we would be "allowed" to learn on were equally dull. We finally decided it wasn't a good match for us, and tomorrow I will cancel the lesson we signed up for.
4. Other significant issues:
Positive
Everyone is bored silly hearing about the creation of my studio (get it done awready!!). Just as I'd completed it, Don decided it was time to tear the house up and paint everything. So it was dismantled and painted, then reassembled, postponing the making of pillow shams and coverlet for the daybed. Finally this weekend I finished the daybed and finished putting everything back in place, along with other fine-tuning. I'm elated to finally be back in business.
I enjoyed the collage task and will probably do another one. I learned to put the big pieces down first!
Despite my intention to curtail buying fabric, I went straight from The Frist to The Dangerous LQS (the one stacked so high it will kill someone if we ever have an earthquake) and spent $90! I've never bought any batiks but I've been thinking of two projects that really call for them. I may feel buyer's remorse when the Visa bill comes, but it pepped me up considerably to see them spread out. Maybe I'm heading in a new direction.
Negative
I continue to be REALLLLLLY frustrated by not having the time I'd like to have to devote to quilting and other sewing. I even blew up at Don this evening, having spent 5 precious hours today piddling with my mother. I assured him I'd rather have been at home cooking for him (which he was whining about), or spending time with Ella, or any number of other things besides what I indeed did. (Tracey, I don't know how you get anything done!) At 58 I ought to finally have time to call my own, but no one else seems to think so.
So, how ironic that I started Chapter 8 tonight only to find it "tackles another major creative block: time. You will explore the ways in which you have used your perception of time to preclude taking creative risks." Just as I was getting bored with the irrelevance of Chapter 7, Julia throws me a lifeline! Next week will be better.
6 comments:
French impressionists and some luscious batiks ... I'm glad you found a couple things to make you smile in spite of sour store owners, frustrating days and ... painting. Congrats on putting the finishing touches on your studio.
In the sunshine of a new day, I'm feeling writer's remorse about yesterday's whining. Please forgive!
Wes and I had our 1st anniversary in Nashville last Sept and visited the Frist. I loved the building & the show that was currently being shown. Wes had to be coerced to go but he enjoyed it too.
My mother is secretly gloating about the resurgence of knitting. She acts like it will surpass quilting but with your experience, I doubt it.
I so want to learn how to knit. It is going to be my reward for losing wieght.
I love the French Impressionists, too. I saw an incredible exhibit in Boston one year. I also saw an exhibit at the Pushkin in Russia. And of course, I grew up going to The National Gallery. Pedestrian? Maybe, but I am with you all the way.
What a strange store clerk... telling you what you can and can't work with! ::start bad Brooklyn accent:: Da noive uff dat boid! ::end bad Brooklyn accent::
But it sounds like there were other interesting things to kinda make up for her sourness.
I get frustrated by not having enough time too... I work 40-50 hrs a week which takes up a large chunk whats available and makes me tired so that when I otherwise would have time, its spent being a slug and trying to regroup...but I must say that this TAW process has made me more aware and more productive with what time I do have..
Absolutely, Suze (re: being too pooped to be creative, but being more aware and productive when I have time and energy). If jealousy ever rears its ugly head with me, it's envy of other peoples' free time. That's the ONE thing you can't buy more of.
The yarn shop experience was sort of strange. I was in retail for a lot of years and she had the worst sales skills I've seen since I was in Best Buy (.... and Golf Galaxy .... and Circuit City--oh, heck, most anywhere you go these days!). It's a new shop and I gotta wish her luck 'cause I don't think she's going to make it any other way.
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