It’s a brand new week, the sun is shining, the snow is melting, and I’m full of positivity. I’ve got a 12 week plan that I LOVE and since I made it I’ve been knocking tasks out left and right. Ah, it feels so good to have PURPOSE driving forward every step. This makes such a difference to how motivated I feel. So right now I feel GREAT!
My plan for the next 12 weeks is all about building a body of work, so it’s going to be fun to show you how I go about it. The first major hurdle is making a full set of new molds to make my next batch of resin quilts. If I can get a full set of molds made it will speed up my production is a major way, taking away extra time wasting resin pours so I can do more of the fun part – designing the artwork!
The first step is finishing off the wax prototypes I started a few weeks ago. After three attempts, I’ve finally gotten some good results. Here are some pictures of me drilling the needle holes that I’ll eventually sew through to sew the final quilt pieces together. I use a beautiful, tiny drill that I adore.
Every bit of spare wax shaving has to be picked out carefully using a sewing pin. The protoypes really need to be perfect before I make the silicone molds, so this is precision work.
If you’re curious about the picture on the far back wall above, it’s one of my most important inspirations. It is a small handkerchief embroidered by Louise Bourgeois. I saw it at the Tate Modern in London in a huge show of Louise Bourgeois’s work. This little handkerchief really got to me. It’s such a simple every day item, but it speaks so strongly about living life to the full, embracing all of it, and understanding the bad and the good together form a whole and complete journey.
I always think of birth whenever I see it. It’s probably because I’ve given birth four times. But honestly, the experience of birth is such a condensed example of the larger life journey we are all on. We are giving birth to the next version of ourselves all the time. We are giving birth to our projects. We are nurturing things so they can creatively come alive and make the world a better place. We are going through the long struggle to make things come out right (hopefully!). We are getting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
That’s why I find it so inspiring. It connects deeply to how I experience life as a whole.
So I guess what I’m doing now is giving birth to a new body of work! Woohoo! It’s so exciting!
If you’re feeling lackluster or need a sense of purpose, do have a look at The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. It has been like a bolt of electricity in how it’s brought energy and vitality to my creative practice. These days I’m practically running to get to my studio I’m so excited!
Thanks for joining me today!
PS. Keep an eye out for my next few posts as I roll out this process. You’re getting a really honest look at my creative practice!
