Joy. It’s a state of mind.
April 12th, 2012I’m an eternal optimist. A glass half full kinda gal. A believer of Joyfulness. Always have been. Always hope to be. Yes, I know, hope is not a strategy. It is a state of mind. Optimism, joyfulness and hope that is. So what do they have to do with the serious radio silence?
A. lot.
Let’s just say my eternal optimism took a brief sabbatical. We parted company around December. ‘Bout the time I had to help a client place its U.S. operations on hold and wind down the office, which included myself and others. I’ve been on a personal journey of rediscovering all of them since that completed in January. I’m happy to report. The are back! Optimism, Joy and Hope. They were helped along by friends (near and far!), T, family and an amazing eBook by local Portland artist, Kelly Rae Roberts, Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar.
While I will continue to look for work and do consulting work with amazing people, I had an epiphany that its essential for me to begin to really honor my love and passion for my creative textiles endeavors. And no, Nihon Vogue doesn’t count these days. That’s work. Love it. But its work!
I realized in the last months I’ve missed the creative flow that designing knitting and Art Quilts evoke for and in me. The process of dreaming, sketching and creating actually informs all parts of my life, including my love of creating with words. Would it be kitschy to say, that when it all comes together, I feel absolute Joy! (OK, maybe a bit. Kitschy.). But it’s true. It does.
Welcome. Back. Joy.
The last several weeks of evenings and weekends have been filled walking down the professional crafter side of me: I’ve been swatching, creating, and designing something fierce. I’m also working on a new brand identity for The Studio. One that’s a bit more hip, modern, free flowing and fun. I don’t think I’ll pursue this passion full-time in the near fun, but I can do it at a pace that suits me, in the time that works for me.
Below are some sneak peaks of what’s been inspiring me in Portland and The Studio.
Studio Happenings
Possible S/S 2013 Inspiration Board
Black & White Art Quilt Experiment
Ideas and Projects in Progress
Where to start?
March 13th, 2012I’ve been working on several designs and some sewing projects the last couple of week. I’m getting ready to break out the colored pencils to work on a Quilt color wheel design that’s been in my head for a couple of days. At least sketch it out so that I don’t forget.
I’m also working on new designs for the site. I’ve been taking some time to getting back to my creative roots these last couple of month. I finally had to admit to myself that I’m burned out on knitting. I finally just picked up a needles a couple of weeks ago. It was nice and the ideas are coming.
As many of you may know (or not) I also spend a good chunk of my day doing marketing + PR for technology and textiles companies. The last year several years have been filled with opportunities and new experiences. I wouldn’t change it for the world and hope that good fortune continues to come my way. All that said, it has slowed down a bit the last couple of months. I’ve been taking these last months to really evaluate moving forward with my day work and how I want that to evolve and my design side. On the later, I’ve had to really ask myself, is it just knitting or does it incorporate my love of DIY in general. I love to sew, quilt and do needlework. I use to also paint and doodle a bit. I also love to write. The question is, can I incorporate all of these loves into a business. Still don’t know yet.
It’s a tough market in my field and I need to realize that given my age (no I’m not that old) and the market that I may not be able to find full-time employment for a while, even if it’s consulting. Which I do have. With this in mind an in the next months I’ll begin to explore what the full journey is. No, I’m not giving up my day job, I’ll be working to incorporate time in my week to pursue my love of fashion, fit, fabric, words and yarn into projects and teaching.
For now, I leave you with some photos of things I’m working on.
Knitwear projects on the needle and design board.
Summer dress.
Ready to piece together.
I did promise…
March 2nd, 2012To get better at blogging. I’m failing miserably! It’s been a world wind month of happenings, changes and moving forward. I know, I know I keep saying that each month. It’s really true. Some good, some challenging, all are the direction of forward!
I promise more in the months to come. I’m going back to discovering my love of designing, sewing and pulling it all together. I’m in the stewing stages. I haven’t been doing much of that the last 18-months.
What have I been up to? Traveling! February was spent mostly on the road with breaks at home with T. I was gone, literally every weekend of the month. They were long weekends. They were joyful and women inspired. I love when that happens. I just hadn’t realized I was on a roll for February.
First stop was Beantown, MA (one of my favorite city’s). I met a friend from Australia for a long weekend of relaxing, walking and business discussions. On both ends. She owns a fabulous shop by the name of Echidna Handmade in Torquay, VIC. If you’re ever down under you should check it out. We had fabulous walking weather. We walked miles! If we’d had an extra day we’d have walked Cambridge.
Then I headed to Madrona with my Nihon Vogue peeps. I love this event, but think this might be the last year I attend. I say that every year, but for some reason I think I may skip a year.
I capped the month off spending the weekend helping a friend with her trunk show at Stitches West. We had a ball, but man were we tired. Amazing knitters and a great reception for her book, Knit Swirl.
March is kicking in with a vengeance.
Knitting? Not much has been going on other than sketching and writing patterns. I picked up my needle and traveled with a needlepoint project for the month of February. I’ve been so knee deep in yarn the last three years, that I’ve forgotten that I love sewing and needlework. I’m working them in.
How about you? Anything new happening your world?
New Relationships…
January 27th, 2012Portland. Food. Food. Portland. The two are intimately entwined, as anyone on the food scene will tell you. Both near and far.
2012 is a momentous year in that I’m treating it as the actual year I’ve arrived in Portland. Don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful relationship with T and small handful of friends. Yet in a strange way I haven’t been as fully present as I could be. Most of my career I’ve been on the road for clients and loving every minute of it. Having a ball actually. If you’d asked me when I went into surgery February of 2008 I’d have told you I’d be back on top in six months. Cough, cough. Laugh, laugh. I now know better. I’m stronger and wiser for it.
Sooo… I repeat. 2012 is the year I’ve arrived in Portland. It means re-engaging with community. Reconnecting with creativity and discovering new outlets of creativity. Continuing to build on the rich and joyful relationships that I have. Creating new ones. And having fun while doing.
This includes food. Since I rarely do anything halfway I started a cleanse January 1. I signed up for the full throttle Clean Program. No coffee, no wine. I liked that it was not a diet. I didn’t need a diet, just a reboot. Protein Clean shakes in the AM and PM, supplements and a full lunch each day for three weeks. Did I mention the 7-day food pre cleanse? They suggested 5-days, but given my schedule 7 worked best.
I’m three days from the end of a four-week haul! Can I tell you? I’m not sure I’ll ever do it again! At least the full throttle one, maybe just the food one. For the record, I don’t care how healthy almond or coconut milk are for you. After one week. Never again. EVER.
Out of 87 meals, I only slipped 5 times. Wahooo! Two of the three were pretty decent nose dives to the deep end – with decent moderation, the other three consisted of small bites of something I shouldn’t have had in the evening. Can I say. Not bad. I got back on the wagon and kept going. But here’s the thing I learned. I love food and the act of creating meals. Oh, and I love my morning cup of coffee.
You’d think one meal a day was a bit limiting, but surprisingly not. I reconnected with thinking about what that meal consists of and creating healthy meals for my lunch and T’s dinner. For the record, I don’t cook every night. I’m the queen of making one meal last several. I focused on the moods that result in cravings and why. And what to do about them. We’ve tried new recipes, some with overwhelming success and others not so much. And we continue to buy as much locally as we can. It’s been a good experience and great new way to look at food. So ….
To new relationships. I feel like food and 2012 is going to be a good year.
PS: Yes, I’m still on the creative path with the knitting and patterns. More on that later.
Into the New Year
January 6th, 2012The first week of 2012 has been um, not fun. One I hope that is NOT indicative of the year to come.
The household went down for the count the morning after Christmas. A combination of food poisoning and wicked stomach flu (combined) and a chest infection, T with the food poisoning and stomach flu and me with the chest infection. Oh joy! Picked up the stomach flu Monday. Needless to say we had a very quiet New Years. Light dinner and a movie, at home.
Today is the first day I actually feel decent. Good thing as I have to head to Seattle this afternoon for my Nihon Vogue course. And no I did not get as much knitting done as I would have liked, but I make progress.
The first week of detox has been a lot easier than it normally is. Thankfully I only had the caffeine headache Day 2 & 3. I have discovered that I crave sugar when I’m bored. Go figure.
I leave you with a bit of what I have been doing while on the couch. Getting the mood board, fibers, some swatching and sketching as the Spring/Summer designs come together. It’s all about baby steps. Ok, maybe no photos. Files to big and I’m out of time. More next time.