When faced with the tyranny of the blank page, which I often am, the rule is that it’s better to just start writing, drawing, beating your fists, crying….. any old start will do frankly. Yet, getting to that start always proves problematic, unless my plan was procrastination all along, in which case I have made a very STRONG break for the gate! Proof of this is in the photo below, my idea tree for this blog, drawn by hand on January 4th of 2016.
I am not clear on what distracted me so from my purpose, I do know it was never one thing. In fact, I blame politics in part, with the normalizing of Neo Nazis and terrorist attacks like the one in Charlottesville, the new politics of hate is a huge, horrifying part of my distraction. I find it heart-wrenching to write about art, or other expansive ideas, when there is so much nastiness and grief in this world.
And yet I’ve been very busy this last year and a half, highly productive in fact. The pictures traveling back the past 20 months (!!!) will only prove that.
So, when faced with that tyrant I mentioned above, a beginning, any beginning is best. And, of course, better late than never, the business of the every day must go on. With that in mind, sharing my idea photos from the previous year or so is a good way to go. Being that it was a busy time in which I was producing a great deal of art, especially art-to-wear, there are many photos to choose from. These are just the tip of that iceberg.
Starting above, with two photos of details from my hand-drawn silk scarves, you can see I’ve been exploring Zen Tangle, or doodling. It has proven to be very fruitful for me creatively. It has lent itself to designs for fabrics, baby clothes, silk scarves, cards, wearable art, blah blah blah. It doesn’t require that I am the best at sketching, to be honest it is not my strong suit; it intimidates me! But since taking up this contained form of doodling, I have improved in leaps and bounds. It is an easy way to approach a skill that is difficult to master even for a practiced hand.
And the doodling helps me get my ideas out of my head; it’s a terribly treacherous journey if you’re an idea in my head, one needs all the help one can get. It’s been stated many times, but IT IS all about the process, the journey, the ride….
This year that journey lead me to ride the mechanical bull at the State Fair where that scarf, pictured above & below, won second place for wearable art. I also won first place and best of division for my spinning. Riding the bull is what someone does after picking up her awards and drinking a Margarita in the 100°F Sacramento heat. For this scarf it was a well-earned, thigh-searing, Cow-Girl celebration.
But really, that’s a whole ‘nother post.
Which brings me to the last few points: this may mark the end of procrastination for me, and the beginning of something bigger, better, brighter. Art is not a thing, it is a way; it requires skill, practice, discipline, steady, sensitive hands, and an open mind, at the very least. I am going to keep posting about the beauty of the world, and the skills used to create it, because I feel it helps fight the ignorance that leads to the chaos we see on our streets. The first refuge of morons is violence; I suggest here that a broader education will make for fewer morons.
Which makes this a good place to stop for today. I came, I wrote, I defeated. Onward to slay other tyrants!
Thanks for reading and please stay tuned. Of course, there is much to say and do, hopefully my brain will lemme do it so I have something more to say soon. I am opening a second shop on Etsy called Salon Gazelle, where I will be selling my hand painted, felted, wearable art. Tabitha’s Twist will remain on Etsy as well as my vintage goodies shop, so there will be much to herald in the coming weeks!
Much love-T
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