Happy colors and happy news.

Among many things that are bringing me happiness this week, here are three of them.

Thing 1:
My fiber art piece "Circle the Ring Again" (shown above) was included in Patti Digh's book Creative is a Verb as an illustration for Patti's essay of the same name. This book features a variety of artwork by Patti's readers, and I'm delighted to be included among them. The book is out in stores now, and Patti is on a book tour. I'm looking forward to meeting her, since she'll be stopping nearby in December.

Thing 2:
In totally related news, I submitted a drawing to be considered for publication in Patti's next book, What I Wish for You, due out in April 2011. This week I found out that my work was accepted! I may have done a little dance when I got that email...

Thing 3:
I live in a gorgeous part of Greensboro, NC, where the autumn leaves are currently at the height of their beauty. I missed this landscape so much when I was in grad school, and I'm still so happy to be back.

Meantime.

This time last year, I was ruminating about how I'm always surprised by the advent of autumn and all of its emotional connotations. Now, although many of the small details have shifted in a year's time, none of the big questions have been resolved. I guess there's a reason that Rilke's letter about loving the questions themselves is quoted so often.

So here's my meantime: I'm teaching art to kids. I'm a freelance writer. I've signed up to participate in the International Postcard Art Exchange with other art therapists who support Art Therapy Without Borders. My partner and I have re-launched the Defabricate Etsy store, featuring handmade baby gifts, mini quilts, ornaments, coffee cozies, and (as of this week) cat toys. (I stitched up a feline mascot, shown above, for the cat toy packaging.) And bit by bit, I'm making marks in my personal mini-journals.

Doing it all breath by breath, as always.

Reflection: Stitching Meditation

It is from fiber that all living organisms are built—

the tissues of plants, and ourselves. Our nerves, 
our genetic code, the canals of our veins, our muscles. 
We are fibrous structures.

—Magdalena Abakanowicz

Stitching: it’s a rhythmic, repetitive process. Like taking steps. Like breathing.

Stitches are collective. One stitch out of context is merely a mark. Stitches together can form a line, or fill a space. They can tell a story.

Frequently, a pattern of stitches viewed from the back (the “wrong side”) tells a different story than the front view.

Stitching shows up in my art process a lot. 


It can provide a focal point…

…or enhance an evolving image…

…or it can be the line I use to create a drawing on fabric, by walking the path of the image one threaded mark at a time.

  

But sometimes I stitch just to be stitching, for the pleasure of it, with no end product in mind. I find it soothing.

Stitching meditation creates space. I can’t rush it. It helps me remember what it means to notice. What is true? I only know this moment of pulling this needle through this fabric. Breathe in. Breathe out.