If today were a piece of art I'd title it . . . Gwen's Folly.

I'm still living in "never/never - maybe/maybe - if only/if only" land. Do I care to explain further? No. Tomorrow I'm off to a 3 day retreat. When I return it'll be as a realist. Wouldn't that be interesting?

visit my other two blogs; Fiction Fiberscope and Nightly Notes.

If today were a piece of art I'd title it . . .
Rehearsal for Hope -- but "hope is not a method" and to me the word denotes inactivity and passivity so I might use that for the working title but I'd most likely change it - but then again the dictionary definition doesn't sound too bad, "To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment". I like the word "wish".

Am I the only one who has favorite words? E-mail me your list.

If today were a piece of art I'd title it . . .
Listen; You've Been Told

So far if today were a piece of art I'd title it . . .
Why Ask Why?. . .
It would be large - at least 25' in it's shortest direction, an amorphous shape, shades of gray with clear plastic embellishments encrusting it and adding to its impenetrable hardness. It would be textureless -slippery looking. It's 2:29 pm

If today were a piece of art I'd title it . . .
Repetition Study #9. The days of the past week+ would be Repetition Study #8, #7, #6 - you get the point. The good news is I love to work in series.

Working Notebook & Visual Journal

So far if today were a piece of art I'd title it "Broken Block"

I just came back from gallery hopping. Had an enligthening time. Artists were hanging out, people were buying art, high schoolers were doing assignments, all were looking at the art and getting a view into one artist's obsessions. The lesson I learned is that I need to just keep doing what I'm doing - only more often. I've been belaboring the fact that I like doing embroidery and other labor intensive processes what I starting doing today, after a particularly unnecessary mind sweep, is just working. I took the thoughts into the studio with me and just worked any way. With as many pieces as I have in-process I should be able to do something every minute of every day. NOT TO WORRY - I acknowledged also that I won't be working every moment just a lot more than I have been.

October Blog Focus

While in the tub I reread part of a chapter from Fearless Creating by Eric Maisel. My mother called and when I told her I was taking a bath she said, "must be nice to do that in the middle of the day". She's retired but has a part-time job and was there on her break. I agree it's nice and it only gets better. I have a very light 'out in the world' work load this month. It's a good thing. I have a lot of in-process artwork that I need/want to complete or at least get closer to completion.

The chapter I was reading is about working on art. It's not about planning to work, meaning to work, blogging about work or talking about work It's about actually doing work. I've had this book for years and I've read this chapter more than once. Today, it is especially helpful because I have this gift of time and I have these projects and I need to buckle down and work more on them. I've been getting some work done on them but I don't feel that it's been enough. In fact I need to get to work now but I wanted to take two pieces of Mr. Maisel's advice: 1-keep a working notebook and 2-stop reading the book and work for a few days, write in the notebook and then return to the book.

I've tried before to keep a visual journal, studio notebook, etc, etc but I've never been successful and Ive only done it for a short amount of time. anyway, for the rest of October at least this blog will be my notebook about the progress I'm making on the work I'm doing. It'll provide me with a safe place to put those digital snapshots I've been taking but don't like. I have to work with this camera and figure out the mystery behind taking shots hat I like of works in progress. So there you have it; October's Blog Focus. Off to work. I think I'll just keep the blog screen open to make it easier to write a note here and there.

Found an interesting site; newsoftheodd.com. Don't be put off by the name it's interesting odd stuff not "useless & weird" odd stuff.

My Favorite Rather Blasphemous Prayer

Years ago while we were at an indigo dyeing workshop on St. Helene Island my friend Madeline sent me to free will astrology to read the wildest, most beautifully truthful prayer I've ever read. I love it, had a copy on my studio wall for a long time. I think someone adopted it because I wanted to read it a few weeks ago and couldn't find it. Then I read the horoscope in the paper - which I haven't done since high school and found it again.

here's one of my favorite parts: "I pray that you will help all the personal growth addicts out there become disciplined enough to go crazy in the name of creation, not destruction. I pray that you will teach them the difference between oppressive self-control and liberating self-control, awaken in them the power to do the half-right thing when it is impossible to do the totally right thing. Arouse the Wild Woman within them -- even if they're men."