We "art" because it seems to be woven into the very fabric of our humanity. The compulsion to create - to transform raw materials into something meaningful - appears to be as natural to us as breathing. When we pick up thread, paint, or fabric, we're participating in a tradition of making meaning through manipulation of the "material" world.
But here's something signficant - the communal aspect of creativity. We don't create in isolation; we create in conversation with others, both present and past. When we pick up our needle, we're joining a line of makers stretching back generations. When painters gather for a workshop, we're not just sharing techniques - we're creating a space where our individual creative journeys intersect and enrich each other.
Last week I invited several friends to join me for a Stitching Circle - to help with part of my Vessels - Art of the Feminine series. We gathered to stitch personally significant words onto pieces of fabric which will be incorporated into a variety of vessels which denote ages in our lives…
I provided the supplies, plus some treats and asked them to randomly choose a folded piece of paper with the words "I am" and then an age - from birth through to death - so imagine, if you will, what word you would stitch to describe yourself at 3 months of age, or 32 years, or 97 years or anything in between?
Would it be a joyful word, happy, active or reflective - perhaps sorrowful or even painful? I gave no parameters - any word was acceptable and appreciated.
If I had a descriptive word of being 7 years old - what would it be? I think mine might be awkward - but tomorrow I might come up with something very different. Time and mood could alter our words into so many possibilities.
Art isn't just about happy stuff - it's about everything we feel deep down inside, the whole messy mix of being human. When I told my friends "make whatever you want," it's like being handed a blank page where any feeling is totally okay, whether you're on top of the world or down in the dumps.
And I think that's what makes art hit home for other people - they see their own jumbled-up feelings reflected back at them, and suddenly they don't feel so alone with whatever they're going through.
The last image is one of the larger vessels I've just completed - it is titled Menses. My aim was to celebrate, in a postive way, the cycles of our bodies that produce life. That kind of creative force is pretty amazing when you think about it, how our bodies know exactly what to do in this ancient dance of bringing new life into the world.
Love the creative group project. Must have been a fun afternoon. The vessel series is wonderful to see in bits and pieces.