in which our plucky heroine continues very tiny incremental progress...
Despite the level of pain high enough that I couldn't sit at the computer but needed to arrange the desk setup so I could stand, and type, and use the trackball, I managed to put together, and then present, the short online talk about "
what is a 100 day challenge and why to do one"*. It helped that I have been spending a short time for the last few days creating a rough framework, which made it easier to not forget what I consider vital points. I wonder, are children still taught about "the six W's":
Who,
What,
When,
Where,
Why, and Ho
W... I never really get a sense of how folks take my presentations, which are much more in a sort of practical/experiential mode than the conceptual/intellectual mode that seems to be the prevailing flavor of that group.
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~ serendipity ~
I was very surprised at how little the dye spread into the folded and tied textiles after yesterday's experiments, give how thoroughly I tried to apply the dye to the rolled or coiled fabric. These finished pieces are very much the work of an amateur; I've never done much with classic tie-dye, but it will be fun to have a few more colorful pieces or fabric to play with. The resulting head scarf reminds me of when in the
Before Before Times I could attend Oregon Country Fair, that renowned hippie festival in Veneta in July.
The larger piece of linen (shown above being rinsed after being dyed, and below as the long coiled "rainbow snake" after sitting overnight to help set the dye) is destined to make treats and gifts and probably some pennants. It would be lovely to have some tie-dyed pride pennants for my pavilion, should SCA camping ever be possible for me again, and I am thinking that some of my pals would enjoy some spiffy new rainbow kitchen pot holders
. 
※※※ I'm excited, the intaglio ink I accidentally ordered from London is not just in North America, but is actually in Portland and supposedly arriving this coming week. The package went from Great Britain, to Sweden, to several different cities in the USA. It will be a challenge for me to rearrange my studio space enough to set up the Tiny Press, which I've wanted to do for ages! I will need to clear away the standing workbench, which is currently covered in random scribal, printmaking, basketry, and miniature making bits and bobs and detritus. The arrival of the ink will be just the impetus I need.
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It has been just pouring rain on and off all day here. It sounds almost like a New England summer storm, but with somewhat less in the way of thunder and lightning...
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June SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | some quilt squares
| tea rose temperature
| rose and grapevines
|
| 2 | tinyprint fox
| partial backyard mown
| some grass
|
| 3 | arm protectors
| Acantha cereal bowl
| some more grass
|
| 4 | moar quilt squares
| tie dye scarf
| recycle bin
|
| 5 | tinyprint fan
| - | yard waste bin
|
| 6 | denim daypack
| x
| yard waste bin
|
| 7 | x
| x | recycle bin
|
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. rain, always... with a side order of being grateful that I live atop a bluff and not in a flood plain!
2. I was able to get my presentation written, and shared, despite a woeful lack of bodily cooperation.
3. dear Toshi is still in the bright world, one day at a time...
a bird list for Kestrel: House Finch, Scrub Jay, Crow, Dark Eyed Junco, Starlings, Peacocks, and a few days ago, I saw some Barn Swallows in the local park.
Time of Isolation - Day 1092
* The text of my presentation, should any be interested:
"The 100 day creative challenge: or as Jess Greenleaf says "it is about the experience, not the results..." I first encountered this concept via the artist Ann Wood, who has used it a number of times over the years. It is a way to foster personal creativity and exploration, without pressure, in a very accessible way. One could think of it as a way to leverage kaizen and create progress and momentum in your imaginative and intuitive self. I have subsequently found that there are many other folks who also use a 100 day challenge in various different modes and disciplines. An online search for "100 day challenge" will turn up assorted suggestions in artistic, literary and physical realms.
The basic premise as I understand it is to commit to and take a very small chunk of time (ie 15 minutes) EVERY DAY for 100 days, to do the activity or action you have chosen. It will seem odd or even uncomfortable at first, but most of us can break loose such a small increment of our waking day FOR OURSELVES. By making it a routine, over time it allows us to become comfortable with making a space in our life for our creative self to emerge.
Ann Wood is a textile and multimedia artist whose creativity and creations I greatly admire. Having seen previous long term projects she has done, when early this year she announced a 2023 stitchbook sewalong I decided to join in...
"the 2023 stitch book begins on january 20th and ends on april 29th... The project is a slow stitch (20 page)textile book with slot and tab binding. To participate you just need some fabric scraps and a willingness to show up everyday for 100 days and stitch for 15 minutes."
I went into the project with no preconceived idea about how my pages would look, or what I would do with the time. For me, I wanted this, as my everyday life and work are very much the opposite, being specifically determined by the commisions of my clients and by my own temperment. I rarely if ever give myself open ended time to just play, and experimentation is usually in service to a desired result. I was curious what would happen if, for fifteen minutes a day, I threw all that out the window.
It was fascinating, from just about the first day. I started by placing one scrap of fabric on a base rectangle, and imagined what to do next. Somehow, that then inspired, over the days, various additions either fabric scraps or stitchery, and I kept allowing my imagination free reign. I was surprised at how the ideas kept bubbling up, often more than I could ever use. As the weeks went by, I began to see what sorts of overarching design concepts my brain and personal style found appealling, which was, while not surprising, something I hadn't really thought about before.
(share the finished 2023 Stitchbook here)
As well, the interest and cameraderie of sharing the journey with other folks all over the world was very enjoyable, and led, once the 100 day stitchbook challenge ended, to my starting a new 100 day challenge of exploring printmaking, in conjunction with my online pal Leslie. She and I meet on zoom once a week to check in with each other about our art life and printmaking challenge. (She lives in the New Forest in Britain, so we would never likely meet any other way!)
So, you may be wondering about how to set up a 100 day challenge for yourself... Once you have decided on what action or activity you would like to focus on, it will be helpful to think about where you will engage in your challenge. If it is an indoor or desktop activity, having at least a placemat size spot cleared away ahead of time, or that is easy to clear will be helpful. If it is an outdoor action, think about what you can do to make it easy for you to engage in it.
You will want to set some parameters or boundaries to your challenge, within which your imagination and effort will have free rein. In my stitchbook project, for example, in addition to the page size provided in Ann Woods "directions", I also chose to pre-select a grocery bag full of fabric scraps in colors I found appealing, which were soon supplemented by some vintage japanese fabric scraps sent to me by friends who read about my efforts.
Another think that can be really helpful is to put together a "kit" for your challenge. A basket full of supplies, a pad of paper or a notebook and some writing implements in a container, a raincoat/sunhat/camera etc for outdoor adventures, a handy yoga mat, etc. Most important is a timer, either analog or digital, to signal to yourself the beginning and if needed end time of your daily activity.
I have found that accountability is crucial to my being successful at such a long term project. Ideally it really is something that happens every day, though we are all human and there can be unavoidable interruptions. But having partners in our challenge, whether friends cheering us on, or online compatriots also participating, really helps. When I was doing the stitchbook project, there were hundreds of other folks also stitching away, and Ann Woods online community was a place to share our progress, ask questions, and enjoy kudos. For less extensive challenges, an online or IRL partner or partners can serve a similar function.
I hope I have give some food for thought, and encourage folks to consider coming up with or joining in a 100 day challenge, it is a wonderful way to enrich your life in unexpected ways"
