learning
A couple of weeks ago a friend of ours, Petrus, popped in for a cup of tea and a catch up. We first met Petrus about 19 or 20 years ago, sitting by the edge of the local school’s swimming pool watching the kids have their annual month of lessons. We warmed to each other, relishing those long warm hours of observation and conversation. Watching in delight as every year the kids grew bigger in size, more confident in the pool, and more capable of getting themselves dressed afterwards. And most days we’d sit together on a wooden bench off to the side, opening our hearts; telling the stories of our lives, describing our creative projects and processes, and sharing our varied inspirations and observations.
During that time, and in the years since, there have been times when we’ve seen each other often, and other times more rarely. Over the last few years, now that we don’t drink coffee in town anymore and the kids are too big for swimming lessons, unfortunately it’s been the latter. Occasionally we bump into each other while out shopping, or when one of us goes to visit the other.
All this is to say that when Bren and I arrived home a few weeks ago to find Petrus sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea and chatting with Indi and Jazzy, we had much to discuss. We quickly caught up on the latest news, we shared stories of our loved ones, he told us the tale of his encounter with an aggressive wombat, and then we went round the table describing what we had been up to creatively. Petrus had been working towards an exhibition of ceramic pieces called A Journey Of Shards, Bren was making frames and a guitar stand from wood, Jazzy was writing and playing music, and as we spoke Indi was incorporating the phrases and themes she heard into a drawing.
When it came to my turn I got a bit stuck. All my life I have used the word maker or creator to define myself. For as long as I can remember I have sewn and drawn, painted and crocheted, knitted and photographed, and collaged and written, as an outlet and to express myself. But over the past year, with all the fear and disappointment and shock and failure that I spoke about last week, for some reason I stopped. My hands were idle. For the longest period of time that I can ever remember.
As I finished telling my story it occurred to me, not for the first time, that I really had lost a big part of my identity over the past year. And I was mourning it.
Petrus was emotional, not having heard any part of my tale before. But then he quickly followed it up with his advice for' ‘…getting your mojo back. Because without it life is too depressing and difficult.’ He told us, and then followed it up with an email a few days later, that ‘…learning is the best healer. And everyday do something which is a learning activity. Even if it is a new program on your computer. Until you hit an activity which does it for you.’
I love that advice. So rich in depth and opportunity, so open to interpretation and commitment.
In the days and weeks since I haven’t enrolled in a course or thrown myself into a new project as I’d originally thought I might. I haven’t sat at my desk and free journaled for a period of time each day. I haven’t even gotten back into posting photos on instagram.
What I have done is try to keep that learning lesson in the forefront of my days. I’ve tried to use my everyday activities as learning opportunities, rather than just doing things the way I’ve always done them. I’ve tried to push myself gently out of my comfort zone and into new experiences and thoughts. And I’ve tried to watch how others do things and sometimes thought about incorporating their ways into mine.
And as far as going forward with learning and creativity, because honestly that’s where my heart really lives, I’d love to;
continue to commit to taking photos and writing words on my blog again
consider getting a ceramics teacher to help me overcome some of the hurdles that are holding me back
get back into sewing clothes again
think about sewing a quilt
embroider some tiny flowers on some of my clothes
finish off my Norwood sweater so I can finally move onto something new
think about buying some fleece to spin
revisit the joy that is natural dyeing
cut up my pile of magazines and stick them in my journal or on the walls
experiment with making arrangements out of winter foliage
write more
Another photo of my Norwood sweater because despite the usual clutter and chaos, you can see the colour-work better than the photo above.
It’s probably true that whenever you’re reading, you’re learning.
This week I read Barbara Kingsolver’s much awarded Demon Copperhead which I loved and would highly recommend. You might find this odd, considering how much has been written and spoken about this book, but until I finished it and looked up some of the reviews, I had no idea that it was a modern day telling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (which I have not read).
Kingsolver’s version tells the story of Demon Copperhead, a red-headed boy, born to a drug addicted, single, teenaged mother, growing up in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. It is a book about survival and resilience, about institutionalised poverty, about loss and about the opioid epidemic.
From the first word I was swept away by the incredible story telling. I often found myself rereading chunks for their beauty, and occasionally taking photos of sentences on my phone so I could keep them. This really is an epic story and while at times I found it almost unbearably bleak and heart breaking, it feels like an incredibly important and timely story to tell/read.
My friend Cath who first recommended it to me wrote on Goodreads - Absolute perfection. I cried at the end because I will never get to read it for the first time again. And although it was such a devastating read at times, I know where she’s coming from.
And last night I started reading Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, which is probably as close as you’ll come to the complete opposite of Demon. I’ve only read 48 pages and am still not quite sure where it’s going, but so far there is ridiculous wealth and privilege and humour. We’ll see
Oh look at that! It’s time for me to click out of here and meet those three up at the top of the hill for a walk through the forest.
I hope you have a lovely, restful and restorative weekend.
But before you go, please tell me, have you been learning anything lately? And how are you feeling creatively? Do you have any projects or plans in the making?
See ya!
Love, Kate x
Oh I almost forgot, thank you all SO MUCH for your kind words and generous welcome back last week. I really, really, really REALLY appreciate them. xx
