Wednesday, 6 July 2016

Studio Series: Two inch collages e

Two inch collages e © Karen Thiessen, 2016
Summer is officially here and with it I am experimenting with new rhythms. I'm stitching less and am mark-making and collaging more. I've learned to sit at the patio table on the back deck overlooking the tangled garden and feed my sketchbook. Normally, I enjoy nature by trying to tame my unwieldy garden. Sitting in nature is new to me. The weeds are still there and the daffodil bulbs still need to be divided, but I'm now almost able to ignore them. New rhythms are uncomfortable, but necessary. 

 A few weeks ago I realized that I needed a vacation. This perplexed me. Vacations stress me out because they take me away from my work and my daily routine. So, I decided to take a vacation without going away: I am engaging in pattern disruption. One of my goals for this life experiment is to be mildly bored instead of being constantly over-stimulated and over-committed. It's working. It's uncomfortable but it's allowing me to play with smaller projects for which I might ordinarily not make time. If you aren't able to take a vacation this summer, try changing your routine. It might surprise you.
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2 comments:

  1. Judy Martin7 July 2016 at 21:18

    What an interesting slant to life. My routine has definitely changed, and perhaps it is a kind of vacation. One thing I have noticed is that I am doing "one thing at a time" instead of dividing up my day into many projects. It's much easier and kind of like a rest. xo

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  2. Karen Thiessen8 July 2016 at 00:10

    Judy, yes you've named my new rhythm: "one thing at a time." I hadn't realized it before. Although I feel like I'm working slower than usual, I'm actually getting more done. It's so new and strange.

    I hope you are recovering! xo

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