helping

I am so happy to get to practice my rudimentary design skills for friends with cool businesses...

quilting

Last night I had a rare opportunity to see a collection of Gee's Bend Quilts at BAM and meet two of the artists whose families have been making these quilts for generations. It's a remarkable story, and the quilts are really exciting to look at.

I have to admit though, some of the Q&A totally bugged the shit out of me. There could have been a really interesting conversation about any number of topics--Louisiana and China--the two women present--had really insightful and intelligent things to say--but were asked stupid questions like: "Doesn't it just feel AWFUL to see your work hanging in a museum, instead of wrapping yourself up in it?" Louisiana's answer was (I'm totally paraphrasing) "If we kept our quilts for ourselves, we'd be the only ones who knew about them--this way the whole world gets to see them, and enjoy them. Our quilts are like children--they are born, they grow up, you let them go." Such a lovely, simple, pure way to look at it. And all those art students couldn't grapple with the guilt they felt about how intentionally they are going about their work. How much purpose and importance and thought they put into it; instead of just creating--out of necessity--and letting the work speak for itself.

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Accidental post part I

I'm going to always put "Part I" when I start writing about something new. Forcing myself to follow up. Maybe I'll even at some point put "Part I of V" or something, to really seal the deal. And now here I am writing about I-don't-even-know-what because I accidentally clicked the wrong tab. All I really wanted to do was to add a widget. What's funny is that nobody even reads this. I'm marketing myself to nobody. Which is fine. When I'm ready, I'll be ready, and I'll put it out there.

Oh! I'm contemplating going back to school. This is to put a third and altogether different spin on the possible direction of my life. Whatever route I take, I know that I have to do SOMETHING different, and soon, or I might explode. Or implode. It will not be pretty.

I started a new blog--one that will be dedicated to the fashion show that's coming right up...details here.

Bike Metaphor Part II (Contrived, but true)

Why I wrote "Part I" on my last post is a complete mystery.  I had no plans to follow up, but I suppose it was a good tactic to require a forced "Part II".  

I've got my eye on a new bike.  It's top of the line.  It's fast, it's beautiful, it works really really well, and it has a lifetime warranty.  I've never been wooed by the idea of a lifetime warranty before because all of my decisions have been so temporary.  "This will work for now." type of stuff.  (Do I have commitment issues?)   But suddenly I'm having more of a long-term approach to where I put my energy, resources, commitments.  Did I mention this bike is super expensive?   Money shouldn't be an issue.  (But it is.)  I still want the bike, and I will not compromise.  

Bicycle Metaphor Part I

Lately I've been frustrated. You know, with myself. In an attempt to treat myself with more compassion, I'm not going to judge it, I'm going to make a metaphor out of it. There's something infinitely more cathartic about processing through frustration via metaphor.

So I'm learning how to "ride a bike" (start/run a business). A little late in life too--all my friends already know how to ride. They're out tearing up the streets sans training wheels (although they do have pretty terrible accidents sometimes, and end up not being able to ride a bike at all). And there's so much fear because 3 people have been killed by bikes in the past month in this very town. So sad. And true (not part of the metaphor). And then there's me--teetering along, scared shitless, so not confident in the strength of my legs or my sense of balance.

So I'm scooting along on my bike, which quite frankly might not even be the right bike for me. It might be too small. It feels slow, and might need a tune up. Perhaps I need to take the plunge and invest in a bigger, comfier, faster, sleeker more fancy bike? Perhaps I need to suck it up and make do with what I have? Either way, I'm just resisting it. There's freedom that comes from knowing how to get on a bike and ride. And freedom can be scary. And so I have excuses about why it's not 'clicking'. I have throngs of people supporting me--holding on to the seat and stabilizing me--just waiting for me to zoom off on my own. They're saying "you can do it" but the more I hear that, the more distracted I get about what it is I actually have to do.

Ah ha! There it is. What is IT? The thing that you need to actually be able to ride a bike? It's not a you can do IT. It's a you can do all of these things at the same time in perfect harmony with one another. So while I've been looking for an IT, I really have been avoiding all of the parts that make IT up. Balance, strength, concentration, focus, coordination, desire, flexibility. Yup. There it is.

Biking is fancy

Right now, it's all about bikes. Thus, it's all about bike bags--from here on out. A bike bag is just a bag--but with the addition of two sturdy snap straps on the back that make it possible to attach it to handlebars, racks, or whatever part of your bike you desire. I've decided that every medium sized bag I make from now on will have this option. It just makes sense! (You can also attach the straps to your belt for a gigantic fanny pack, if you are so inclined. The brown & pink one will be donated to the winner of the upcoming Dirty in Pink alley cat bike race. Where will the second one end up? Etsy? That's a novel idea.