Everyone knows that when it comes to clothes, I prefer classic styles. With these crocheted collars I was thinking way way way classic, possibly because I made them while reading, "Pride & Prejudice". I really like things that are impermanent too: adjustable, removable, able to be worn in different ways. So I decided to make something that would allow me to add a bit of ruffles & feminine detail to plainer outfits. After making one collar, I liked it so much that I decided to make another! There is even a third! Not pictured here, but it is cream colored like the first, but longer/looser like the second. I will probably keep just one as I have too much clothes & accessories to begin with. This means there could be another giveaway in the future, keep your eyes out!
On another note, a new year is approaching! Are you excited? I really am! I suppose if I had to sum 2010 up in one word, it would be, "Challenging". This is definitely not a bad thing, I love a good challenge & this year presented me with plenty! Towards the end of the academic quarter, I was feeling so stressed & inept at life in general, but now that things have calmed down, I can get a better perspective on everything. When I think about where I was at this time last year (in all facets) & compare it to this year, I feel like I've come really far & that I like where things are going. This year was so much about big choices: where to live for the next two years, which school to go to, who to keep contact with and which relationships have really become unhealthy & must be dropped. Since this is my blog for projects & because Ugly Bird is almost a year old (end of January!) now, I'll talk about just those things.
Starting this blog has been one of the better choices I've made. I started this blog a few months after the end of a serious relationship & upon being freshly enrolled in two art courses. With all the manic emotional nonsense, dedicated time to work, & instructors who were actually amazing at providing guidance & motivation, I produced more work than ever. More importantly, because of those teachers & because of the fact that I somehow have an audience here, I began to take it more seriously. I began to view my little projects as a way to say something & to communicate. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to make things, but I never saw much beyond, "I enjoy the feeling I have from creating, I like how it helps to clear my thoughts".
So this year, I had a few things up in an art show, I had a ceramics piece on display at my old school for the whole summer even though these are the kinds of things that ordinarily make me nauseous. In class, I realized that learning how to talk or write about your work is also incredibly important. Suddenly being asked, "why did you take these photos?", "why did you choose to create this piece", "why did you choose to execute this sketch & not the others?" was so confusing at first, but now I feel like being able to explain a bit just gives each piece more significance. It was so embarrassing to have photos projected for a class critique, but at the same time, I loved hearing other interpretations on them, even if it was hard to hear because I was usually trying to disappear into my scarf at the same time. I realize now that when I make these things & especially when I share them with others, it isn't about being seen, it's about being understood. I think feeling like others get what you mean is incredibly important. It's what stops us from being lonely & feeling crazy.
I hope that in 2011, I continue to create. That regardless of how long it takes me to finish one thing (school eats time), that thing is important to me. My goal is to tell stories, I would never call myself an artist, but I would definitely call myself a storyteller. I hope that you will understand & I hope you fill in the blanks with your own story & becomes something new & different.
& if you happened to catch the Vashti Bunyan reference in my title, ultimate kudos to you! If not, please enjoy this song:
No comments:
Post a Comment