on the upswing
I think one of the hardest things I am learning about is how to deal with phases of inertia or illness and then to move towards recovery and regain energy. I’ve come to the conclusion this is a universal issue but some of us have more difficulty with inertia or illness countering energy and creativity than others. No-one can be creative, productive or positive the whole time. There’s nothing worse than the false positive for sapping energy. Sometimes we just need to be negative. Or ill. FULL STOP.
I really like the blogging community because in someone’s post I so often find a picture or a description or some enthusiasm for the delights of fibre and its capacities which triggers a sense of the universal and of shared human feeling. Other people’s blogs can help move me on.
And it is by being alert to the upswing that we can gain the capacity to be again well, productive and feel a renewed creative burst. Even after a period of illness.
So thank you fellow bloggers.
Here are some of my favourite blogs just now. Thank you for the pleasure you give me. I hope you don’t mind me referencing you.
Doodlemum I adore your drawings.
Chrissie Day’s Felting, Embellishing and Stitching Fibres For your beautiful pictures of landscape and textured fabrics.
The smallest forest For your dedication, commitment to your art, energy, spontaneity and capacity to play.
Kate Davies Designs Providing beautiful pictures of Shetland, beautiful designs, something to aspire to?
Felt by Zed How I admire your sensitivity to fine fibres.
Marion Michell Linked to you by a friend, your work provokes my thought.
Principally felt 
Got that-shirt, too
I was reading your post thinking ‘I know exactly what that is like’ then scrolled down below the felt photo and saw my name! It makes me happy that you enjoy my blog 🙂
Ruth on the Felting and Fiber Studio site did a challenge to encourage us to get in 5 minutes fibre time each day, it can be anything from reading a fibre related article to planning a project. I thought there was no way I could do it, but Lyn from rosiepink said she was using a diary to start listing things she wanted to work on, and even if none of them gets done, she transfers them to the next day’s list. I thought I would give it a go, though I always used to get frustrated at writing lists and not crossing anything off for days, but it really does help. Transferring it each days keeps things fresh and it’s more like a ‘living list’ than an old one that never got done. It helps to think of it a ‘current list of things I’m interested in doing’ and not a list of things that have to be done ‘now’. And oddly it even makes you feel like you are doing something 🙂
I found your blog a while ago and loved some of your work, particularly the pieces with natural fibres and the stitchery. I am quite severely disabled so felting can be a challenge but it is also the thing which keeps me going. I hope you did not mind the mention.
Of course I didn’t mind you mentioning me, I was flattered 🙂
And if you find felting a challenge, you certainly rise to it!
I do really like all the natural wools and fibres, I’m sure some people just see a load of whites, but it’s amazing just how different they all look really.
Agree absolutely.