Like you, most likely, I cannot remember a time that I stayed at home so much and focused on my life, my art, and my work. This morning, here and now in this place I am seeing this as a time to love my life. To nurture it, to cultivate it, to prepare it for growth and change.
It is a time to be. A time to learn. A time to make.
Through out these days I have times when I have felt scared or stressed. For me, I always turn to faith. Faith in my family and my community. Faith in God and faith in humanity. Faith right now, regardless of your spiritual inclinations is important. We need it in ourselves, in each other, and in what ever it is that you believe. Faith.
I know so many things are out of my control.
That does not mean I just give up and wait to see what happens in life. I do have some control over how I act and respond. I try to make sound judgements based on the most well informed information I can find. I feel very grateful for the internet right now and our ability to communicate with each other. I also appreciate that we can ignore rumours and get accurate information from trusted sources online about what is happening and what we should be doing.
Keeping busy and turning my thoughts outward are important for me. I read, study and plan for my work. I call my friends. I work on my website. I teach myself new things. I create. I imagine. I wonder. I hope. I pray.
In doing these things I have come to realize that I may always do things differently after this time. I will change in some ways for the better and so will my studio. For me this is a time to refine my work and my life.
In just these few days I have found new ways of doing things. I hosted an impromptu virtual hook in yesterday with ten people from our Harbour course. I ordered my groceries online and picked them up. I have been calling friends just to chat. On Friday night four old friends got together on facebook messenger and had a virtual happy hour.
Social distancing, staying at home, working alone, & checking in on people by phone are my new normal.
I thought I might clean the basement and the hall closet and the junk drawer in the kitchen. I haven't. There is still a glimmer of hope but so far they remain a mess. Instead books will get read. Drawings will be made. Rugs will will hooked.
In the coming weeks I will try to do some free things online for you to look forward to as you stay home and get creative. Please remember that Woolcake is now free and it contains three years of videos and lessons.
Thursday, March 26 at 2 pm I will do another facebook live rug hooking class.
Now it is more important than ever...
Create beauty everyday.
Thank you...
Deanne
PS. Hooking Painterly and Hooking Freestyle online Courses are now half price.
2 comments
BETTY J HALL
Janet MacDonald
I am having so much watching and learn from you Diane and your team. Thanks for making this available
Stay healthy