I am not being smug nor conceited; it all just came together in a most spectacular way, and I discovered with every stitch put into it, I was enjoying the process more than I had any other in a long time.
There was something about the rhythm of the needle moving through the gorgeous brocade that kept me in a zen-like state. I did not think about aching fingers or a sore back~~the fact that I could barely move when I finally would stand or that I had started work at 8 in the morning and not finished until midnight.
And as I did this, I wondered:
What if the *job* you are meant to do is nothing that will make you famous, nor make you rich, nor takes you to ritzy places? What if it's something you really never considered? Or, what if you have fought and fought to NOT do it, pursuing everything else possible? What if it is a form of a life unlived from when you were young?
What if your calling is something that serves a higher power~~undefinable in this current money-driven world. What if it has been under your nose, and you did not realize it?
I guess my mind wandered abundantly.
The whole creating process was pure delight.
Beautiful things to work with, fine threads, meditation in each and every stitch and a holy purpose for it.
Tell me.....do you think it gets any better?
The joy of our gifts; it's all in the work.
Pax....
51 comments:
Oh my Anne, the sneak peek is gorgeous (one of my favorite colors) I can only imagine the entire piece. I love what you wrote as well, if we all followed that calling, what beautiful things would result.
Wait till you see it all..... :-)
I had some serious meditations as I worked this piece.
I have not been this totally into a piece of work, nor enjoyed it so much, in ages.
Sometimes, I think I cannot see the forest for the trees....
XXOO~~
Anne
I feel that way, Anne, often when I paint. I get so into the process of it that only the moment matters and nothing is missing, nothing is wrong, and everything is perfect! You are right, it doesn't get better than that!! Love, Silke
It's wonderful you are creating your wonderful art work and it's giving you back something as well!!
I know Silke....there is nothing in the world that can compare with that feeling. You really can't put it in words.
Even Gary noticed how much I was enjoying the work.
Amazing....
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Robbie,
Yeah, this project was just like a total gift of relaxation.
And it was NOT easy! (these never are) But it was just, hmmmmm, really GOOD.
I can't articulate it any better.
XXOO~~
Anne
NO it just does NOT get any better.......how could it. If we can experience the pure joy of creating and know the joy it will bring to others.
...well I wish everyone could know that feeling!
A gift, a calling, and employment of your talents... all rolled into one. No, it doesn't get any better than that. Looking forward to seeing the results of your intense labors. The fabric is exquisite, and the post is powerful. Good for you!!
Giving is receiving, isn't it. I know this is going to be so beautiful.
Your devotion will be apparent in every stitch!
I know what you mean, after 40 years working as a graphic designer, I am a part time church secretary and love it. i always feel like what I am doing is helping people.
I can't wait to see it, Anne! Creating things is part of my very soul....but I don't think I can quite compare any piece I've done to this kind of zen-like experience!
What a wonderful feeling...to really connect with your work in a way that makes it difficult to define where you end and it begins :D
Si je laisse aller mon ressenti pour que sur la toile il n'y ait plus que moi sans songer à ce que ma toile plaise ou non, je suis heureuse, fatiguée mais heureuse... je suis comme téléguidée...
Je suis persuadée que votre oeuvre est sublime et je vous souhaite plein de joie.
gros bisous.
What a luscious gorgeous piece of work this is. You could probably have more paying work of this kind then you could ever hope to finish, if they would just leave you to it, not put a big rush on you, let you work at your own pace. it doesn't sound as though you are working at a leisurely pace, but if you are enjoying it, that is the main thing.
I have always sensed these works of art are a very special blessing to you and others. I pray the holiness of this and so many other of your works continue to keep your soul focused in the beauty of God. I am simply blessed in so many ways by your work.
Just wonderful & rich. But boy, does your mind go into overdrive when in Zen mode! When I'm not stressing about time I find such peace in the studio & garden. The mre peace i find the more i can deal with reality.
Beautiful fabric.... I too love the process of needlework. It allows me to think.....
Have a Wonderful Day!!
Marilyn
Hi Jill,
I know you know it too; I see it in your work.
And unless you have entered *that zone* it is hard to put in words, but the world would be a better place with a lot more of it!
XXOO~~
Anne
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for the comment on the post! I wasn't sure it would make sense--long day and the brain was beginning to fritz. (maybe that is when I should do my blog writing!)
Trust me, I cannot wait to unveil the whole piece!
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Ima,
I had not even thought of it that way, but you're spot on. (I think my brain just shuts off to the obvious far too frequently.....)
Excellent thought!
XXOO~~
Anne
Thanks Debra,
As I look at it finished (and the eyes clear and a day away from the work) I think you are right.
:-)
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Mary Ann,
I know what you mean.
The older I get, the more I feel I need to refine my focus to things that matter more in my heart than in the outer world.
Of course, that blasted outer world is what funds the other projects! LOL!
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Cameron,
Trust me, at some point, you will have a piece you are working on, and it will just take you away. Time will fly, everything will be perfect in the moment.
Sometimes it takes a while to find what it is that does it, but once you do, you'll know it in an instant!!!
And I wish for you that it will happen soon! :-)
XXOO~~
Anne
martinealison,
Oui, je sais exactement ce que vous entendez. Il est merveilleux où l'art fait pour nous! Merci! Merci!
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Jan,
LOL!!! This was my OWN pace, trust me! I think I enjoyed it so much that I just got going and kept thinking, okay, one bit more--one bit more!!! And you know me well enough to know I have no common sense when I get started on something I enjoy. What can I say? You're a good friend to put up with it! ;-)
XXOO~~
Anne
P.S. it's all a government conspiracy! :-D
Hello tallboy,
Well.
You can read me far too well! ;-) Yes, if I could do these all the time, I would probably put the painting second and the stoles first.
It is the old *almost-nun* in me...I like to think these carry on an important tradition from our past.
Pax my friend~~
Anne
Hey Emma,
LOL! My mind never shuts off! (which can be a problem occasionally...)
I think part of this was I was so intently focused on the piece, and asking myself some unresolved questions from years ago. But I always wonder, am I on the path I am meant to be on? Do I need to veer a bit one way or the other.
Alas.....that is the *giant-brain* at work....heeheehee! ;-)
XXOO~~
Anne
Hi Marilyn,
I know you do enough that you understand it too. Maybe some is the repetition, the tactile work, etc. I think it would be interesting to see how we relax when we work on things like this.
The stoles though~~~they are a totally different lever for me. Can't explain in.
Have a great one!
XXOO~~
Anne
Anne, the exquisite materials you used to make this stole are stunning! Your words pretty much summed up the explosion of joy we feel inside when creation takes over our being. Just think how God must have felt when he created this beautiful earth.
I am back home physically. So much to do - my head is swimming and it will take me a while to catch up.
Love that you gave us a peek at this beauty.
♥ audrey
Hey Audrey,
Glad you're home safe, and yes I know that physically if not mentally thing! LOL! I have that all the time! ;-D
Will do a post on the whole thing when it is delivered...keeping it a secret, other than what I discovered while working on it.
Still thinking.....
Rest, my friend!
XXOO~~
Anne
So fabulous Anne!! I love that you've been having this experience - there is nothing better. Just the energy of it going through you, and moving out into the world, is healing - for All, and that is SO much more than fame and money. Can't wait to see the completed beauty of your hands and heart.
much love, Karin
Hey Karin,
You said it better than I could.
It is a conduit of joy and healing and meditation, and it will be further charged as it is worn.
Fame and money are over rated; spiritual peace with yourself is ultimately the best gift of all.
XXOO~~
Anne
Anne.... beautiful, ethereal, does not even begin to describe what you have created! As a "Catholic", I have seen some stunningly gorgeous liturgical stoles....in many parts of the world.....but yours is glorious! (Do you think I "kinda like it"? Ha-ha!
You know I am not an artist - but I often feel as you do when I am sitting in the Opera House and it all comes together in a perfect moment.... or watching a perfect painting being hung at the de Young.. one just falls into a trance and drinks it all in.
I've undergone some enormous changes in my life these past two years - losing job and ex..... but, being a part of the art world and meeting some new friends has enriched my life and given me some strength to contine on my "journey"....do I think God has a plan for us? Yes..but it often is not the plan we wanted....it takes time and an open mind and heart to accept - and go forward.
Brava to you! Beautiful work!
Hugs,
♥ Robin ♥
Robin~~~thank you! I know *we* judge these types of work with an eye for perfection and detail; your words fill me with joy!
I think, if we choose to open our hearts to the beauty out there, we all can participate in the *moment* the artist/s feels when creating and putting the work forth. I understand completely.
Thank you~~~"ti conosca tanto amore, tanta pace".
XXOO~~
Anne
What a fantastic post about creative spirit. That's why I keep flying to Cali for this training and pure joy. Process not product babe, you got it. Just do it because everything that keeps you alive is right there in the thick of it. xox Corrine
Thanks Corrine!
(isn't it funny how some of the best things we do are just *off the top of the head*?)
Sometimes it is hard to remember it is indeed the work, the process and not the grandiose ideas about the finished product.
I think if the other two are in place, the third follows naturally.
XXOO~~
Anne
Absolutely gorgeous! And the thread is so rich. I think I enjoy hand sewing more than using a machine. And you are right. Sometimes the process is even better than the finished product.
It seems I do too Bella. I have a wonderful machine, but computerization cannot replace the hand placed stitches.
Wait till you see it ALL.... ;-)
XXOO~~
Anne
There is a lot to be said with hand stitching. Sad that it isn't taught in school like it used to be as when you look at something that has been hand stitched it shows how much love when into that piece. A lot of times they outlast modern day pieces probably because of the strength and determination that is shown in the stitches!
Take Care,
Ulrike
By the way, love the red!
I have had some old, antique hand stitched garments~~if it wasn't for dyes that were based with metallic salts, they would still be together.
Sometimes I wonder if the wear and tear of a machine is hard on the fibers......
And yeah, find someplace that teaches handwork!
XXOO~~
Anne
Oh, Anne - you've been in the Zone. I love that feeling, where the world literally drops away and your mind is at peace, while your hands are busy. This looks amazing, and I cannot wait to see the whole thing! Yay! xoxo Pam
One of the things I love about working in the creative field is that you get more time to think and wonder while you work. Sometimes too far perhaps, but there's always something new to ponder on at the end of the day. Although I could do without the sore arm and aching back! :D
Your stole is going to be marvelous, Anne! Thank you for that little peek. Take care now. oxx
just lovely anne- the piece, the words, what the mind comes up with given quiet space and time. look forward to seeing the finished piece.
ah i am finally here....
it is stunningly beautiful anne. when is the unveiling? it will reveal the sacred, not just the cloth.
i too believe in the zen of 'good work'. it's the HOW, not the WHAT, that stirs the heart and offers such meaning. i am so glad to read your words of how you've experienced this. i hope you hold on to it however you work from now on.
your parish is so lucky to have you.
love
kj
And Pam, I was in it for a LONG TIME!
It was wonderful~~healing. Other than my normal decrepitude, I feel like a new person! LOL!!!
Wouldn't it be great to be able to STAY that way?
I deliver today, sooooo, maybe a post tomorrow???
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey Amalia...LOL!
I always have a sore arm and sore back, so it just the norm here.
I love being so lost in my work that I really have time to ponder deep thoughts that get buried in the daily hub-bub and hooey. Things I need to really think about.
It's as thought the creative zone frees the deep portion of the mind to come to the surface and let's problems get solved.
I love it! :-)
XXOO~~
Anne
Hey marianne,
I have not had *quiet space* for this brain of mine in WAY TOO LONG.
While the work tested me, the mental reprieve was well worth it.
Hopefully posting the final shots tomorrow or the next day.... :-)
XXOO~~
Anne
Hi Karen,
Today is the unveiling! Whooo-hooo!!! I need to get some photos before I take off for the morning, being slow as I am I probably need to put a sticky note on my forehead....
You know from writing that we don't often find that space where we are just in the flow and even the problems resolve themselves, or seem so obvious.
I would love to keep that 24/7, but know the *real world* of anything artistic just doesn't fit that bill.... :-)
But I'm working on it!
XXOO~~
Anne
Oh my, how wonderful! I love what the process uncovered for you, but me thinks deep down you knew it all along ;)
Like the others, I'm dying to see the full stole!
Just beautiful, my friend.
xoxo
lolo♥
Hey Lolo,
Working on getting photos cropped and loaded now. I am hoping that by tomorrow I will have them up on here!
HOPEFULLY!
XXOO~~
Anne
Anne, this looks simply amazing! Stunning! Beautiful! I am in awe of your talent that you've been blessed with. Wow.
I'm sorry I've missed you the last two days. Today was yet another day filled with unexpected things. Ugh. On top of that, barely getting any sleep last night.
Hugs
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