Peaceful Dreamer - altered book with woodcut and found poem
This time of year is rarely smooth sailing for me, more like continuously tacking back and forth between thoughts and tasks. Add to that some pernickety health issues and there’s more calamity than there is calm.
Even so, I’m still making time for a bit of creativity, and some writing, despite at times having to drag the Muse from behind the ironing pile. I know myself deep and well enough by now to realise that if I don’t create something in image or word on a daily basis, my spirit chucks a tantrum, blocking all reasonable attempts at a peaceful existence.
Projects are piling up. In various states of progress, or not, are pressies for the grandkids, holiday baking, web site update, the Sketchbook Project through the Art House Coop, short stories, editing, as well as artwork and printmaking for my open studio exhibition for the Castlemaine State Festival in April next year, which will combine word and image.
Who has time for boredom? Not me.
The religious aspect of Christmas has little importance to me as a pagan, though I do love the carols (even played ad nauseum in shops), the sense of community, the social gatherings to share the spirit of the season, and especially the joy this time of year invokes in the littlies. I could definitely do with less of the commercial aspects, with retailers urging folk to blow their budgets on ridiculously expensive gifts. None of my family have the means to buy me a new washing machine! Still, I guess everyone is trying to make a living. (Me being kind and ‘in the spirit’.)
I see children and adults alike stop, stare and enjoy the two Christmas windows I had a part in creating here in Maldon, and appreciate anew the non-commercial aspects of the season. The windows, in an old-shop-now-dwelling, urge no expense. What they do invite is smiles, sharing and community. What better way to celebrate the ‘season’?