"Freedom is a State of Mind"

 

As you know, I've been preparing my submission for the "Freedom" challenge due today. Over the past six months I've thought much about this word and its meanings.  My dictionary has no fewer than seventeen definitions for 'freedom'.  No wonder it took me awhile to study this word and put it into stitchery.

After much thought I decided that there is no true freedom.  At the beginning of my life I was destined, through genes to be a girl, to be small, to have poor eyesight, among other things.  I could not choose before birth who or what I would be. 

As my life went on I became most pleasantly 'encumbered' by family, school, a husband, a child, friends, jobs.  I never, ever thought I was not free -- because I didn't think in those terms.

Sometimes we don't have the ability to change our circumstances.  At those times I believe the saving graces are acceptance and thankfulness for what 'freedoms' we do have. When all is said and done we are only free if we believe we are.

I believe 'freedom' comes from my state of mind and those things that might seem to limit my freedom are actually blessings in disguise. 

"There are many ways to be free.  One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do". - Anais Nin

A Challenge

Every year our InspiredArts group sets up a challenge. 

This year the challenge - determined at our January meeting - is the word "Freedom" and will be shown and discussed at our July meeting.  We may do whatever we wish with the word which gives each of us the 'freedom' to explore this challenge.

I read definitions of the word.  I pondered the word and its meaning to me.  I pondered the word and its meaning to others.  Basically I just 'pondered' for 5 months!

At last an idea formed - at first quite vaguely and finally with enough substance that I could move forward.  I can't show you what my idea is or even what form it will take but I show here a few bits and pieces that might/will make their way into my view of freedom.

This story is to be continued...

The Big Picture

I never feel as free as when I am surrounded by 'BIG'...

...open vastness before me...

 

...around me and above me.


There is something bigger than fact: the underlying spirit, all it stands for, the mood, the vastness, the wildness." - Emily Carr

   

In and Out of the Box

During our January "InspiredArts" guild meeting we did an excercise that involved being in a box and out of a box.  Each of us stood inside the box and talked about what our particular box was.  We then physically stepped outside the box and told each other how we hoped to 'get out of our box' during this year. 

My 'in the box', as many of you know was that I focused too much on production work in 2011.  Actually, with shows and deadlines that I had imposed upon myself I had been in that box for several years.  As I stepped out of the box in January I talked about new-to-me abstract wall hangings.
 

This has become so intriguing to me.  I found that in January I almost had to force myself to take my time, take breaks to study the work before moving on, slow myself down.  As I make my way through February I am finding that my body and mind are learning to 'take it easy' -- new stitches and techniques have slowed me down and that's a really good thing. 

My out-of-the-box goal is to make work that pleases me, that stretches my knowledge base, that expands my horizon and that has no preconceived pattern, shape or reason.  I guess I could say that I am 'free' this year and for me right now that is a very good thing.

"Exploration is really the essence of the human spirt." - Frank Borman