07 March 2018

Trying to do one thing at a time.

Ready for attention
The cold weather caused some problems with the boiler, which meant that the cupboard needed clearing to get proper access.

While my son was removing bags and boxes he would - in hope of being "helpful" - say things like "you haven't looked at this bagful of old envelopes since it went into the cupboard ten years ago, you obviously don't need it, just chuck the whole thing out without even looking at it."

Which is true at one level, but it's not the big picture. These shambolic items are my "creative resources"!

Now the shambolic bagfuls of this'n'that are all over the floor of the studio. But this isn't a chaotic disaster, oh no - it's An Opportunity. What if ... what if the things that went back into the cupboard were only the things that I might actually use in my lifetime? And, what if someone else could find what they were looking for?

Which raises the big questions - what creative projects do I want to continue with? Can the other materials find new homes and have a chance to be "useful" to someone else?

While these swirl around in my subconscious, the glimmerings of a strategy are emerging. To find the way forward, look backward ... where are all the things I've already made, the quilts and the pots and the books and the things that have been forgotten but still linger physically? These need to surface and be seen, to be evaluated and sorted, and the survivors wrapped and labelled and kept carefully.

What you glimpsed in the photo is a selection of quilts from the past 20 years - some are already in bags, and the plan is to spend a couple of hours making bags for the others. (A tutorial is on my website.)

With those safely (and nicely) out of the way, phase 2 is to search out ALL the ceramics and put them in one place - "Japanese tidying".

There is surely a sensible sequence for this.

I look forward to being able to swing a cat in the studio!

1 comment:

Sandy said...

Oh dear. I have just been going through this too. The boiler stopped working properly at the end of last week. We knew it was coming, but up til now found ways to get it functioning again.

So, it is being replaced by one that heats on demand - or something. Anyway, the boiler in the airing cupboard is gone and the big waterstore in the loft is too. Apparently it will take 3 days!

Right now I am squirrelled away in my studio with an electric heater while men go up and down with bumpy things or make great growling noises upstairs.
The doors are wide open Jim put another heater in the dining room because it was 11°C in there. He is working from home in the lounge with another heater!

So, yesterday we were clearing the airing cupboard - towels and duvets. And the dog shelf - all Jim's accoutrements for the dog. and spaces in the studio because there are 2 radiators in here. However, I found what I needed for hanging my work at Henley on Friday, so there are perks in this.

Holly is rather concerned with the noises, but if she gets to speak to the men, does her "happy, happy an new friend!" bit.

Hope your boiler can be sorted w/out upheaval!