As I started reading this I thought of Sudnow, an adept in Ethnomethodology...and then his name showed up! You read Ways of the Hand, one of my favorite books on how we teach ourselves to be musicians.
It's kinda funny: you write about how you got burned out by thinking, words, research. Then you go into a new obsession, and bolster it by reading a text like Sudnow: you will never entirely escape the world-welt, Laura, but you know when to step back, far enough away, to see from a new vantage point. And from that remote area, you craft with your hands other things not words.
How does the Electric Lit article harmonize with making art with your hands? Are not both techné?
It’s an astute observation and you sort of caught me out… but only a little. Basically I did these word-related things (editing the EL essay, the reading on craft) through sheer force of will. Which of course can be done, we can will ourselves to do things, but it feels differently than when we’re pulled to do it.
I drafted the essay when I was still in my writing phase; it was only the revising I had to push through in this new state. If I had had to write the whole thing from scratch now, I couldn’t do it. The inspiration just isn’t there anymore. I am much happier making things at the moment and find words draining. It really seems the urges can’t coexist but who knows, maybe in a future phase they’ll merge. Do you ever experience something similar?
I’m biased in that I don’t want to lose reading your strange clarity, but I love you’ve found…you’ve created some other outlet for your creativity. I really am happy for you.
I often put off sitting down to write something I’ve been thinking about by playing a LOT of guitar. In this I flatter myself that I’m like Sherlock Holmes, playing violin while his mind worked on a problem. Apparently Einstein actually did this, but he wasn’t all that good. It really doesn’t matter how good we are; just play. I don’t know if Woody Allen still practices clarinet for an hour every day, but at one point he did, for many years on end. There is probably a long list of writers and artists who play an instrument to augment their main creative domain.
The point is to “be in the moment” while you play, a nervous system’s departure from cogitation, fact-checking, hunting down page numbers, etc. The brain areas involved seem quite distinct…
I will say: your TWO things: writing and crafting are probably now synergistic: 1+1= more than 2. If that sounds weird, just notice after a year of doing crafts. One seems to inform and augment the other in mysterious ways. (Then again you are a lawyer, wife, mother, friend, citizen, etc: I don’t mean to give those short shrift.)
You’re such a fine thinker and writer. Give yourself time. I like everything you write and I can’t help but think, the process of becoming a lawyer helped you think and express yourself so precisely, concisely and articulately.
This is just beautiful. I can't do both words and making at the same time. Crafting words means not crafting things but who knows which I should be doing?
Thanks for reading and sharing, Julie. Do you find you’re pulled more to one than the other at times? That’s what guides me. If you’re able to make space for both in parallel, it could be refreshing to rotate back and forth between words and crafts. But I seem to be all in on one or the other.
Yeah it's one or the other for me but I'm pretty sure that whatever is the current focus, words or art, the other side is there in my head, working on something new that will for some reason or another insist on making itself known.
This made me smile!!! I'm glad you found your words to share this with us. I'm so excited for you that you found a new fun obsession, how you're embracing it, and sharing these parts of you with your children. I find it wonderful!
Over the moon for your first by-line, Laura. It's a brilliantly interesting (and so well-written) piece. This (also brilliantly interesting) post reminded me a little of something a teacher told me once when I was stuck in the midst of a lit crit essay - that basically, if you don't know how to say something or how to argue your point, explore that, explore why that is. I feel sure the wave will bring you back to writing, as you have such a gift for it and - perhaps even more importantly - that quenchless curiosity. But if not, those critters are so cute!
I found myself smiling throughout this piece - like kicking back over a cup of tea with an old friend - something increasingly rare these days as the internet continues to feel like one big ol’pit of doom.
Thank you for the peek into your making for making’s sake, I love what you’ve been bringing to life — your children are lucky to have such a creative mum.
Selfishly: please keep writing (but only when you feel like it) x
What a nice compliment Ebony! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I spent less time editing and “perfecting” this post than I usually would, and your reaction makes me think I’ve put too much of a burden on myself in the past. That it felt like a conversation over tea with a friend is high praise.
As a writer, editor, and fiber artist, I totally relate to this. The last month has been of flurry of words with a major editing project and a fortune telling booth on Halloween. And I'm looking around and realizing it's been a long time since I crocheted, sewed, or mended anything...
I tend to feel out of balance if I do too much of one and not enough of the other. But there are some seasons where one or the other takes over. It will be interesting to see how your creativity manifests from here.
I was a dedicated maker of dioramas when I was a child. And I have an instinct that might be coming back. Love loved your beautiful work!
Thank you for sharing! Given your background, I have a feeling you’d like the YouTube channel I shared, by Jane Lindsay, it’s actually called Snapdragon Life. She has a very soothing, grounded presence. Nice company when you’re doing something that doesn’t take too much concentration and she offers much to reflect on about creativity and craft.
I’d love to hear more about your fiber art. I’ve always been drawn to textiles. And I also loved making dioramas as a kid.
It's been a little bit since I posted, but there are lots of shorts on what I do.
I mostly listen to lectures on the history of divination and occult practice, but the channel you recommended sounds like it might be a nice addition to that.
I watched a couple of her videos! She has a lovely way of talking, and I really appreciate her contributions on the mental and physical health aspects of being a creative maker. Thank you so much for that suggestion. What have you learned from her or taken away from watching?
Hi! And this is a gorgeous piece of writing. I loved seeing your creations and reading about your life with your kids. This was inspiring and moving to read x
As I started reading this I thought of Sudnow, an adept in Ethnomethodology...and then his name showed up! You read Ways of the Hand, one of my favorite books on how we teach ourselves to be musicians.
It's kinda funny: you write about how you got burned out by thinking, words, research. Then you go into a new obsession, and bolster it by reading a text like Sudnow: you will never entirely escape the world-welt, Laura, but you know when to step back, far enough away, to see from a new vantage point. And from that remote area, you craft with your hands other things not words.
How does the Electric Lit article harmonize with making art with your hands? Are not both techné?
It’s an astute observation and you sort of caught me out… but only a little. Basically I did these word-related things (editing the EL essay, the reading on craft) through sheer force of will. Which of course can be done, we can will ourselves to do things, but it feels differently than when we’re pulled to do it.
I drafted the essay when I was still in my writing phase; it was only the revising I had to push through in this new state. If I had had to write the whole thing from scratch now, I couldn’t do it. The inspiration just isn’t there anymore. I am much happier making things at the moment and find words draining. It really seems the urges can’t coexist but who knows, maybe in a future phase they’ll merge. Do you ever experience something similar?
I’m biased in that I don’t want to lose reading your strange clarity, but I love you’ve found…you’ve created some other outlet for your creativity. I really am happy for you.
I often put off sitting down to write something I’ve been thinking about by playing a LOT of guitar. In this I flatter myself that I’m like Sherlock Holmes, playing violin while his mind worked on a problem. Apparently Einstein actually did this, but he wasn’t all that good. It really doesn’t matter how good we are; just play. I don’t know if Woody Allen still practices clarinet for an hour every day, but at one point he did, for many years on end. There is probably a long list of writers and artists who play an instrument to augment their main creative domain.
The point is to “be in the moment” while you play, a nervous system’s departure from cogitation, fact-checking, hunting down page numbers, etc. The brain areas involved seem quite distinct…
I will say: your TWO things: writing and crafting are probably now synergistic: 1+1= more than 2. If that sounds weird, just notice after a year of doing crafts. One seems to inform and augment the other in mysterious ways. (Then again you are a lawyer, wife, mother, friend, citizen, etc: I don’t mean to give those short shrift.)
You’re such a fine thinker and writer. Give yourself time. I like everything you write and I can’t help but think, the process of becoming a lawyer helped you think and express yourself so precisely, concisely and articulately.
This is just beautiful. I can't do both words and making at the same time. Crafting words means not crafting things but who knows which I should be doing?
Thanks for reading and sharing, Julie. Do you find you’re pulled more to one than the other at times? That’s what guides me. If you’re able to make space for both in parallel, it could be refreshing to rotate back and forth between words and crafts. But I seem to be all in on one or the other.
Yeah it's one or the other for me but I'm pretty sure that whatever is the current focus, words or art, the other side is there in my head, working on something new that will for some reason or another insist on making itself known.
This made me smile!!! I'm glad you found your words to share this with us. I'm so excited for you that you found a new fun obsession, how you're embracing it, and sharing these parts of you with your children. I find it wonderful!
Aww, thanks Hanna. That's so kind and generous.
Over the moon for your first by-line, Laura. It's a brilliantly interesting (and so well-written) piece. This (also brilliantly interesting) post reminded me a little of something a teacher told me once when I was stuck in the midst of a lit crit essay - that basically, if you don't know how to say something or how to argue your point, explore that, explore why that is. I feel sure the wave will bring you back to writing, as you have such a gift for it and - perhaps even more importantly - that quenchless curiosity. But if not, those critters are so cute!
Thanks for reading Jayne and thanks for your words of support!
I found myself smiling throughout this piece - like kicking back over a cup of tea with an old friend - something increasingly rare these days as the internet continues to feel like one big ol’pit of doom.
Thank you for the peek into your making for making’s sake, I love what you’ve been bringing to life — your children are lucky to have such a creative mum.
Selfishly: please keep writing (but only when you feel like it) x
What a nice compliment Ebony! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I spent less time editing and “perfecting” this post than I usually would, and your reaction makes me think I’ve put too much of a burden on myself in the past. That it felt like a conversation over tea with a friend is high praise.
As a writer, editor, and fiber artist, I totally relate to this. The last month has been of flurry of words with a major editing project and a fortune telling booth on Halloween. And I'm looking around and realizing it's been a long time since I crocheted, sewed, or mended anything...
I tend to feel out of balance if I do too much of one and not enough of the other. But there are some seasons where one or the other takes over. It will be interesting to see how your creativity manifests from here.
I was a dedicated maker of dioramas when I was a child. And I have an instinct that might be coming back. Love loved your beautiful work!
Thank you for sharing! Given your background, I have a feeling you’d like the YouTube channel I shared, by Jane Lindsay, it’s actually called Snapdragon Life. She has a very soothing, grounded presence. Nice company when you’re doing something that doesn’t take too much concentration and she offers much to reflect on about creativity and craft.
I’d love to hear more about your fiber art. I’ve always been drawn to textiles. And I also loved making dioramas as a kid.
Okay, I will check that out. You can see more about my fiber art on my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@robinfpoolfiberart?si=A6bbTUlaIKMJrVRu
And I'm also on Instagram at @robinfpool fiberart
It's been a little bit since I posted, but there are lots of shorts on what I do.
I mostly listen to lectures on the history of divination and occult practice, but the channel you recommended sounds like it might be a nice addition to that.
I watched a couple of her videos! She has a lovely way of talking, and I really appreciate her contributions on the mental and physical health aspects of being a creative maker. Thank you so much for that suggestion. What have you learned from her or taken away from watching?
Hi! And this is a gorgeous piece of writing. I loved seeing your creations and reading about your life with your kids. This was inspiring and moving to read x
Wow, thanks Chelsey. That means a lot!