Saturday, August 28, 2010

Plans, Pins, "Moodling" and Me

"Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness. So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.”

~ Brenda Ueland

So it turns out the word Moodling was thought up by this Brenda Ueland person way back in the 1930's. I found some insight on this concept of moodling at this website:

http://www.womenfolk.com/creativity/moodling.htm

Here is a quote from that site. It is pretty scientific for me (alpha, theta and delta waves and all). But take a minute and see what you think. . . Can you moodle for a moment?

(Isn't that great? "Moodle for a Moment." - I made that one up myself...)

"In order to moodle we need to make space for alpha waves to operate in our brain. If we are too exhausted our mind will quickly move into theta (drowsiness) then delta (deep sleep). If we are too focused on a problem or given objective we are using beta waves (consciously focused). Alpha waves bring in that in-between, meditative state where our mind can gather together conscious thoughts and unconscious information in order to create something brand new. Inspiration occurs with a great burst of alpha waves. I personally believe that every one of us is a creative person. We simply need to find ways to let go of the demands of our culture for a while and just moodle."





Needless to say, I guess I have been moodling a bit.

And of course, I have been a procrastinator for most of my life. (Yeah...years ago, I really, really wanted to put off being a teenager indefinitely...)

That is another story for another day.

Back to the subject at hand... The deadline for this project is September 15th!!! (Deep breath).

So to be completely truthful, I did have a creative moment or two (in between all of that moodling) and I have been busy.

I just have to get the final photos ready and I will "unveil" my finished design: my first Altered Couture!

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the embellishments being pinned on the dress. That was one of the biggest problems that I faced. I probably pinned and re-pinned about 7 or 8 times before I was happy with the results.


SO are you waiting on pins and needles?

(pun completely intended..)




Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Cloudy days just bring me down...



We had a few cloudy days.
This in sunny Penasco! . . . and, it being Summer, too!
So that was just wrong all ways around.
And I am thinking that it got me down a bit.

I don't know, but I seemed to be in a funk. No creative nothing. Nada. Zilch.


Well! Today was a really beautiful day.
Although most people would consider it on the "hotter than heck" side of the thermometer, I have got to say that I am much happier with some sunshine!


Anyhow, I had all of these little doily circles to make into rosettes.

So, I found a chair in the shade with my legs in the sun - to get some rays - and I hand sewed about 25 rosettes.





I think they turned out pretty cute (although in the photos they look like clumps of yarn.)
Hmmm. Oh well.
I am not a very good photographer.

Nevertheless, my "doily flowers" are ready.
The dress waits patiently on the dress form. . .
We are just holding out for a wave of Creativity!

I hope it stays Sunny!