I have thought about this a lot over the past year. Part of coming to India was to see if I could be truly creative. Life at work will only tolerate a certain amount of creativity and then the hammer comes down and ‘Computer Says NO!’
I knew I needed some limits to be creative and thought that this theme might work. Certainly no one had bought the domain name – but it is not very catchy and rather long! I also limited my colour palate to purple (see earlier blog on this). At school when you are asked to write a story about anything it is really hard but when you are given a title such as The Woman with the Glue on her Fingers (me now!) then it really is much easier to get started.
Since I have been telling people about my theme I have been worried about how I really can see it panning out. Let’s be really clear. I just cannot draw. My copying skills are limited and my impatience overwhelming. I had thought of this. I suppose it has some connection with seeing something like How Time Goes Faster as People Get Older between my career and love of medicine and something I can imagine in space, in 3D but really it is about the 4th dimension and as my son says – time only really changes when you go to a different planet. Oh yes India can feel very different but I am firmly placed here on earth.
So the idea in my head was to start with a nearly perfect circle – no one is born perfect – I should know – I am often referred babies as a paediatrician whose deluded parents pick up the most minor aberrations and expect me to do something about it! But I do like a first opening circle. Full of promise, life and curiosity.
The circle then becomes a spiral in time and space. It twists and turns and has some nooks and crannies. It may break and be re-joined. I wasn’t sure what to do at the end. I could have made it become an every decreasing circular size but I am not sure as I get older that the circle I am on should get smaller. And should the end circle be like the first (birth) circle? Or should they even join up and look a bit like a doughnut?
I like the idea of using the gut as my organ of choice as it the place of most interest. Of course I love eating – and here are 2 purple meals I recently ate at a wonderful restaurant called Heavenly Blessing (with 103 amazing reviews on google!) It is next to where I am staying ( http://www.inn-seventh-heaven.com/Dia.html – I am in the room that has windows on all sides just below the roof terrace!) .
Back to why the gut is a great organ to model my theme. So besides eating, the gut is where we experience all sorts of emotions. Funny my spell checker wanted to put in the word emoticons! I have actually designed a load of personalised Carly emoticons. She has a purple face and grey hair!
So back to the gut and emotions. It is a repository for feelings such as anxiety and manifests all manner of feelings by experiencing pain, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion etc. I rather like the duality of clearly the necessity of processing food (but eating is enjoyable to ensure we fill up our guts) but also where many emotional states and reactions are expressed. The joy of food, birth and living are all wondrous, joyous and fabulous.
Here is a pictorial representation. It is from a website (unsplash) where you can download free images. It is an image from Adrien Olichon.
So this is something I would like to express through as many media as possible. I have always maintained that I am a Jack (or rather Jill) of all trades and a master of none. My knitting is good but I am no expert. Before I left I made a list of all the ways I could explore my theme. There are 133. This is a multiple of 7 x 19. 19 is my special number this year and of course besides being the year we are currently in, it is partly in recognition of how much I have struggled this year. But I love prime numbers and and 7 fits with days of the week. Again fitting with the time theme. And my love of numbers and how they fit together.
My list of possibilities to explore my theme in reverse alphabetical order.
- Yoga
- Yarn bombing
- Woodwork
- Window art
- Weaving
- Water colour painting
- Walking
- Video
- Travel journal
- Toys
- Textile art
- Tattoos
- Tatting
- Tassels
- Stencils
- Stained glass
- Spirograph
- Soap
- Silkscreen printing
- Silk painting
- Silk flowers
- Short story
- Sewing
- Sellotape
- Sea shells sculptures
- Sawdust hearts
- Sand stone sculptures
- Rug making
- Ribbons
- Quilting
- Quilling
- Pressed flowers
- Pompoms
- Poetry
- Podcast
- Play writing
- Plastination
- Plasticine
- Plaster
- Planting
- Photography
- Pets
- Perfume
- Patchwork
- Pastels
- Papier-mâché
- Paper marbling
- Paper cuts
- Paint
- Origami
- Oil paint
- Mosaics
- Mobiles (not phones)
- Mindfulness
- Millinery
- Metalwork
- Meditation
- Massage
- Marquetry
- Mandalas
- Macramé
- Luggage tags
- Lino cuts
- Lighting
- Lego
- Leatherwork
- Lavender
- Lapidary
- Lace making
- Knitting
- Kites
- Journaling
- Jewellery
- Ipad drawing
- Installation
- Ink
- Hair design
- Glass work
- Gemstone
- Fused glass
- Furniture
- Food
- Flowers
- Flower arranging
- Fish
- Fire
- Fimo
- Felting
- Feather decorating
- Fascinators
- Family
- Fabric painting
- Fabric design
- Fabric books
- Embroidery
- Embossing
- Drink
- Dressing up
- Dream catcher
- Dancing
- Cyanotype
- Cutting
- Cushion making
- Crochet
- Composition (music)
- Comedy
- Collecting
- Clothes making
- Clock making
- Climate
- Clay sculpture
- Charity
- Charcoal
- Cards – playing
- Cards – commemorating
- Candle making
- Calligraphy
- Cake
- Bread
- Brass rubbing
- Botany
- Board game
- Blog
- Block printing
- Birds
- Beads
- Batik
- Bath bombs
- Balloon sculptures
- Aquarium
- Animation
- Animals
- Acrylic paint
I feel sorry for the z’s and y’s of the world as everyone has given up by the time they have got to the end of the list!
And clearly I cannot do all of this and I am not even sure what I mean by some of them. This final video shows what I have brought with me to start off!
I have done some research on my theme and here are 2 useful links
https://qz.com/1279371/this-physicists-ideas-of-time-will-blow-your-mind/
https://qz.com/1516804/physics-explains-why-time-passes-faster-as-you-age/
And I have been a bit of a tourist.
Next time I can start showing what I have been making…..
