“Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin died this week. She was one of the authors with the deepest influence on me. One of her books (Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places, if you must know) is so thoroughly underlined that when my husband went to read it, he opened it and was like, Why did you underline this entire book? Because it's amazing. It's all amazing. She was amazing.
Phix's Curiosity: what sparks my interest
Watch this space to see what's sparked my interest this week. A random grab bag of delights!
What sparked my interest this week was my observation that the right answer is often not the first one, particularly for complex things. So often we map an expectation to what we think the answer should be on the first idea that comes to us rather than taking the time to explore the edges, the soft squishy middle, and from that exploration map out several (or more) solutions and then... maybe sleep on it. Bounce the ideas off a few more people. Draw them on whiteboards. And the right answer will start to emerge.
Sometimes the first answer is a good enough fix to get you through, but often, going through the process of creating several solutions, and having a choice, really improves the result.
Medusa's Garden
When you need everyone and everything around you to stop
“Current-borne, wave-flung, tugged hugely by the whole might of ocean, the jellyfish drifts in the tidal abyss. The light shines through it, and the dark enters it. Borne, flung, tugged from anywhere to anywhere, for in the deep sea there is no compass but nearer and farther, higher and lower, the jellyfish hangs and sways; pulses move slight and quick within it, as the vast diurnal pulses beat in the moondriven sea. Hanging, swaying, pulsing, the most vulnerable and insubstantial creature, it has for its defense the violence and power of the whole ocean, to which it has entrusted its being, its going, and its will.
But here rise the stubborn continents. The shelves of gravel and the cliffs of rock break from water baldly into air, that dry, terrible outerspace of radiance and instability, where there is no support for life. And now, now the currents mislead and the waves betray, breaking their endless circle, to leap up in loud foam against rock and air, breaking....
What will the creature made all of seadrift do on the dry sand of daylight; what will the mind do, each morning, waking?”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven
Ariadne's Yarn: playing with threads
What I'm up to with fiber and possibly how mythology and stories all tie together.
I actually finished my wrap. I always forget how fast it goes once the warp is actually on the loom. It took me about a week. While I was working on that piece, an idea for another piece started whispering in my ear, so as soon as I have time to math and warp and then get it all on the loom.
In other news, I'm closing in on finishing the green merino and silk roving. I have brought in the red & black Romney wool and a violet-y alpaca/merino.
There are not enough hours in the day/week for me to spend as much time working on this as I'd like. I am getting, with a couple of days of exceptions, the #spin15aday in though, so some progress. And of course 15 seems to turn into more because that's how it goes.
I did a dangerous thing. I joined a facebook group that does wholesale fiber. Basically wool off the sheep. I'd have to clean it and all the work. But. The prices are amazing. Maybe in the summer when I don't have to dry wet wool in the house! 😬
Mythic Librarian: the art of arranging a life
Thoughts on ontology and ways to organize a life.
Sometimes organizing things actually is not all that productive a use of time. I look at all the beautiful bullet journals and organize-y workbook-y planning calendar-y day book-y sorts of things online and... the thing I notice is the implication of time availability. Like - I can get the basics of the day down. I set up the next day's events the night before so I know what time I need to be out of the house, and if there are any specific tasks associated with that day. Although honestly, I just keep all the tasks for the week on one page and check them off as I go... But there are some works of daily art. On the one hand - time comes at a premium. On the other - prioritizing the things that are important to you is a really important part of organization. What you prioritize, intentionally or otherwise, is where you end up spending time. The thing to be aware of is the difference between prioritizing and avoidance. ;) Are you really prioritizing the journal creation or is this something you're doing to avoid doing something else? Things to consider.
With love, and structure, and organization, and curiosity - may Ariadne's ball of yarn guide you through the labyrinth safely until next time!
--Susan