Trauma and creativity

Yes, yes I know that I have been quiet for the last few days. It has been a trying weekend, with scary times for a dear friend whose life is being inexplicably turned upside down and whose life is tied to mine. I am learning the patience of the Buddha, knowing that this person's trauma is greater than I could ever understand and that I can wait for clarity. In the meantime, I create.

HELLE! Your beautiful white Danish angora (these rabbits are as Sam likes to say, ginormous) that came in a box has been altered. I hear that poor Mike, who lovingly packed this beautiful and bright white stuff to be fluffy and clean and white and untangled, nearly passed out when he saw this. Does it really look like dried barf/Ralph/Ulrich/vomit? Nnnnnuh unh. It was soft and clotted and colorful and went from this stage to my hand cards, so that I could open up the blobs o' color. Yes, folks...I AM a professional :o) and did this all on purpose. (Relax Mike...it wasn't a bad trade...well, not for ME!) I divided the fiber up and spun it up on the Spin-tech, to see how He (this is not a feminine thing, this hunk of aluminum) could make it happen for me. Poifect. Yes, there are slubs and texture and everything that I wanted in this project...just right for ME and a certain platinum tressed, tatooed dude with a hook. Just right.

There has been some talk on my favorite fiber related email group about people being bogged down with grief over the constant CNN coverage of Katrina and the suffering of so many people. I told them this morning about how I pushed myself to get ready for my Labor Day show, even when I thought that it could be thought of as frivolous by some people. I remembered back to the days right after 9/11 when I just thought of my colleagues that would be hopefully and with great resolve, dragging themselves and their wares to the streets of Lafayette, for the annual Art & Wine festival, down our main drag. I swelled up with my checkbook in hand, vowing to go downtown to support my fellow artists. I thought that I would be wandering a beautiful ghost town or someplace filled with the shell shocked, on this first weekend after the day. To my amazement, the public came and came to support the arts because the arts are a bellwhether of sorts; a sign of the health of our society. People came. People came to King's Mountain as well. They came to support their choices, the economy and the artists who pour their hearts into this work that is unlike anything corporate and regular and ordinary. Such is The Big Easy. I heard the news today...the restaurants in the French Quarter are getting ready to open and may have permission to do so on Monday. As they say...Whereyouat? I am here and creating and will be ready when people are ready again.

Now, on a joyful note. This weekend I got to see how my Grandsonfetus is protruding on the front end of his narrow mama. My oh my. The daughter threw a wedding shower for her closest college friend, this past Saturday and although it was a nice intimate affair, half of the population of sorority sisters was out to here. We had October 8th, November 9th and December 10th, my friends. Life. Life busting out all over and man, was it fun to see these women that I met when they were girls show me that life goes on with juicy gusto. Fabulous. Perhaps this is why I got my lift. Not bad...I promptly went out and did my part for the economy on Sunday with The Husband, finally having a reason to go into that fancy Grandma Bait shop, coming out with a fancy box and something wonderful for The Little Dude. Woo hoo.

Comments

[Wendy]

Wait a minute. You took the top picture, and turned it into the bottome picture? Impressive.

So sad to hear about your friend. It is always hard to watch someone go through something difficult, and not be able to fix it for them.

[Lisa S]

Yeah, and I think that Helle and Mike are totally traumatized...here they thought that their angora was going to a good home. Hahahaha.

[AlisonH]

The summer I was 16, we drove along the Gulf Coast on our long ambling way to California from Maryland. Go see the country. Ate at a French restaurant in Biloxi, then the next day at Commander's Palace in the French Quarter. Flirted with the waiter there, an adorable older man (!) of about 20; he totally made my day. Gorgeous, gorgeous old place. Wondered who on earth needed a fireplace in their hotel room in a climate like that... Photos still tucked away of the horse-drawn carriage trotting by. New Orleans will bloom like the bouganvillea climbing up those old wrought-iron railings on the upper floors of that hotel. Maybe it'll put some elevator shoes on in some places first, but it'll dance again.

Meantime, yes. Exactly. It felt good to support my local artists at Kings Mountain. To participate in the creative process with them: that Shade Garden mohair, the yoke's done on the circular shawl and coming along fast... And I found a new favorite to look for: Guillermo Martinez was so passionate about his wooden flutes and his hope for peace and the brotherhood of man, of the ability of music to bridge all cultural divides. I may not have the breath to play his flutes well, and had to pass on them, but I can play his on my CD. And do.

Play it again, New Orleans.

[elizabeth]

I hope your freind is doing better! It is not easy to watch people we love go through crises because there often is not much we can do.
The angora gloop looks amazing spun up!
I think the arts show our spiritual side and when do we need it the most!?!
Love to hear about the grandfetus, which date was his?

[Sam]

Oh, Lisa - the angora is truly beautiful! That's the Mahogany, yes? Wowza. My best thoughts and support to you and your friend. It's so difficult to watch and feel that there's not much you can do except be a support. I know you're that. Hang in there, both of you.

[Kerry]

I would like to stick my face in that pile o'fluff and take a little nap.

HUGS TO FRIEND. Big-wide-world-community of support here for you.

[AlisonH]

Yes! Kerry said it.

[Helle From Denmark]

HA.....the angora sure looks a lot better as yarn....!!*GRIN* I had to support Mike all evening...he was just sitting crying......NOT. Hehe....!! Nice work sweetie.......but is it all the angora you have spun there....?? How big are the skeins??:-)

[Tom Clark]

Just a slight correction for you Lisa - this platinum-tressed, tattoed and pierced dude has been convinced by his daughter to go back to his natural dark blonde. First time in at least twenty years I've actually seen my natural hair color. Yawn. I'm wondering if maybe I can get it dyed to look like the new Mahogany Angora so that my hair can match the beanie cap I'm going to make for myself out of it.

Love the picture of the raw dyed fibers - I think that's going to be a cool addition to the website alongside pictures of the caps that it eventually works up into, n'est ce pas?

How did you know I'd fall for the angora? Am I that transparent, even with all of my Scorpio cloaking and stuff?

[Lisa S]

Oh Tom...you will be handsome, whichever color you choose. Change is good and you will be able to sneak into the Santa Monica booth without me noticing (yeah right...who ignores a man fondeling yarn...). This chunky, slubby, textured and colorful angora had TOM written all over it, Baby. Of course, I kept the biggest skein for ME!
See, Helle, what did I tell you? A big hit. Thanks again to you and Mike for allowing me to alchemize your Big Ass Bunny wool. :o)