Blog Archives - Heartfelt Dolls

Ignite the light ...

31/8/2013

All manner of things and people and emotions and ideals and dreams
are used to excuse creative block -
that inertia that supposedly stops us from creating.
Some are valid.
But I have found that I simply need to make a start ...
make something, anything, regularly -
without judgement or self-criticism -
with a receptive and attentive mindset -
and then the creative juices begin to flow.

Thoughts on creativity ...

30/8/2013

Creativity is a gift we all have to a greater or lesser degree.
Creative thoughts;
interactions;
problem-solving;
meal preparations;
responses and reactions.

Pause. Close your eyes.
Reflect on all the activities and words and interactions and thoughts and responses you have made today.
Consider each one separately.
How was my creatively reflected?
How was my creativity diminished?
How was my creativity encouraged?

The power of anger ...

29/8/2013

Anger is powerful:
it can transform;
it can consume us;
it has the power to destroy;
it can leave us feeling desolate and hopeless.

But anger is also under our control:
it can be transformed;
it can be diverted;
it can be creative;
it can be empowering.

For me, making dolls is a transformative process.
It enables me to recognise, name and then transform negative emotions and reactions.

Steal like an artist ...

28/8/2013

Is there a truly original idea?
Is there such a thing as 'originality'?
Is 'interpretation' a better word to describe creative endeavour?
Is building on the ideas of others theft or development?
What about synchronicity ...
is there a fertile time or place or context in which ideas or concepts are made real ...
simply because it is their time?

Ko Ihu ...

27/8/2013

James K Baxter is one of my beloved poets.
A visionary.
A dreamer.
A pray-er.
A man who made mistakes.
I take heart.

Mandalas ...

26/8/2013

I love mandalas.
Slow.
Repetitive.
Meditative.
Imaginative.
Centred.
Creative.
Infinite.
Mesmerising.

The story of stuff inspires change ...

25/8/2013

There is too much stuff.
We keep making it ... rationalising our actions.
We keep buying it ... which increases demand for manufacture.
I have too much stuff ...
and I have a growing realisation of the impact of this ownership ...
on myself
on my family
on my environment.
Somewhere, somehow, the cycle of manufacture and short-term acquisition must be broken.
So I have made a commitment to use as much recycled material as possible in my doll-making.

Following the contours ...

24/8/2013

Should we define the direction and shape of our lives ...
or should we follow the contours of our life experiences?
Should we direct our destiny ...
or conform to the flow?
Should we work quickly and forcefully ...
or enter the present moment meditatively, attentively?
What tools do we really need?

Makers using second-hand materials...

23/8/2013

There is something uplifting, encouraging, hopeful,
when people create something beautiful
from recycled and found objects.
Items that are seeped in memories and story;
whose re-use in a piece of art and craft,
enables that story to continue to unfold.

I used second-hand materials :
to honour women who prepare food
for all manner of functions and meetings in 'Ladies a Plate';
and to revamp the humble tea-cosy in 'Cosy up with a bit of skirt.'

An artist's way ...

22/8/2013

Julia Cameron is a champion of creativity.
She sees it as an holistic approach to living ...
with no distinction between creativity and spirituality.
I admire her honesty, her creativity, her ability to encourage and empower.