Beautiful Art. Souls,
I'm moving my re-imagined clothing down into the old stable of my Italian medieval quarter abode... It is quite a moment, looking at all that came from my hands, heart and imagination over the past months; myriad coats, skirts, dresses and accessories - in bright colours and lush fabrics.
(Watch this space for our report on our pop-up shop-gallery!)
Though it hasn't always come as effortlessly as it does now, I was blessed with an uninterrupted natural childhood where I was free to learn with my hands, mostly outside, but often with all kinds of paper, crayons, glue, and sewing stuff.
My parents, for all the madness that went on around us as we grew up, at least knew the value of children's hands being occupied creatively - rather than being left to find something to take apart, fiddle with or destroy!
Because of this divine upbringing, I learned all kinds of skills which then kept my hands active and creating, later in life. I got phased by 'art' school, but it didn't fully dampen my spirit. I got weighed down by health and money issues, but I was always able to somehow, inventively, get by - make do and manage. In my earlier adult years this was more survival than thrival... but with the passing of decades, things got exponentially simpler, more pleasurable, stimulating and inspiring!
I realised even in my youngest years, that there is magic in our hands and in our play, as well as in our visioning and our actions. I wasn't compartmentalised like many around me seemed to be, so I could simply sit down anywhere with anyone or anything, and start creating expansively.
Decades on from beginning, I am still expanding my skills, and thriving on minimal resources: I feel very purposeful in this; each day unfolds like a flower, with seemingly infinite resources presenting themselves, as I lean forwards into ...ev e r y t h i n g .
A key part of this, and of Living In Gift, is seeing the immense value in everything: knowing how to hord and when to clear out: when to keep and when to Gift onwards.
Working in harmony with the tides of things which come in, and then the tide of things that leave me - I can be like the intensely fertile shore-life which thrives in between the tides.
All I have to do, is begin - and keep going.
