Getting a Bit Lost Along the Way

A mandala I doodled recently.

Sometimes I get a bit lost in the journey between yesterday and tomorrow. My mind is usually a swirling mess of ideas, intentions, and memories and pinning down any one thought long enough to act on it can be a bit of a challenge for me. Nonetheless, I've decided to celebrate small victories like continuing this blog after a bit of a break. Daily writing is just not where I'm at right now, but things are still very much happening under the surface. My sketchbook has been seeing some frequent use and my journal is filling up nicely with words.

I've still been working on my paintings here and there. This one is still in progress.

The moon is a First Quarter today, so I've been taking slow but steady action on my new batch of intentions I wrote down for the New Moon in Scorpio on November 20th. This round is focusing a lot on laying ground work for my creative life for the next little while. I have been taking a Textile Arts BA through OCA and required a bit of a deferral after life went sideways mid-year. Now, I am working on structuring my life to accommodate the reintroduction of my coursework. Much of this will involve organizing my house so that I have enough space to work on my projects.

Our new kitten, Pickles, seems to be very appreciative to have a warm home and is beyond tolerant any and all cuddles.

Just for fun I'm also teaching myself to play mandolin, an instrument I've always dreamed of playing. There's something about the little spiral on my little F-style that just instantly excites me. I've been noodling around a little but am preparing to buckle down and learn a real song. We've had illness swoop through the household over the past couple of weeks so my musical ambitions have been largely on hold for now. My daughter has also been interested in learning so we have been taking turns on it. One of my intentions for this month is to weave a strap for my mandolin. I am consciously turning my attention back to textiles and handcrafts as I've drifted away from them more than I'd like this year.

I've begun experimenting a bit with clay and three dimensions. I'm excited to combine this with painting and textiles!

I haven't finished much lately. I've been in a very contemplative sort of mood and doing a lot of brainstorming and planning, with a bit of experimenting thrown in. I'm hoping that I can coax myself into maker-mode in the coming weeks as I prepare to pick my course back up. I'm finding a bit of a rhythm in my life now with the waxing and waning of the moon and I am optimistic I'll have new work to share very soon. So much life gets lived on the homestead through every cycle, even on these quiet November days.