Take a Hike

"At any given moment, no matter where you are, there are hundreds of things around you that are interesting and worth documenting."

Take a daily walk and collect objects you find. You can even start a collection based on the first thing you find and decide what the connection between the objects is (shape, color, size, etc.). Elle and I took a walk the other day to go "treasure hunting". I found three objects and Elle, well she picked up a slew of rocks :)

Acquired Patterns

"Collect or document as many patterns as you can find while on your travels"...or in this instance, a short jaunt around the neighborhood. You will find "Acquired Patterns" to be a recurring theme as I stumble upon them... 

"No man who ever lived, liked so many things and disliked so few as Walt Whitman. All natural objects seemed to have a charm for him. All sights and sounds seemed to please him."

-Dr. William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience

found concrete pattern

Motivation is Elusive

merely stitching scribbles

I wish more than anything that motivation would just *appear* on my doorstep with a muse. That would be fantastic. Though the inspiration comes and goes and comes and goes, I have been directing it into too many outlets and it's as though it eventually evaporates and doesn't clean up after itself. I have officially started about, hmm, 7 different art projects which makes the final score: Finished Projects-0, Started Projects-7. 

I need to set some ground rules, find a pseudo-structure and stick with it until I achieve some level of completion. 

*Motivation doesn't come from online shopping either, though I have tried really hard to find it! During my search I found this beautiful Silk satin fiore clutch at JCREW that should be mine -- yellow is my favorite color!!*

How to be an Explorer of the World

So, I have a lot of free time at the current moment...and I decided to document my journey as I pursue my dream job. (I have to admit, I have high expectations, but I wouldn't have it any other way) In the meantime, I have been reading some truly inspirational books and "How to be an Explorer of the World" is one of them. I am going to use this book as an initial springboard to the content of what I would like to write about...if anything, this is my outlet to get me through the day! 

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"You are an explorer. Your mission is to document and observe the world around you as if you've never seen it before. Take notes. Collect things you find on your travels. Document your findings. Notice patterns. Copy. Trace. Focus on one thing at a time. Record what you are drawn to." 

OBSERVE

COLLECT

ANALYZE

COMPARE

NOTICE PATTERNS

"The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. (One is unable to notice something-because it is always before one's eyes.)" 

-Ludwig Wittgenstein

Notice patterns, make connections. 

Stumbling upon this composition in the fridge made me smile. 

Could it be more perfect?