Solitude Within

My studio at night

“Solitude, a rest from responsibilities, and peace of mind, will do you more good than the atmosphere of the studio and the conversations which, generally speaking, are a waste of time.” Louise Bourgeois

I was thinking about Louise Bourgeois’ words when I went into my studio last night after Bellydancing and dinner.

My Studio had that “after hours” feeling.  A place of work closed down for the night.  The energy is different in my studio at night.  The feeling of urgency to produce is gone.  It’s extra time.  Without a specified purpose.

I went to my studio to embrace the solitude.  To free my mind.

For me,  organizing can be a way  to procrastinate or it can keep my hands and body busy, while my mind gets to focus without having to think.

A meditation of sorts.

In my studio I looked at the piles of fabric scraps that I had dumped on my desk and floor, earlier in the day, to make potholders with.

Then I started sorting.

I went through all the scraps, throwing out some that were too small and putting the rest in piles according to color.  They covered my desk and a small part of my floor.  Mostly I saw  the scraps in terms of color, pattern and size,  but every once in a while, I’d come across a piece of fabric that I could imagine using in a potholder.

I wasn’t looking to be inspired to work.  I wanted just the opposite, to be free of thinking.

This morning when I came into my studio, I looked at the piles of color coordinated scraps and saw the small red rectangle with peppers on it.  Those colors worked with the last scrap of fabric from left from the Poppy Potholders I made last week.  And it went on from there.  The scraps practically leaping from the sorted piles to be with other like-minded scraps.

I had ten potholders designed before lunch.

I’ll be thinking about the  Bourgeoise’s  quote this coming week when Jon and I go away for a few days.  A vacation in Rye, New Hampshire, where there’s little to do but enjoy the ocean and eat seafood.

I won’t be there alone, but I’ll be away from the “atmosphere of my studio”.  I’ll leave my computer at home and allow  myself to settle into a solitude, not by myself,  but within myself. Where the moment will by my reality.  And my work will be to do nothing.

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Full Moon Fiber Art