The Artist Block is Gone

Hello to any silent followers I may have. I sure hope someone is there.

I have been through an artist block. I think it is finally passing. The last week, at school, I have been making geometric balls out of 20 circles with equilateral triangles in the center of each for the fold lines. Sorry I didn’t take photos yet, but the instructions can be found here: http://www.squidoo.com/paperballornaments

The reason for making these came from a need of a math connection lesson. However, I got started and could not stop until I had made one from text (cut out of a discarded book); and four from maps (also from the discarded book); and one from recycled Christmas cards. This helped to break the block I was in. All of this seemingly non-purposeful work has objectives.

• I will be leading a math class in making ornaments, while the math teacher leads the math part of the lesson.
• Secondly, my after school Arts & Crafts club will make ornaments from recycled materials and this is just one example, with more to come.
• We will be having a contest at school for the most creative or beautiful ornament which connects to Appalachian Culture or the art of Recycling.

I will attempt to make a mobile from my examples to hang in my office. Pictures will follow if I am successful.  

I never teach a lesson unless I have tried the process out myself. This is one of those worthy designs found in a book I ordered from www.amazon.com titled, Playing with Books: The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book  by Jason Thompson. I simply LOVE this book! There will be more lessons taken from this book!!! Go to Amazon to see what’s inside.

Now I am off for a week and will be using my creativity to do some much needed home improvements. Stand by for reports. Lots of creative ideas are now flowing. FINALLY- Yes!!!

Life Interrupted

Interrupt

(from dictionary.com)
1. to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).
2. to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something: He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
3. to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, especially by an interjected remark: May I interrupt you to comment on your last remark?
4. to cause a break or discontinuance; interfere with action or speech, especially by interjecting a remark: Please don't interrupt.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English interrupten < Latin interruptus past participle of interrumpere to break apart, equivalent to inter- inter- + rup-, variant stem of rumpere to burst + -tus past participle suffix; see rupture
 Synonyms
1, 3. intermit. Interrupt, discontinue, suspend imply breaking off something temporarily or permanently.

The mind wonders at this immobility that stagnates my flow. Where did it begin? What will it take to unblock my path again? All the unfinished journals, unfinished artworks, unfinished thoughts…. Where did “it” go? I try to stay positive. I know “it” will come back. Or do I?

There have been so many interruptions… just when I get the “flow” started. I am stopped. Crushed right up against the face of a concrete dam… the pressure against me is fierce. I want to be free. I only know that whatever I do, another interruption will come. The creative process calls out to me. “Come. Do. Move. What do you fear?” I can’t find the way back. I just said my forbidden word, “can’t”. My students would remind me of my reprimands against using it.

I am a soul divided against itself in a state of flux- as in “continuous change; instability”. There is another meaning to the word flux. It also means “to make or become fluid”; it is also “an obsolete word for purge”.

So maybe there is yet hope for finding my flow again?