One of the best things I did last year was make the decision to switch role and go part-time at work. On a professional front, I have the opportunity to explore a different area of law, as well as a different side of my company. On a personal front, working part time allows me to prioritize my mental (and physical) health, spending time with my family, and space for creative endeavours. Over the last couple of years, I’ve realized that the latter is enormously important to me, not only in terms of personal fulfillment but also in terms of health. My creative hobbies played a key role in keeping me (relatively) sane during the pandemic. They also helped me to re-discover meaning in my life after the trauma of 2021.

What was especially transformative for me (and possible only thanks to many hours of therapy) was that fact that I made the decision to cut back my work hours without planning to take up any compensatory side hustles. I am simply trading money for time. Free time. Free time to do as I choose, to make my life healthier, more balanced, and more meaningful. I can never discount how fortunate and privileged I am to be able to make that decision. It has made my life infinitely better already.

I feel like I needed (and wanted) to address that because you may see an uptick in posts about my art; I always get asked questions about how I manage to find time for art and other hobbies, and I hope this will partially answer that. As a sidenote, I am sad every time I am asked those questions, because it makes me think that other people are having to forego things that are personally meaningful to them because of other priorities. A healthy work-life balance is what I would wish for everyone … but at the risk of veering into broader discussions not fit for a frivolous blog, I better stop there.

Anyway, what’s been happening on the art front?

A lot of embroidery and beading, that’s what.

I haven’t felt called to make stone jewelry lately, so I listened to that and focused my energies on other things. I am exploring a few different themes (and have plans for some additional ones) including the Demeter design for earrings, and my waterlilies series of embroideries. I’m trying to be better about keeping records of my designs for future reference (I used to draw them on pieces of paper and toss them as soon as the design was transferred onto my canvas or felt), so that I can continue to evolve the designs.

I made a few new Demeter-style earrings for people who loved the original ones (they were sold at my art fair this summer).

It’s important to me that no two pairs are exactly the same, so it’s always fun to think of new combinations and permutations.

I also discovered the fun of working with feathers.

This was a prototype pair (the Persephone design) which I made for myself. I love it so much, and I am waiting for another suitable pair of feather earrings so I can make another one in this series.

This was a special pair called “Nishiime” (“my little sister”) which I made for my best friend who is Ojibwe/Anishiinabe. She helped me translate the name; I wanted to choose something that I felt reflected our relationship.

I made some one-offs too.

I also ended up upcycling a couple of necklaces, but this time using embroidery/beaded pieces with a floral inspiration:

Embroidery-wise, I made a couple more waterlily hoops:

The fun is coming up with different interpretations and embroidery techniques each time. I have another one (which will be number 4 in the series) which will be different again.

I made another cactus hoop (second in what is now a series I guess), improving upon an earlier design with more intricate detailing (and some new tricks):

I also made a pansy hoop, inspired by a vintage embroidery pattern I spotted on Instagram:

I chose to deviate from waterlilies with this because I just loved the riot of colours. Working on this hoop, though, really helped me perfect my satin stitch technique. It’s given me some new ideas for developing and implementing other designs that rely on this stitch. In fact, I’m working on a birds of paradise hoop at the moment, which is putting those lessons into practice.

That’s it for now … tell me, what personal projects have you been working on lately? Doesn’t have to be crafty — could be home design, DYI, cooking, reading, anything.

One of the things on which I would like to focus more this year is journaling. My preference is for less traditional forms as opposed to narrative-writing style journaling. My favourite journal is called Moon Lists – Questions and Rituals for Self-Reflection: A guided journal, which provides weekly prompts that are, as indicated by the title, in list form. I haven’t been very diligent about using the journal weekly – as a result, I’m only about half way through after a couple of years – but I very much enjoy the process of writing my lists. I find it a very pleasant approach to meditation/self-reflection.

One of my favourite lists to think about and write is called “Who is the You of Now?” The prompt provided states: “a survey of present interests, curiosities, recurring themes … a space for a short list of some front-burner items.” This helps me focus on the things that are currently giving me meaning, enjoyment, amazement, etc., which is a process not-too-distantly related to gratitude journaling but a bit broader in reach.

Recently, I got to thinking that I would like to engage with this process in a more visual/creative way. Why not make visual lists? This would be helpful (and fun) for me not only as a method of self-reflection, but as a creative exercise to help me in my artistic endeavours. I’ve been finding inspiration lately in many non-obvious places, and this will help me focus on those more. I’ve decided to document my lists here, as a way to keep myself accountable, but also in case others find it interesting. I am also doing this on Instagram, where I am hoping to create a community exercise, with others sharing their lists as well.

Here is my list for this week:

One. Mucha

I have had a soft spot for Alphonse Mucha since I was a teenager, but I tend to go in and out of obsession with the Art Nouveau. The interest is very much back “on” again, largely from a fashion/aesthetic perspective. One, I am growing my hair out and fully obsessed with the aesthetics of long, flowing locks. Two, the fashion aspect speaks to my Crone/High Priestess avatar. The mood which Mucha’s drawings evoke for me is very much a mood that I am interested in recreating (in a modern, updated version) in my sartorial experiments.

Two. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

My kids love this song, and lately whenever I hear it, it makes me think of my mom. Gets me every single time.

Three. The Moon

The semiotics of tarot fascinate me in a general way, but lately it’s the Moon that’s been on my mind the most. The symbolism of the Moon (in astrology and culture in general) is so rich of meaning. I also find that I am craving more connection with nature lately (it’s the middle of winter here, and sometimes that means I don’t leave the house for days on end), and for some reason that’s when I start to pay more attention to the lunar cycles. I don’t know what it means, but that’s the beauty of this list – not everything needs to be explained.

Four. Birds of paradise

I’m working on a large embroidery featuring birds of paradise, so naturally, I have been looking at a lot of images. They’ve never been my favourite flower, but I have to say that I appreciate their uniqueness and their colour story. So fun to embroider!

Five. Poirot/Marple

I have been re-reading my Christie collection; it’s comfort food during cold, dark days. I have also have the ITV series playing in the background on loop while I’m crafting; it’s my Law & Order. This time around, I find that I’m really appreciating the set design and costuming, especially on the Poirot series (generally set in the 1930s). So much house design eye candy. I also can’t get enough of the slinky evening gowns, and sharply tailored daytime suits – the midi length pencil/column skirts paired with fitted tops/blazers, are everything.

Softly, Softly

I love this muted colour palette and find it very soothing. It’s the sage green paired with plum that’s so pleasing, especially with the other warm colour accents. This was also a very comfortable outfit to wear — lots of warm, soft and/or stretchy knits. This poncho is proving to be a real closet MVP; it’s perfect for keeping warm at home during the cold snap, but it also adds a surprisingly amount of polish to each outfit. Sometimes, it’s these no-name, unassuming pieces that will surprise you.

Mesmerizing

There is something about this combination of black and white patterns that’s kind of hypnotizing, isn’t it? It ought to be an eyeball-buster, but somehow my eyes don’t find it offensive at all. But maybe that’s just me. I can never get enough of these monochromatic pattern mixes, and I’m surprised that I hadn’t thought of this one before. I’m glad I decided to keep this Charlie & Robin cardigan; I had originally marked it for sale, but there were no takers and I had second thoughts. As it turns out, it’s the kind of kooky piece that works so well with my current style.

Art School Vibes

Chico’s isn’t one of my go-to brands, but I thrifted this top because the pattern and texture reminded me a bit of Issey Miyake. It’s quite large, so it’s perfect as a top layer over other things. I was originally going to wear it with a black skirt, but that felt a bit blah. Substituting this face-print Zara skirt was just the ticket. There is a lot more “energy” in the outfit this way. Pattern mixing for the win!