For as long as I can remember I’ve kept journals. Oh, nothing formal – just plain notebooks usually. I write quotes from books or magazines, paste in photos that I like, and draw little sketches for things I’d like to make someday. I was cleaning the other day and came across some old journals from years ago.
Often when I save things I'm not even sure why. So it’s interesting that something I wrote down more than 15 years ago can still resonate and have meaning – maybe more so now than it did then. Keep in mind that I wasn’t doing much crafting or quilting when I wrote this quote by Miriam Shapiro:
“What is a quilt? Among other things, it is the history of women, a receptacle of passions, attitudes, largesse, and anger. It is a reassembling process, which in itself may embody a solution to human problems. It is inspiration, a connection to self, the dogged will to make something extraordinary in the midst of family routine, a sense of wholeness, the wish to please, to succeed, pleasure in the act of working and knowing the power of “making.”
The power of making – wow, don’t you love that? And not just as it applies to quilting.
…the quilting tradition illuminates the darkness of women’s history like a torch, showing us the strength and power of women as artist-makers and the consolidation of women as a sharing community.”
A sharing community. And isn’t that exactly what we’re doing here online - just on a much larger scale? There aren’t a lot of crafty women or outlets for creativity where I live. The internet has given me (and all of us) a way connect with women who have the same interests and to form friendships all over the world. And I think that’s an amazing thing. And something Miriam wouldn't have even dreamed of back when she wrote that.
The picture above doesn't have much to do with this post, although I didn't want to do an all-text one (and we all like a little eye candy along with the words). I think a lot of us keep journals or scrapbooks of ideas - maybe one of these days I'll talk more about mine.
2 comments:
Janet - your journals look remarkably similar to the ones I've been keeping for years - even down to the quotes. I love them (mine and other people's). Feel free to post more about yours - it's topic I don't seem to get tired of.
And yes, and how cool with your quotes regarding creativity and connection.
i posted about my idea books this week. yours are similar to mine. My best friend gave me a beautiful journal fro mothers day and i find it hard to write in (too fancy feeling) but give me a sketch book or composition book and i can jump on that. i also collect quotes and fonts. strange the things that hold our imagination.
have a beautiful day.
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