Over the past 18 months my life hasn’t been where I thought it would be, lol as life is sometimes!
I have been stuck in a weird, uncertain limbo waiting for the universe to show me the way to go. During this uncertain time I turned to the one thing that sustains and nurtures me (my soul), my creativity. Also being acutely aware of the approaching deadline to produce a body of work for our COOTS (Central Otago Outside the Square, Fibre Arts) exhibition.
Groping around in the metaphorical wilderness for inspiration for what my series would be, I came across an author; Lucy H Pearce and her wonderful books and publishing company. I latched on to her most recent book (at that time) Creatrix: She Who Makes. This book was balm to my soul. I bought the kindle version and I can honestly say I have never highlighted so many passages from a book in my life – it was just what I needed at that moment. I have since gone on to purchase the hard copy because it’s such a great book to dip into from time to time when you need a boost or a pertinent quote:
‘I am Creatrix,
Constantly becoming
Endlessly flowing
Without limits.
I am she who Dances,
One foot on the moon,
One on the Sun,
Thread of time in hand
And weaves
Through the stars’
Lucy H Pearce
This poem was the basis of my ‘Creatrix’ body of work.
To be a Creatrix is to dedicate oneself to the cycle of creativity, dive into our intuitive self for ideas and inspiration
A Creatrix creates art that is an expression of her inner world and a reflection of what she has sensed and/or experienced in her outer world
You can’t have the beautiful lotus flower without the mud from which it emerges. A representation of the creative journey. (And life)
Being a Creatrix takes trust, courage and ingenuity to nurture the inner self and uncover the magic from within
Many of the fabrics in these pieces I have printed and dyed myself. They also contain layers of text, meaning and personal symbolism which, I think adds an element of complexity and depth to the work. Whether or not the viewer sees them or not is irrelevant – I know they are there and the infusion that those components bring to my work means a lot to me.
During this time ‘in the wilderness’ while I was making Creatrix: She who Creates, the first quilt in this series, I was often visited by a Blue Heron which is very unusual in this part of the country – I looked up the meaning of it:
This bird is known to bring good luck and prosperity to one’s life. It is a symbol of good luck, success, good fortune, and growth.
It teaches us how to become flexible and how to be patient while things change around us, but also how to use our intuition when making decisions and how to trust ourselves more often than not.
The blue heron is an excellent guide for those who are looking for new opportunities or want to make changes in their lives.
It teaches us that everything happens at its own pace so there’s no need to rush things along if we want them done right!
OMG! lol – I am not known to be the most patient person and was thrilled but a bit grumpy when I read this meaning – looking back now I can laugh but at the time I wasn’t happy to just hold tight and be patient (hurry up and wait) . I wanted to get on with my life but the universe had other plans for me. I am very grateful that out of this time came a body of work that I am proud of and that reflects my continuing tactile life journey. Although if I had known it would take nearly two years before I would move forward from this limbo I’m not sure I would’ve been so accepting.
This Creatrix series is currently on show from 22 March – 21 April 2024 at the Lakes District Museum and Gallery in Arrowtown, New Zealand with the COOTS fibre artists group – this is always an exciting, diverse and visually engaging exhibition.
