Arts & crafts
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Riffing on a recipe
“Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need to look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own.” ~Julia Child One of my favorite cold-weather recipes is a spicy posole that was published in the “Pantry Raid” section of Better Homes and Gardens magazine more than 10 years ago. I’ve made this Mexican stew so often — sometimes trying my own variations — that I don’t need to make a list of the ingredients I’ll need before heading to the grocery store. Mastering any technique takes practice, whether you’re whipping up an omelette, knitting a scarf, or building a house. But as Julia Child advised, there’s…
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Love & inspiration
“Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can ever go wrong.” ~Ella Fitzgerald I’m lucky to have so many talented people in my life. One friend knits the most charming creations, including toys for my grandson. Others create breathtaking landscape art with their cameras, and a few turn their photos or watercolors into greeting card prints. Still others are outstanding quilters, musicians, painters, writers, cooks, or designers. It doesn’t matter whether or not they market or perform their work. Or if they’re published or famous. What matters is that they make creativity part of their everyday lives — and inspire the rest of us to use our…
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Your inner artist
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” ~Pablo Picasso Remember the delicious, waxy scent of a brand-new box of Crayola crayons? Remember those neon-bright shades of Play-Doh? Whether your favorite craft-time activity was coloring, finger-painting, or sculpting dinosaurs, you were an artist when you were a kid. It’s never too late to rediscover your artistic talents if you haven’t already. Oil painting, sketching, card-making, quilting, knitting, glass-blowing, calligraphy, photography … There’s a whole world of creative fun out there. Silence your inner critic, make a mess, make mistakes — and enjoy the process. How about a field trip to an…
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Pebbles and mistakes
“My life is full of mistakes. They’re like pebbles that make a good road.” ~Beatrice Wood, ceramic artist With the year rolling to a close, I’ve been thinking about everything I’d change, repair, or handle differently if I had a few “do over” opportunities. As usual, I see things more clearly in retrospect. Artists know that mistakes and missteps can serve as material for a work of art. And if you look at your own life as a work of art, you’ll see that a few of the things that seemed wrong or looked broken at the time eventually helped shape who you are. Maybe your mistakes taught you a…
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Christmas cards
“There’s nothing nicer than unexpected appreciation. If you’re grateful, get a pen.” ~Helen Ellis Some people tell me they don’t bother writing or mailing Christmas cards anymore. Social media is an easier way to send greetings without paper, ink, or postage. (I’ll admit there were years when I got lazy and mailed cards only to those who sent one to me.) The pandemic totally changed my mind. After months of isolation, I enjoyed reaching out to others through the mail — one of the few tangible ways I could. During lockdown, I also had extra time to make Christmas cards using my own photos, which I thoroughly enjoyed. More than…
