Weaving Yarn Rather Than Words

"This is the time when artists go to work." ~Toni Morrison

I haven’t been writing much lately. Words are not coming easily these days, although my husband might say differently as he patiently listens to my daily rants! I am working on an essay that meanders through all of that. But for now, I’ll tell you that as I pull on all the threads that make up my previous 74 years of life and try to make meaning of them, I’ve become obsessed with weaving tapestries. Working with fibre preceded working with words for me; it’s what I was doing 51 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child.

In fact, telling stories with yarn (or paint or other media, although I’m not as familiar with them) has many similarities to writing. And I think both are important at this point in history. Here’s what Toni Morrison says about that:

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge — even wisdom. Like art.”

And here is my latest tapestry. I’m currently working on one with the autumn theme of letting go, which follows my personal journey towards learning to release that which no longer serves me or the world. Is writing one of those things? I don’t know. I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, thanks for being here.