Tying Up Lose Ends!

I received some really great suggestions on how to make my blog better.  This is something that I have struggled with, for some time.  In the last couple of years, my self confidence in embroidery took a huge hit.  Part of it was an innocuous comment made to me that hurt deeply.  Part of it was feeling like I am fighting a losing battle with my body.  I have fibromyalgia, as well as Rheumatoid arthritis, and then two years ago, I was diagnosed with a brain injury known as Chiari Malformation, where the back part of my brain has slipped into the brain stem.  I do not like to talk about any of this, as I see it as a weakness and I don't like having weaknesses.  However, I have built up an amazingly supportive circle of friends and loved ones who have kept me encouraged and allowed me to discuss my illnesses without feeling ridiculed or weak.

At any rate, this past year, my confidence has started to come back, little by little.  Pennsic, last year, was a HUGE help.  I participated in the Artisan's Display and received so much encouragement, that I went back to camp in tears, that did not let up for days.  I still carry the little bag of tokens that people left with me.  Its heavy, and I have endeavored to remember the face of every person who gave me a token, as each of them made such an impact on my outlook!  Among the most memorable were the children!  One young man, who saw what I was doing and lit up wanting to learn, gave me a special coin that had been gifted to him at Battle of the Nations!  I asked him if he was certain he wanted to give it up, and he was emphatic that I take it.  Yep, here I go tearing up, again!  Another highlight that has greatly helped my outlook, I became an apprentice to a very respected friend and Laurel.  I have had a yellow belt for 8 1/2 years, but my Pelican is not an artistan.  At Pennsic, I was floored by the invitation to take my green belt.

(A small selection of the tokens.)

So, today, a lady who I have admired for all of her knowledge and help, gave me some suggestions for my blog.  Some of her suggestions, "why are you making the choices you're making," "what's inspiring you to create this piece," and "what was the societal context of the piece?"  I know that my blog has lacked "meat,"  (heck, its lacked general posts, lately, lol!)  So I am going to work on adding more content to my posts.  This has given me a great spring board!

I would like to say that, for me, embroidery is a true labor of love.  It hurts; there are days where I can not even type, much less stitch.  My joints swell up and my hands get too stiff.  For me, the draw is in the challenge, as well as the passion.  I LOVE embroidery.  I can't quite explain why, but it just fulfills some sort of need within me.  I love everything about it, too, not just doing it.  I love the research on each piece.  I love learning the dynamics of new stitches, and also seeing what other people are creating.  I love feeling the threads, and just centering, by playing with the fibers.  And, I love being able to make something beautiful with my own hands.  There is something to be said for bringing life through art...something beautiful...

Among my struggles, there are those problems not physical for me.  I also have adult ADD; sometimes, just figuring out the stitch gives me a sense of fulfillment and I wind up setting the project aside, not finishing it.  I am working hard on that.  I also struggle with time management with projects, and life in general.  I am a graduate student, and a single mom/homemaker, and I have always had a hard time organizing all of my tasks.  I have recently been working on that, as well.  I am factoring my blog into my time management, as a way of staying more accountable where my projects are concerned.

So, if you have any suggestions or advice on bettering the content of my blog, please feel free to let me know.  I do appreciate all feedback;  that is how I learn :)