Accountability

I am reading Art Work, by Sally Mann. Right off the bat, she discusses the literal work involved in making art. Some of it is creative work, some of it is drudgery, and sometimes it looks like the artist is not doing anything at all, but it all goes into the finished product in one way or another.

One would think that when one is retired, there would be plenty of time for making things. Somehow, it does not work out that way. Other activities, even mundane chores like laundry or vacuuming, feel more pressing. I tend to do the things I don't like to do (i.e. housework) early in the day ("Eat the toad first"), but then I run out of energy for the "fun" things.

My SO has a similar problem. So now we are holding each other accountable by texting daily photos of what we are working on. It doesn't have to be a finished object, just a representation that we are each doing *something* besides the usual. For example, today he is experimenting with cyanotype, while I am weaving.

And by looking at the daily photos, I have a record that I can use when posting to this blog. Win-win.

Knitting: For some reason, the second toe of the socks for my son took three tries, but I am (hopefully) on my way. The headband is slowly growing.

Sewing: I'm not actually sewing yet, but I purchased two "fat quarters" that I want to turn into a zippered pillow cover, as practice for turning two of the tie-dyed muslin pieces into a giant zippered pillow cover. And I watched some YT videos on how to install zippers.
Weaving: The tote is about one-third woven.

If you look closely at the sock photo, you will see that I am listening to the Artist/Mother Podcast while I knit. Having finished Mark Twain, I needed a new audio companion, and while my children are middle-aged, I can still relate to most of what is discussed in these interviews. Kaylan Buteyn is local, co-owns Kinhouse Art, and has become a new friend.