“Create, Amaze, Play,” my 2016 theme, is forcing me to develop my voice. “Art – the act of tuning in and dropping the wall.”
In my pursuit of creating this year, I’ve spearheaded curricula for Collaborheartists, my monthly creative group. Our August meeting focused on needle-felting, the act of using a single barbed needle to tangle and compact fibers.
Only one of our group of five had tried this craft previously. With some trepidation and no idea of what I’d make, I started my 4” x 4” square.
At the end of the day, I had a front and back that left me feeling pretty pleased with myself.
Each member of the group had produced something personally meaningful. We were so enthused about our efforts we elected to add another day of felting. This time, instead of a 4×4” square, we would focus on a wearable.
Unexpectedly when our September date arrived, I grabbed a favorite sweater that had a hole in the front. My original plan had been to needle-felt a bracelet band. My heart had other ideas.
At the table, a sense of vulnerability nearly overwhelmed me. I recognized judgement and pressure.
“This will look homemade. What are you thinking?”
“You don’t have enough experience to needle-felt a design on this classy sweater?”
In spite of these fears, I began. I picked up a piece of wool roving that nearly matched my sweater color, placed it over the tear and jabbed the needle through the roving, the sweater and into the foam backing.
Up and down . Again and again. Add roving. Jab. Jab. Jab. Check the backside to feel and see a fiber haze. Add a nuanced color. Meld the fibers.
Somehow in the rhythm of the felting, my doubts morphed into joy.
My shape of choice? A lopsided, wonderful red heart. The further I went, the more confident I became. As the design took shape, a smile developed from the inside out.
Turns out my creative heart has a loud voice.
