I have been leading a class at my church using the book: Living Forward. We have been meeting on Sunday evenings for two hours. Fundamental to this process is cultivating the ability to first, acknowledge where one is at present and then to “see”, to imagine, to dream about how you want things to be formed.
This takes courage, even grit, for most of us who are 50+. For us, life has formed and informed us in both good and bad ways. This process brings one face to face with baggage that needs unpacking. I suppose it is true for all ages, but there is a difference once one has a few years behind you.
For everyone it is a choice. Do we wish to:
- remain on our current path,
- simply tweak our current journey or
- make an about face?
Choosing, being intentional, will at least make us aware so that there are no regrets, no matter what choice we make.
Working in the Unseen
Imagination. Dreaming. Reaching into the invisible and acting on what we see. This is a cultivated skill.
In talking with our group, we have discussed real ways in which we can do this. One of the tangible ways I work my imagining muscle is through re-purposing and up-cycling found objects. Looking at a discarded, outdated or broken item and imagining it into something new, starts in a place within that only I can see. Most of the time it takes a combination of items that I put together to make this happen.
Formed – From Inspiration to Reality
Here is one of my recent projects. It started with inspiration on Pinterest. I enjoy seeing what others have done and yes, it gets my creating juices going.
My version started with a discarded chair, an old table, a bit of scalloped wood trim and vintage porcelain electrical insulator parts. A few dowels, decorative screws, glue and paint and here you go, a cute decorative shelf! It is looking for a permanent home at Kechi Korner.