It’s been pretty busy around here, lately. A book launch Thursday. Another coming up the day before Thanksgiving! (Details to follow…)
I scribble endlessly on index cards. Sort. Cross out. Number. Pitch. Repeat, just as endlessly. More things keep coming to mind. More things that really belong in the second edition of Grandmothers Are In Charge of Hope.
It reminds me of collecting fabrics for a quilt. Which fit? Which don’t? What will it take to make a particular favorite play along? Scraps. Fat quarters. Sometimes whole yards (or more!) of things I really love. Typography prints. Spiced with deep purples and oranges and a sprinkle of lime green. I can literally feel it in my body when it’s right.
And then comes the part I think of as piecing, whether fabric or words. Blocks for quilts. Quirky, often. Opinionated, too. Paragraphs and chapters for words. Transition passages that work just like “blenders” from the quilt store, making it easier to get from here to there.
Editing comes next. Or, seam ripping if you prefer! Separating bits that don’t quite fit. Finding them new places to shine. No red ink for me. Nothing wrong, here. Just judicious cutting, pasting, and adding. (And a really good seam ripper!) It’s all part of creating something new.
The occasional voice from long-past preaching classes. “You must know your form and function.” Which is a lot like my favorite question, “What are you trying to accomplish?” Though “Function?” often comes first for me.
Art quilt? Sturdy woobie for a beloved child? Extra winter warmth for our bed?
Poem? Blog? Book? Expression? Stress reduction? Inspiration? Connection?
Like sermons in days gone mostly by, my quilts and my words often have different ideas. They tend to bust out of the tidy boxes I imagined.
I’m good with that. They generally know better than I do, if I just manage my anxiety and trust. Inspiration is like that!
Often, form grows out of function simmered with love like a good pot of soup. And a degree of comfort with the part of the journey that wanders deep into the wilderness of not-yet-knowing.
The news seems to suggest that we’re headed for some time in that wilderness of not-yet-knowing. For me, “What am I trying to accomplish?” feels really helpful.
I’ve been pondering the answer for a while.
I am empowering a community of grandmothers to build more love, stronger families, and a kinder, more hopeful world.
Grandfathers are welcome, too. And people who’ve been loved by grandmothers. Even those who believe in the archetypal energy of grandmothers! This is the feminine, empowering energy we need as communities. As a nation. As global neighbors.
Pieced, like a fine quilt, with extravagant colors and voluptuous prints and a great deal of complexity. And, in my world, some tiny white dots on deep black reminding us of the stars shining over us all.
Maybe life, like writing, is a lot like quilting!
I’m glad you’re here!
PS – I know we’ll all be busy over Thanksgiving, so I’m giving you a big hint about what’s coming with the new edition of Grandmothers Are In Charge Of Hope. In honor of my grandmothers, I’ll be giving the Kindle version away free over Thanksgiving weekend. You can get one for yourself and you can also send it as a gift on Amazon! (And the paperback will be out soon after!) So stay tuned, by email and Facebook, for all the details, and make your gift list now! And, if you haven’t subscribed to the blog, this would be a great time! The form is below. We’re going to need a pretty big community of grandmother-types!
PPS – The quilt pictured above is Taylor’s Big Girl Quilt. You can read more about it, here.