Seed Journal
The cats spent the summer getting our attention by scratching at the screen door, until finally it began to tear. This morning, Wolf went through the hole, turning a tear into a cat door. A simple fix months ago could have prevented this, but door repair never made it to the top of the to-do list.
Filming my next online class has been at the top of my list since I completed the lesson plans this past July. And while some progress has been made, it stalled because I had an idea.
An idea that had me working in the studio, creating four new pieces, rather than filming, because inspiration comes infrequently.
Where do these ideas come from? Nothing feels entirely new; this new direction builds on things I’ve done before. I see its roots in 'Don't Fold the Pages' (shown above) and in my 2024 collection, 'Echo Her Story,' which featured letterpress-printed vintage papers.
Ideas come seemingly out of nowhere, but they are always below the surface in your mind, waiting for a trigger to bring them to your attention.
Walks outdoors
Showers
Sourcing new materials
Using old supplies in new ways
Studying older works
Staring into space
Travel
Yoga
Meditation
I'm not waiting around for ideas to come to me, nor am I actively seeking them. Instead, I’m arranging my life to allow for moments where inspiration can happen.
When the idea strikes, you must take action. That doesn't mean you should work on your largest panel; instead, you start small. Explore the concept from multiple perspectives, put it aside, and think about it, let it grow. Maybe it’s nothing, but perhaps you’re onto something, and it’s time for that large panel.
Rick Rubin, in The Creative Act: A Way of Being, writes about this as seeds —the first step in the creative process.
“An artist casts a line to the universe. We don’t get to choose when a noticing or inspiration comes. We can only be there to receive it.”
For me, the seed was the gift of a sewing machine from my mother, a sweet little Featherweight that stitches like a dream. This made me think of past works with fabric, including pieces with stitching, folds, and transparency, as well as those covered entirely in fabric. I began with one small piece, and now it’s growing and developing into a collection.
If I’d ignored the whisper of an idea and stuck to my plan of filming course content, I might have lost this idea and this new energy. If we’d fixed the door, we wouldn’t have had a good laugh at the cat’s new way of getting in and out of the house.
Seed Journal Daybook Exercise
Try this: This week, notice when ideas come to mind. Keep something to capture them with—a small notebook, your phone's notes app, a voice memo. You're not hunting for ideas; you're simply paying attention during those seven triggers (such as walks, showers, and new materials). You might not take much action this week, but don’t let the ideas slip away.
I'd love to hear what you notice—reply and tell me about a seed that caught your attention this week.