I've been in this absolute flow of weaving, organizing for participation in two Japanese Hokuo Christmas markets and hiking pretty much since summer ended. And of course hosting people in our home!
I tell you, in my weekly work routine I sometimes gets so lonely it is the lifeblood for me to get to invite people over.
Last month we had visitors all the way from Malaysia when my kung fu grandmaster came over to make some new sifus in our school and to train with us. Some of my fellow trainers from Helsinki were staying at our house, and I was reminded again that I am not alone but a part of something greater than me. (Have I not told you about the kung fu before this? Don't worry, I will at some point when we meet ;).
So the varying mixture of different design projects of the last two years are now starting to form a kind of routine which is enjoyable, but sometimes I worry if my everyday life isn't too shattered between all these projects.
That's when I realized the weaving itself forms a rather profound balancing factor.
It is for me the perfect state of creativity, body movement and monotony to be a kind of productive meditation.
Again and again I get looked a little curiously at and asked; "so.. you weave?" Yes, I weave.
What I think they are getting at is if there enough meaning in what I do.
Or to be honest: maybe it is me asking myself if there is enough meaning in what I do.
I weave. Really?
It all starts with something being born in my hands and it all ends with that activity of making. (It tickles me greatly to think that there might be a day when I never weave again, that this too is temporary, just an era in my life like other eras of painting, making dreamcatchers, and ceramics and whatnot have been).
I recently updated my art portfolio and updated my CV and as I looked at them it momentarily disconcerted me that maybe my life on paper looked too broken, as if up until now I have made a career of running from one activity or skill to the next?
Have I really been working as hard as I could to be moving ahead professionally? Several of my mates from highs school are authors, international musicians or producing content for national TV for heaven's sake! WHAT am I doing? What will I be remebered by?
Shouldn't I maybe be focusing on just one thing? And be moving ahead in life? Should I maybe be living somewhere in a city? Should I move to Sweden? Or Denmark?
But I am moving. Maybe not ahead, but I am in movement, my mind is in movement, and maybe this is just what I am meant to be; a seeker. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad because I am not on clear career path or living in the epicenter of the art world or among the newest creative app innovators.
Instead I live where they air is clean, the fresh water is (still) plenty, and I keep finding something new to learn, and people are coming to visit just to look at the sky.
How cool is that!