Full Immersion

(Image by Taeeun Yoo, via Yoote on Etsy)

I'm caught amid the perfect storm of beautiful sunny days, caffeine, and restfulness (at last!). My inspiration has been humming. The cicadas are finally screaming in the trees and I spend my evenings fully immersed in Lake Champlain dreaming about art projects and freckling in the late afternoon sun. Despite how veritably summer it is, I can already hear the leaves scuttling down the sidewalk as autumn descends in my imagination. My fingers are itching for afternoons of crafting. But I'm giving myself this time to float, to be suspended in a cool hug; to be weightless for a time.

I'm considering the possibility that there are a great number of people who would like to learn how to needle felt. I won't say it's easy, but it's something anyone can learn to do. I have a strong background in sculpture, clay, and 3D art, so I took to forming sculptures out of a pile of wool pretty quickly. Kits are a great way to begin, also. I thought maybe people would like to learn how to make one of my plumpies. I'm not sure which one I'd teach, but I'm thinking of putting together an online tutorial (with video) for one of my little creatures. I'm also considering selling kits in my Etsy shop - but maybe that's a little further down the road.

What's coming up for me most about this idea of "teaching" is that I crave connections with other artists. This may be a ticket home for me - to create and interact and make friends. I have found the best teaching tool is believing in the student. Saying "you're doing it right" inspires so much confidence, which in turn inspires creativity.

Food for thought as I get ready to go put on my bathing suit, grab a towel, and dive headfirst into sweet relief.