And You Thought You Knew Us

This is really really true!

The ladies at the Crafty Lady are a creative bunch, and not just as knitters.

Lori our esteemed leader and grand poobah not only designs her own knitted and crocheted designs which you can buy in the store or on Ravelry, but she also plays the piano and organ for her church, sings in a choir in Red Deer, and creates Renaissance costumes. And she can do that all at the same time while talking to her cat Myles on the phone.

Margaret is a textile artist. She makes art quilts which get to travel around the world to more places than she has been. They've sipped wine in Paris under the Eiffel tower, had tea outside of Big Ben in England, and walked on the great wall of China while she is still at home in central Alberta. She's been showcased in numerous shows and is currently preparing for an installation here in Lacombe based around her Mark on the Body. This is pretty exciting for her and I'll write more about that as the opening gets closer. She is also part of a trio that sings in her church during Sunday services. She too has her cat Pookie who gives her good grounding lest she gets carried away by how great an artist she is.

But this post is about me. Well, not really. Sort of.

I'm a professional published writer/novelist, and an amateur actor, director and public speaker. I have no cat because I had a bunch of people instead and don't want a cat calling me on the phone meowing at me to come home. I'm working on two different productions which looked easy on paper but involves a fair bit more juggling than I'm capable of. Especially if I have to be at two rehearsals in two different cities at the same time. By the way, I can juggle three evenly weighted and sized balls but not for long. It's amused the kids when I pick up three oranges or apples and proceed to throw fruit around the room. Not the most efficient way of making fruit salad, but a good deal more fun.

Anyway, one project has proven dear to my heart. It tells four stories of five Red Deer refugees in story, dance, music, art and film. I co-wrote and directed one of the stories and I'm acting in another and I even recruited my dancer daughter to perform because that's what proud mamas do.

I have had a wonderful opportunity to meet other creative artists and most importantly to hear the varied stories of these five people who come from four different countries at four different times in recent history. This show is about a child soldier from Africa, a rug weaver and father from Afghanistan, a young girl from Croatia, and a mother and daughter from Uruguay. The production has also recently added an aboriginal woman telling her story of being a refugee in her own country and the horrors that the Canadian government has perpetrated on the native people. All of these people are actively involved in telling their own stories.

My own father was a refugee. When he was a child he escaped the Soviet Union and found a home in Finland. When he grew up he immigrated to Canada. So I connect to these people not as having experienced the same things, but as the child of a man who suffered great atrocities from his home country and had to run.

It's been a whirlwind of trying to integrate various media into each story and it has taxed my directing abilities. I am capable of directing actors, but I've been asked to make technical decisions about things I know nothing about. Kind of like being a mom.

But that's what the creative process is. It's about trying new things, being willing to fail - sometimes in front of others, learning new skills, and meeting interesting people. Stretching ourselves and our abilities can be painful and exhausting, but overall even if we fail at the project, we haven't failed if we've learned something along the way. And if we succeed then we are more capable and more willing to go to the next step. True failure comes in not trying.

So the next time you look at a pattern and wonder if you can do it, give it a try anyway. What's the worst that could happen? Really, seriously. We're talking about yarn here which can be undone and used for something else - like tying up your children (if you tell them you're playing cops and robbers they'll think it's fun). Nothing bad happens unless you turn your knitting needles into weapons. No yarn devils come and torment you with your yarn. Your yarn doesn't suddenly come to life, twine itself up your body and choke you to death. Your mother-in-law will not taunt you about that failure unless you've told her. So jump right into that multi-colored, multi-cabled, and lacy adult onesie. It will be okay.

Oh, before I forget. Come see the show. It's free! How often do you get to see free theater? Saturday, October 1 7:00 pm at the Welikoklad Theater in Downtown Red Deer (that's the old movie theater). That's this Saturday folks!

None of this has led into the yarn sale this week. I usually tie it in. Okay, here it is. Take advantage of the twilight. Enjoy the moments after your hectic day to put your feet up and relax, look at the stars, cuddle a loved one, put aside your worries. If you've had a creative day then you can put it aside. If you haven't then this is the time to dream and create. Now is the chance to balance yourself, to eat good food, wear comfortable clothes, knit, or do another favorite hobby, and embrace the part of yourself that you don't show to your work world. Now if I could only follow that advice I would remember to take my medication.

75% OFF SALE

RED HEART TWILIGHT

61% acrylic, 25% nylon, 9% polyester, 5% metallic

59 y/54 m/100 g Super Bulky (6)

Free one ball pattern on ball band. More free
patterns online.

Regular Price: $5.70

Sale Price: $1.42

Posted by Anna Maria Junus (happy employee who has been so busy that the phrase "whirling dervish" comes to mind although I have no idea what a dervish is and if it can be turned into the verb "dervishing")