Aging with Grace

There is a creative spirit in you desiring to be free, and you may as well get out of it’s way for it will give you no peace until you do.

Mary Caroline Richards

I do better when I am involved in creative pursuits. Writing helps. Although, I find doing a stitchery project is another enjoyable creative outlet. For me it’s meditative. Especially, if the piece I’m working on has a repetitive quality. That’s why I am returning to needlepoint after a several year hiatus. Many kits feature the Continental stitch. The only requirement, other than changing colors of yarn, is to insert the needle back and forth in the canvas. It doesn’t require a lot of thought. I often find myself in a zone as I work.

After some searching, I found the needlepoint kit in the photo, with a portrait of Virginia Woolf, by British designer, Emily Peacock . I knew as soon as I saw it, it was exactly what I wanted to do. I am a fan of Virginia Woolf’s writing. I love the quote used with the kit description,”No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself”. I prefer not to hurry and I try to limit sparkling.

You may have noticed Ms. Woolf is smoking a cigarette, taboo today. It was common in her generation. Let me start with a disclaimer. I have never smoked and I do not believe smoking is a good idea for anyone. In Virginia Woolf’s case smoking did not kill her, walking into a river after filling her coat pockets with rocks did that. Sadly, she suffered from mental illness most of her adult life.

I am already considering my next project, a portrait of Oscar Wilde, also by Emily Peacock. Yes, he is smoking a cigarette, too. It’s not a statement. I just think, made into pillows, they would be interesting on the sofa.