play and create: writing through found forms
join us for group journaling on Thursday at 6 pm et
my aunt mimi was a mixed media artist. she walked through life collecting found pieces of fabric, metal, stone, wood, beads, and objects of all colors, shapes, and sizes.
she was colorful, and loud, and silly with undertones of intensity, deep resolve, and sadness. she was my dad’s younger sister, a scorpio, her birthday two days before mine. even when my mother’s illness burned the bridge between me and my dad’s side of the family, aunt mimi found ways to stay in my life. we bonded over spiritual and creative practice. she was a guide and an enigma to me. she passed away in 2020 at the age of 84 and she made art up until the last few weeks of her life.
now more than ever i treasure the pieces she gave me, and i admire the artful way she saw the world, always looking for magic in what others overlooked. the photo above is a quilt story she named Freedom Day that she constructed using buttons, colored door key ID ring caps, fringe, embroidery thread, beads, shredded brown paper, and parts of a previously made quilt to tell a story:
“This quilt displays the eventful period that began on February 11, 1990, the day that Nelson Mandela was freed after serving 27 years of a lifetime prison sentence. Great joy, which this quilt represents, was experienced by his family and faithful followers who had awaited his freedom, a freedom a “long time coming”.
Mandela's confinement was due to his undaunted activities that opposed apartheid in South Africa and his refusal to compromised his unselfish position. To make this quilt, I cut out and used already-constructed parts of an old quilt that I made in the past and added them to a formation structured with new fabric. The conglomeration of the old and the new parts and the applique of embellishments, all, combined to form a glorious construction of another quilt--Freedom Day. I chose the theme of freedom for this quilt of my joyous attitude about life, For which some might consider as the attitude of a "free Spirit.”
her free creative spirit radiated through her art and her lifestyle as she describes in these excerpts from her artist statement:
“I have a strong passion for embellishments and collect them from any and everywhere, including but not limited to craft and hardware stores and office and home improvement suppliers. I also, collect and use found objects. Many of the items are not your traditional appliques used in quilt making.
I do not use commercial patterns to make my quilts; I intuitively improvise their creation. I appreciate all colors, however, the color red impresses me the most. It's high measure of energy immediately grasps my attention, as it evokes a sense of strength and liveliness which are two of my own personal qualities.
Like food and water, quilt-making and other creative art forms are necessary, life-giving commodities in my life. I must engage in them practically every day to some degree.”
in what ways do you fuel your creativity through observation, wonder, and appreciation? think about what you read and what you give your attention to each day. how can you implement ways to create from what you consume?
as writers, we can draw from many sources of inspiration and are not limited to using our own words to express our ideas. sometimes possibilities and great ideas are hidden in plain sight.
tomorrow, we will practice with found forms through writing. we’ll be joined by writer and storyteller, kelly macias, who will guide us through a group journaling session where we will experiment with learning to create stories from social media posts, text messages, emails, customer reviews on Amazon and more.
This Thursday evening, April 11 from 6 - 7:30 pm et, join us for Play and Create: Writing Through Found Forms. This session is free for paid subscribers and open to free subscribers for a $15 drop-in fee. Paid subscribers can register by clicking on The Practice button below.
Kelly is a writer, researcher, and storyteller based in Los Angeles. Her writing has appeared in Prose Online, The Sunlight Press, Newsweek and elsewhere. Kelly’s work has been supported through recognition and fellowships by Anaphora Arts, Roots.Wounds.Words, BlogHer Voices of the Year, NYC Midnight, Stories Books and Café, and she is an alumnus of the 2019 Yale Writers’ Workshop. Kelly holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and completed her dissertation research on Black women’s use of social media as a form of storytelling and testimony about their lived experiences. When she’s not writing, she can be found in her daily mindfulness meditation practice or somewhere in the world dancing Argentine tango in a pair of Chuck Taylors. You can connect with Kelly on Instagram at @kelmacias and at www.kellymacias.com.
Your aunt’s quilt story is so moving, both visually and in its inspiration. I love how you have tied together her art with this practice of writing through found forms. I’m so sad that I have to miss tonight’s session live. I can tell that it’s going to be special.