Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The word

For the past five years I have been choosing a word for each new year, rather than making resolutions. Last year's word was "discover" and I did pretty well at keeping it in mind and made some good discoveries in 2013. I started changing some things about my artwork and trying something new and there were a lot of discoveries along that path. Most of my words of the year have been high-minded words of change and betterment and such a word simply didn't present itself when I started contemplating a new word for the coming year. Not that I am no longer in need or change or bettering, but perhaps I am just too tired out by all the discovering I have been doing this past year to summon enough energy for a word that challenges me very much. Some days I feel like maintaining is challenge enough. But no, I am not choosing "maintain" as my inspiration! Can't set the bar that low.

So I asked myself what good things did I discover this past year? I discovered recycled fabric and over-dying and I discovered a more spontaneous, but still planned, way of working. I discovered (re-discovered, actually) the joy of small hand-worked projects and found objects and texture. I discovered, on a trip to Ecuador, the joy of rediscovering old memories and even discovered the equator anew! I discovered yellow. Well, I didn't discover it really, but gained a new appreciation for that most inspiring of all colors. I made two quilted pieces with yellow skies and discovered that if the sky is not really yellow maybe it ought to be. And so, that is my word for 2014. Yellow.


And I added it to the studio wall along with the past years' words, so I will remember.


And I will use yellow to add hope and light and warmth to the world whenever I can. I think yellow is too often dismissed as a lightweight in the color spectrum, but I think it sheds its beautiful light on every other color in a composition. Golden, warm yellow—it's more than a color. It's an attitude and the aura I plan to surround myself with this year.

9 comments:

  1. I love your posts and following along with your fiber adventures! Happy New Year! Melanie Grant

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  2. What a fun word. I love the idea of a word you can incorporate both creatively and in other ways. My own word is Celebrate. My husband and I celebrate 25 years in October, but I want to celebrate all year. We are going to have a fun and joy-filled year!

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  3. I too love yellow and I feel like most quilts/art are really lacking without a little yellow in them, even if it is orangish yellow or lime greenish yellow, it has to have yellow. I love your little mini yellow "reminder".

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  4. The sky was yellow and the sun was blue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj_kK1j3CV0

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  5. I read that every room should have some yellow. Some of mine don't but that might change this year.

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  6. "Yellow" is the first color word Aiden has said. It's pretty cute and sounds like "yewow".

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  7. Yellow was Aiden's first color word. His version sounds like "yewow" and usually refers to a ball (go figure!). Yewow is a great color - considering painting my kitchen a buttery yellow to brighten it up.

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  8. "Yellow" is the first color word Aiden has said. It's pretty cute and sounds like "yewow".

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  9. I admire your work, Terry, and love your word for the year. Yellow is the color that lifts me up and makes me smile and I'll be interested to see how you use it! I'm just working on my own word for the year - "release"!

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