it's lovely to think, to puzzle, to wonder, to sort out, to muddle through... isn't it?
but there are many days that i prefer
not thinking.
there are lots of activities that you can do that sweep you away, getting you lost in the moment, almost an observer rather than an active agent. watercolours, long drives, and cooking are just a few such activities that spring to mind. but with all these activities, there's a fine line... get too caught up in watching the pretty colours and you could have a serious problem on your hands.
but i think i've found the perfect witness-consciousness activity in embroidery. first i do the drawing, which involves some thinking. but then i trace it onto the fabric- with washaway marker, no less- and i get to just stitch, just watch the lines emerge, watch how they behave. and i love it. and the worst that can really happen is the classic i-just-stitched-my-stitching-to-my-pants, but really, nothing too disastrous or dangerous can happen as you sit and stitch and don't think.
i have to admit that i usually run into some parts that need rework, and they are almost always one of three things: a hand, a foot, or a face. but i can leave them until i have the strength to deal with them, and they can even be undone and redone several times.
and oh, the joy of watching a line... it makes it all so worth it.
