Creative Incubation

"This is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be, This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen."


Joseph Campbell, in 1985 interview with Bill Moyers

I sometimes find that people think I am the "crazy cat lady" or the old curmudgeon.  I go into hibernation in the winter.  But when I saw this quote, I knew it was more than this explanation.  I am using this natural time of hibernation to go inside and create and find my peace of mind however I can find it.

Certainly the world is a crazy place, but for the most part it doesn't involve me.  I stay home and create in my space I created to find peace.

It almost sounds selfish to say I enjoy my solitude.  But solitude should not be equated to isolation.  I am not isolated any more like I used to be.  I do go out occasionally, and I do interact with others. 

I do talk to the cat and dog, but for the most part Noodles is the only one who interacts back to me.  He and I have an "understanding".  Poor Patty is not so swift in the brain matters.  So, I guess one can say I am the "crazy cat person".  I have wonderful conversations with him.  And he listens.  He looks at me full own and listens.  I know, I know, crazy, huh?

I am sorry for all that is happening in the world right now.  There is sadness, earthquakes, weird weather all over, and yes, the world is still going on.  But I have managed to sit in my chair and chug along with the Fair Isle vest without worrying too much.  I did get to see the Sherlock Holmes movie the other day on the t.v.  I didn't know the actors, but I really enjoyed their antics.  The end was clever with a flying dragon and the heli-hotair balloon over London.

I have a hawk that visits the big bird feeder in the garden.  He is not after seeds, of course.  But it was some shock to look out and see this huge bird sitting on top of the feeder and not a sign anywhere of the little songbirds.  I have never seen this happen before, but maybe it has and I didn't catch the rascal in the act.

We had one day of a very wet sloppy snow, and it is gone with the warmer weather.  Yes, it got chilly for one week, and now it is closing in on 50's again.  Sigh!  I give up trying to understand it.

I am also getting close to making a decision for the brown sweater.  I had to hunt for the pattern that I started with.  I went through 4 books, and finally found it.  I actually am combining several patterns and making it my own.  There will not be a gusset.  I don't want the ease there, and it is always a wad of fabric I don't like.  So I am calling this a semi-gansey or maybe a faux gansey.  Anyway, it is my own fault if it doesn't work out. 

So nothing else to report.  I just wanted to share that wonderful quote I found of Joseph Campbell's.