Mix It Up

Many years ago when Victoria magazine first debuted, I subscribed for a while. A quote from one of their contributors has served me well since then. The author needs thanked, but her name is unknown.

"Put your skirts on the table and wear your curtains" or something like it. She was an artist. A creative thinker. Most of all, she regularly changed the context of the medium she used to create with.

This one thought always helps me turn a new light bulb on. It illuminates and highlights what would otherwise be invisible or unthinkable.

Going to Lowe's or Home Depot or an old authentic hardware store from the past can jump start a creative surge. Slowly I go up and down the isles picking up things, turn them around and upside down, wondering how I can change the context. What could it be used for instead of what it was made for.

One Father's Day, I went to Lowe's for ideas to decorate the table in a masculine way. I came home with 8 huge over sized black bolts which held a votive candle perfectly. The dollar store had some made in china tools which I stuck in a bucket like a bouquet. Manly decorations for under $10.

My sister has used black, recycled motor oil to give patina to wood, walls and more. She used a copper over sized pig scalding basin for a kitchen sink, complete with handles and a hole punched for a drain. Her kitchen is full of surprises tucked here and there.

Turning things around, upside down and inside out, makes interesting interpretations of the common.

Many books I read don't fit the context of my life, but I switch the principle to fit my life. Sieve the information, gleaning and discarding. I adjust songs, tools, books etc, using the idea in a different way. From a different perspective, a different point of view, everything is new and fresh. It is illuminating and stimulating to explore the possibilities. I probably won't ever make it to Shackleton's South Pole, but I can still go on expeditions.......and archaeological digs.

Staying curious is the playground where I really like to hang out and play.