This year I have finally surrendered to the fact that December is a period of limited hands-on studio work. There are just too many holiday details and business-related organizational tasks that need to get done so, rather than beating myself up over lack of production, I’m going to embrace that approach and actually write it into my plan for 2019.

For one who straddles left brain/right brain thinking rather than falling solidly into either camp, I’m actively working to accept the reality of December in a positive way — not least for the comfortable element of rhythm it contributes to the year’s end. Among many other things, this final week of the year caps off thirty-one days of reflection about the past eleven months – what worked and what didn’t, and of course plenty of excitement as I look ahead.

Mulling over 2018, here are the “10 Best” that I either found or was introduced to this year:

Stonehenge paper – This reasonably-priced workhorse is acid-free, 100% cotton, and comes in sheets or pads. It accepts a variety of media, wet and dry. I like its smooth surface and solid weight.
Saral Transfer paper – As I wrote in my March 8th post, I learned about this product from Michelle Kingdom’s interview on textileartist.org. It’s a great option for transferring an image to fabric. Because it’s available in both light and dark colors, it is possible to use with either dark or light fabrics. The only con is that it is extremely fugitive (a good thing in the long run), so you have to handle the transferred image very gingerly so as not to rub it off too early.
I learned about jazz musician Tommy Flanagan from one of my life drawing mates. Find him on Pandora or Spotify for hours of fabulous background music for drawing, writing, or just plain thinking!
What would I do without podcasts to listen to throughout long stretches of stitching? Here are three that have become my new “go-to’s”:
- But That’s Another Story with Will Schwalbe. Asking the question ‘can one story change the course of your life?’ these one-on-one discussions cover the moments and the books that most affected each creative interviewee (mostly writers).
- Just The Right Book! with Roxanne Coady. As a bookseller with an online book subscription service by the same name, Coady caters to individual tastes. Her podcast is a series of in-depth discussions with authors that are much more than a mere recap of their writings. Try this fascinating episode with author/historian Joseph Ellis: What the Founding Fathers Would Say About America Today
- Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell. If you’ve read any of Gladwell’s books you will appreciate his penchant for above-and-beyond research. This series reinterprets something from the past: a person, event or idea…something, as Gladwell puts it, overlooked or misunderstood.
My Modern Met – A feast of art and design
Sun Star Delde Slide Pen Pouch – This little number is compact, yet I can fit 36 colored pencils in it — and then some. It has a water-resistant lining with a pocket, and the best feature is it doubles as a mobile stand-up holder.
HAND/EYE Magazine – Yes, I’m biased because they recently published my article Paying Attention, but I hadn’t heard of HAND/EYE before the editor contacted me, so I had no idea what I was missing. Because of the brevity of the articles, it’s perfect for dipping into for a quick read and it’s a tremendous resource for learning about the wide scope of though-provoking work currently being made.
The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit – This was the first book I read in 2018 and, aside from art books, it is the only one of the many that followed it that I expect to return to in 2019. It is beautiful literary non-fiction that balances feeling both personal and universally resonate in the connections it draws between us all. I plan to reread it slowly and considerately.

As a parting shot, should you need a boost as you deliberate how to manifest your creative aspirations next year, read Vermont painter Susan Abbott’s inspiring post ‘Choices’.

Best wishes for your creative and productive 2019!

Now that December is underway, it’s time to take stock of the past year, reevaluate goals, and make a game plan for 2019.

This next piece is going to be a bit larger than the past several. The area within the crosses is 9 x 12 inches. While I was working on my last piece, I kept thinking about octopi and their interesting camouflage. This fellow should be a worthy candidate / subject to hide in a field of shibori pattern, don’t you think?

Last week I attended a webinar for creatives offered by Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist and productivity coach Charlie Gilkey. They packed a lot of helpful info into 90 minutes and I’m already feeling the impact of their suggestions, especially as the holiday season and its accompanying extra to-do’s begin to take hold.
Granted, there was so much to absorb that I’m still sifting through my notes, but I’d like to share two take-aways that I think are particularly noteworthy.

First, stick to a 5-project rule at any given time. Realistically, one just can’t juggle any more than five projects at once, and it is probably more achievable to concentrate on only three.

Secondly, separate your workdays into time blocks:

Focus blocks: 90-120 minutes for deep, creative work (keeping in mind that sometimes that includes staring out the window, taking a walk, or looking at work in progress as you figure out your next move). It was reassuring to hear them say that most of us can only expect to put in 4-6 hours of such focused work a day. I am mentally exhausted at the end of 4 or more hours of active drawing and/or stitching.
Social / Service blocks: 90-120 minutes for meetings, volunteer activities, visiting galleries, etc.
Administrative blocks: 30-60 minutes for attending to email, computer work, phone calls and other “backstage” chores (Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter don’t count).
Finally, and very importantly, Recovery blocks: for recharging — exercise, meals, reading, time with family and friends — whatever it is that fills you back up and staves off burnout.

The beauty of this approach is, depending on your objectives and commitments at any given time, you have total flexibility in how you divide your days and week into said blocks . The key is that structure facilitates momentum and in turn, achievement.

The pre-dye white work is time-consuming, especially considering all the little circles to embroider. I am going to be figuring this one out as I go along, but am trying to resist laying the stitch-work in too heavily before dyeing, knowing now that a lot of stitching will be necessary afterwards to bring out and define the image from the shibori pattern.

I’ll admit that I’m something of a productivity geek, so I love this stuff. Huff’s and Gilkey’s ideas were just the boost I needed to get started on the rollover from 2018’s goals to those I’ll concentrate on in 2019.

And speaking of goals, one of mine for 2018 was to pursue a source that would accept/publish a self-written article about my work and practice. Every now and then fate goes to bat for you.
Last week I received an email from the editor of HAND/EYE Magazine, asking if I would give her 500 words and 8-10 images for this week’s online publication. You bet I said yes! … and it was well-worth the focus blocks it took to get everything in order on such short notice. As a result, I didn’t get as far as I’d hoped with this current stitched piece, but that’s a trade-off I was more than willing to make . I hope you’ll read the article.

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One last thing that may be of interest: Slow Fiber Studios of Berkeley, CA is having a 10%-off holiday sale through December 31st. They carry books, videos, fiber, tools and natural dyes. Who knows what you might find!
Use the promo code: HOLIDAY.

Elizabeth Fram

Eye of the Needle

Tag Archives: Hand/Eye Magazine

10 Best Finds From 2018

Gearing Up for Next Year

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