Materfamilias

Dang post got away from me. This is my grandma, Marina. Born in 1912 in Mexico. Guy took this photo at the POE Pacific Orchid Exposition. The beautiful woman in the blue is my Auntie Alice. All us girls love our Aunt Alice. Guy says Grandma had a great time looking at all the different orchids. It was a gorgeous day along the bay at Fort Mason so we got to see the golden gate bridge and the bay bridge, all the healthy people out running et al, and the loads of sailboats. Too pretty of a day, so glad to have the much needed rain, but so nice to have a great break!

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A question came up the other day while I was reading. "What are your earliest memories about your creativity?" Grandma is mine. I don't remember NOT knowing how to crochet. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with her when I was little and she really made an imprint on my little psyche. She put a crochet needle in my hand early on. My cousin Andi shares the same memory. Grandma knew what to do with all us grandchildren. Everything was a success to grandma.

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It's really weird when you ask yourself that question. But I know the answer. I've been very clear about it.

• My Grandma ~ very positive. She would crochet things that were like lace.
• My Aunt Celia ~ amazing painter.
• My Dad ~ always encouraging and positive with everything I did. When I crocheted potholders he used them. So did my Mom and I think my Aunt Alice still has some. I could use some myself. I'll have to get on that.

Then the biggies...

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• My Mom and Guy ~ always encouraging but fearless, which scared me. I'm not that way. I'm traditional. They're both good at everything they do. Not me.

As I type this I'm realizing there's a little bit of something that comes along with belonging to a family of creative people. It's all over the place. Debra is creative in the kitchen, Andi makes amazing cards and scrapbooking works of art, my Aunt Alice can really do great things with watercolor and my Aunt Rachel can cook as well as (long ago) Macramé. She used to make the neatest things.

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I can't speak about the rest of the tribe but grandma sure did create a huge clutch of creativity. I grew up around all this and was encourged by it until I started looking for my own art. I spent many years allowing myself to be intimidated by all the talent in my family. I wanted my own thing.

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Quilting was it! I went so far as to ask my Mom to please not take up quilting. It's my thing. Probably that wasn't necessary. If my Mom were to quilt, she'd be an amazing Art Quilter. Not a traditional quilter.

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I needed my space, too and Mom seems to understand that. She tells me that the idea of all the piecing we do doesn't turn her on in the least. I think she's proud of what I do though. Just like Grandma is/would be.

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This deep question came from Julia Cameron by the way. Probably out of "The Artist Way" but I can't be sure.

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Ask yourself...