99%

scarf #133

close up

I think it is Thomas Edison who is credited with the saying that creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

This is very true when you are a production weaver making a 'line' for sale.  Almost all of the creativity is in the proving of the concept.  Once you've got the textile as 'perfect' as you can get it, the rest is all perspiration.  And I do mean that literally.

Right now I am almost 3/4's of the way through my initial run of the new scarf design.  The only 'creativity' at this point in time is choosing the best weft colour to set off the warp colours.  The rest is just showing up in the studio, every day, for several hours, and picking (pun alert) my way through the 4 scarves that can be woven on each warp.

People often ask me if I get bored.  The honest answer is that I don't.  I do get tired, however.  And I admit that after the daily slog of the past weeks I am getting tired.  Tired enough that I am really glad I scheduled another trip in August, even though I can't really afford it (financially or in terms of time off work).  As it happens I am going to be visiting with three family/friends, one of which I haven't seen for over a year, another who recently moved, and the third who has been a great inspiration.

I am also looking forward to a potential face to face meeting with someone with whom I may be working much more closely in the coming year.  Which would be fantastic, given all those empty pages in my 2014 calendar!

Tomorrow I will be receiving 8 more painted warps which will help fill in some of the colours I felt were 'missing' from the first couple of dye runs.  I won't get them all woven before I leave but I will do as much as I can with the time remaining before I leave, and the rest will get woven asap I get home.  And then I will be able to work on something completely different.

Carrots and sticks and lots of perspiration....