Processing

Mary Lessman at the Ancient Forest

There will be no time to drive Mary out to the Ancient Forest this trip but when choosing a photo for this post it seemed to sum up so much of the last few years.

I am still processing the experience of helping organize the conference, still processing the amazing experience of being involved with a group of women who came together (a confluence of women is mighty!), still mulling over the all too brief contact with such an amazing group of people, yes, men too, but mostly women.  Fibre arts are, in the 21st century mostly the 'preserve' of women.

Each tree in a forest stands tall and is impressive.  Putting many trees together in a forest becomes awe inspiring.

And so it is when a group of people get together to share their love of all things textile.

Each tree grows from it's roots, reaching towards the sky.  Mother trees shelter and protect saplings.  All the creatures of a forest live together to make an environment.  A community.

Textile artists came to Prince George from many different locations - north, south, east and west.  One instructor came all the way from the southern hemisphere.  Truly a global gathering.

Textiles can reach across cultures, across time zones, across continents.  Textiles have been part of the human experience since time beyond written history.  The archeological record of the impression of textiles in pottery shows that even though the textile has transformed back into 'dust', they existed, they made things 'better' for the humans in that community.

I have so many thoughts swirling in my mind right now.  It will take time to find the loose end of my thoughts and begin to tease out the sense of them.  

But in the meantime I am grateful beyond words to the local people who put shoulders to wheels and gave a mighty push every time it was needed.  The instructors, many who came in spite of challenges, willing to share their knowledge and encourage others to learn and grow.  The attendees who frequently also saw a need and willingly offered to help - especially as I was setting up the exhibit.  Their help shaved at least an hour or more off set up time.  Many hands do make light work!

Since I set up the exhibits I got to see the entries up close and personal.   There were many items that were unique, creative, intriguing.

There were garments in the fashion show that were amazing in their concept, their execution.

I was able to catch brief moments with most of the instructors, but as always, it's hard to do more than just touch base at such a busy event.

I wish there could be more personal interactions with people, but cherish the time I did have.

Confluences of thoughts, ideas, plans for the future are tentative, but they are the seeds that produce the trees that make that forest.  No seed?  No forest.  It all has to begin somewhere.

There is still the clean up and once again the committee has already taken care of moving out of the facilities.  From there the borrowed things will be distributed to the loaners.

On a personal level, I have to clean up my studio, which got ripped apart, tossed like a salad, and is in even more than the usual disarray.  But Mary says she will help, so we will begin by sorting through samples, getting the ones that are important to me (the GCW samples) and put them away.  We might even get to the point of sorting and putting away yarn that got pulled and never put back.

One has to find a loose end and begin to tease it out of the jumble.  One has to begin.  To take that first step.  

In the meantime, I will continue to process this experience and wait to see what the future will bring.