Book*Sponge

Projects in various stages of completion are spilling off my work table right now, but nothing is ready to share. Probably because I can't seem to get my nose out of a good book this summer! I've lugged home stacks of fiction and non-fiction from the library, spent all my pocket money at Barnes and Noble, and depleted the rest of my funds at Amazon.com: books about bookbinding, sewing, drawing, collage, embroidery...the list is endless! Add to that the works of fiction that I must read at night so I can fall asleep, and the glossy magazines tottering in piles on my night stand, and you'll understand why I am so happily distracted from my work.







My ever-deepening obsession with bookbinding and my new-found love of stitching are the main culprits. I realized the other day that I am a "sponge" when it comes to learning something new. I like to immerse myself in a topic, read all about it, research it on the internet, and watch endless YouTube videos. I let all that lovely, juicy information steep in my brain till it becomes a brew imbued with my particular flavor of creativity. My daughter always tells me "Mom, you don't have to read a book to do something. Just do it!" But I simply smile because I know all that information is essential to my process. She doesn't understand because she is a "paint brush." She just dips right in to whatever medium she wants to try and happily splashes away! I envy her courageous spirit and sense of freedom, but I cherish my ability to anticipate and savor. A sponge or a paintbrush: which one are you?

Comments

  1. I believe that I am a "spongy paintbrush". Sometimes I do tons of research/reading/watching and other times I just dive right in - I try to read enough to get a good start and then see what happens -
    Great post!!

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  2. i believe i am a sponge too. i am like you, in that i read and watch videos of whatever i want to do before i try it. i wish i was more of a brush, because most of the time, i end up never trying what i read about.
    glad to know i am not alone. ;)

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  3. I'm totally a "sponge" for how-to knowledge. Since I've been spinning yarn with my spinning wheel I've met people who love it too and have read emags and paper mags full of info on the origins of sheep - remember there are a couple in the manager with Jesus at his birth? Pretty cool! From one "sponge" to the others lets just keeping soaking it up! Kim, I wrote down an address today at work that was located in Henderson and I thought about the fun we all had at Serendipity!

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