Susie Monday . El Cielo Studio

Do you think I could learn from this?

Time Magazine reporter Jeremy Caplan makes a case for letting up a bit on the neat freak thing. If only I knew how to make peace ---

"Devotees of filing often interrupt their thought flow to stuff papers in folders, while pack rats just toss papers to the side for later. Procrastination like that can actually pay off. 'Putting off undertaking almost any form of neatening or organizing will probably have some advantage," write Abrahamson and Freedman (authors of a new study), "because it's much more efficient to organize a large set of things at one shot than it is to try to organize them in pieces as they come along.' "

Neat and me go way back as opponents. An eternal seesaw operates in my psyche: I gotta have all that stuff visible, in piles, touchable, doable, incredibly touchable vs. I love order, categories, things in boxes and the perfect file folder, colorcoded and alphabetized in a manner only I would imagine. Thus, not having time, energy, plastic styrene boxes enough, the clutter creeps on in a battle against the perfectionistic inner elf.  You can imagine where that leaves me most of the time. Matter of fact, I think most of my friends, students and partners-in-crime will positively howl at the idea that I even harbor the inkling of an inner neat-freak.

I am open to any and all suggestions from you, my dear readers, about how to deal with this on-going conflict. I especially wrestle with the issue of keeping up with deadlines, paydates, due dates etc, no matter how many calendars I make. Without tangible in-my-space reminders of what needs doing (ie if I stick things in an appropriate file folder and drawer) it just seems to disappear from brain. And then if its out in clear sight, layers of work-in-progress clutter soon overtake whatever order it once held in place. The photos below illustrate my usual state of tabletops (and this after a full morning of pushing papers around). NOTE the OPEN file drawers, the heaped to overflowing plastic bins, the attempts at organization gone astray.

Somehow, I don't think this is what Jeremy has in mind:

At this weekends "Artist Journey/Artists Journal" the weather outside was chilly, but the energy inside kept us warm. Taking a page from the January calendar, we worked our way around altered books, journal quilts and a several approaches to writing and sketching our way through the new year. I learned as much as I taught (thanks, Sue for the runthrough on how to make a hidden pocket in an altered book, and Kay for bringing The Secret), we ate well, slept well and talked about everything under the winter sun.

I plan to post pictures of the projects begun during the retreat, as they are documented and sent back to me -- but here are a few of the people pics. What can I say: I am living my dream and it's just getting bigger.

Here are the details about my next workshop. You can find the complete brochure on the righthand sidebar link to  "Coming Up:Workshops"

Artists’ Retreat and Workshop, February 17-18, Saturday and Sunday

The moon has long been seen as a symbol of the unconscious, and a sacred goddess of feminine instinct. How does the unconscious, the instinctual, even lunacy, influence your art work?  Do you make room for accidents, for the spontaneous and unplanned. This El Cielo Studio workshop will take advantage of the February Full Moon dark of the moon (Don't ask me what moon calendar I was looking at when this went on the calenday!) to inspire a weekend of intentional accidents (or accidental accidents, as the case may be), spontaneous expression, and improvisational techniques for fiber and mixed media art, as we open our hearts and eyes to the power of the uncontrolled. Among the activities: guided meditation and journaling, moonlight storytelling around a bonfire and moonlight hike (weather permitting), time in the hot tub, and making an artist altar that explores your understanding of the divine feminine. Fabric art techniques covered include silk painting effects with salt and other additives; faux shibori and low-water dye techniques using the microwave; shaving foam dyeing and other improvisational dye and paint play.

El Cielo workshop/retreats are designed to meet the needs of the participants, so there is free time scheduled throughout the weekend for reading, reflection and personal work in the studio. You are welcome to bring projects in process for Susie’s critique and for peer feedback in an environment of trust and respect. We’ll share meals (bring a sack lunch for Saturday, Saturday supper and Sunday brunch are included in the fee), 25-mile horizon vistas from the deck and strolls down the country roads, as time permits.

FEE, including meals: $145 per person. 10% discount for registration before 2/5/07 ($131.50). Limited enrollment. Overnight accommodations are available for a modest fee ($15-$30). Supply List: your favorite kind of journal or notebook, a box with lid (any size and material) for your altar, warm clothes and walking shoes.

Susie Monday has taught adults and children for more than 30 years. Her art cloth and quilts have been included in international exhibits and private collections. Recent teaching credits include Gemini Ink, Southwest School of Art and Craft, University of the Incarnate Word, King Ranch, and McNay Art Museum. See her work on-line at http://monday.myexpose.com and  read her blog at http://elcielostudio.squarespace.com

Here ,we are stuck inside one big ice cube, though it be one with a few thorns and spines. The north-facing windows are coated with at least a half inch of ice, lending the living room and bedroom the feel of a modern church sanctuary built around 1952 (a better image than that of a mental institution, right?). The caliche driveway out front is a skating rink. The  car doors simply won't open (yes, we have a garage, part of my studio building, but being inexperienced at winter, we didn't put the cars inside, go figure). The good news is that I have made it through almost one year of financial record recovery.

Also, we stretched frames and mounted two stunning pieces of African textiles that Linda bought several years ago -- now in a starring role on the living room wall. I don't know anything about African textiles and haven't had the time to do a good search for information yet. I know that the one on the left is kuba cloth from Zaire -- a rafia fabric with cowrie shell embellishment. The other is a wedding cloth, but I don't know where its from. If anyone with knowlege or a good web information source is reading this, please leave a comment.

Meanwhile, I am planning the weekend journaling workshop (Jan. 20-21, see workshop link) and hoping the meltdown is on its way.  Cabin fever has not quite set in, but the warning signs are nigh. I don't live in Texas for no reason.