Friday, October 24, 2008

My takeaway.

"Stay inspired. Inspire others. Play with Ideas. Dream. Make people happy whenever you can. Let your hook dance across the mat. Keep good notes. Draw pictures. Seek out happy people. Take deep breaths. See beauty. Throw your head back in laughter. Be kind to others. Gather lots of wool and use your hook to show the world who you are." DF

This is a quote that appears on the back of Deanne’s new hoodies that she had in the studio. I hope she doesn’t mind my using it to write this summation.

Not only does it summarize her philosophy about hooking, it captures the essence of the entire experience at the symposium.

I am inspired. I will continue to try to inspire others. Certainly the experience encouraged a sense of play. And we saw the saw the results of the dreams of so many talented presenters, we know the power of dreams.

Make people happy whenever you can. It really isn’t that hard to do, but maybe we all need a reminder once in a while. Having it on a sweatshirt isn’t such a bad idea – then you can share it with the world.

Let your hook dance across the mat. How eloquently said. Next time you are sitting with a group of hookers, just watch the grace in the hook. Each person moves it a little differently – some waltz while others do the two-step, but we all dance.

I think these entries on my blog are my good notes. I will always be able to look back at them and remember this special time.

I am a picture drawer anyway, but now I will do it even more often. Writing notes about good ideas and putting the down on paper in a sketch will help you remember – like a visual journal.

The happy people I spent time with in Amherst are exactly the kind she is talking about. I find hookers to be mostly happy people anyway – which is why I love being among them.

Laughter – so much of it there. I am smiling just thinking about them all. And it takes me back to my first week at hooking school, when I was overcome with the sound of laughter ringing through the air. It is inspiring on its own.

Use your hook to show the world who you are. That was the biggest lesson of all. Sometimes who we are gets lost in trying to be someone else. But seeing all these amazing people – hearing their stories about creativity and realizing how personal each story was is the real pearl in the symposium. We all gather different wool – we all come with a colour palette inside – we all have a different hooking style and a different story to tell. The secret is in finding our own story and telling it to the world.

My rugs have always been a personal story about a person, a time or a place in my life. I will remember to make sure that they continue to reflect me and show the world who I am.

4 comments:

Madame Melville said...

Hi!
I found your link through Deanne's site. I've really enjoyed reading about your experiences at the symposium. I would have LOVED to have been there. Perhaps another year. Before I had children I hooked every spare moment of my day. With 2 and 3 year old boys at home full time, my focus has shifted a bit.... I hope to be more active in it someday. Thanks for your notes on the symposium. At least I was able to read about it (:

Wendie Scott Davis said...

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

I have just done the same on your blog, which is fantastic. Your boys are beautiful and I'm sure your days are filled with much adventure.

Hope you keep visiting. I'll connect people to your blog in my next post.

Wendie

Madame Melville said...

Hi Wendie,

Thanks for your note and words of encouragement! I will get back to hooking, just not in an obsessive manner like the past!

My bundles of wool haven't yet arrived at Deanne's so they were not in her "lusting pile". What a great term! Too bad I didn't have them ready for the Fibre Festival. I just popped them in the mail today (:

Alice ~ Folk Art Primitives said...

Wendie ~ I have really enjoyed your posts about your time at Deanne Fitzpatrick's and the symposium! Spending some time with her is on my 'to do' list and you re-inforced that goal for sure.
And, may I say, that you write beautifully ~ you write in a very thoughtful and caring way about your subject matter ~ your writing style reminds me of Deanne's, which makes you want to read more ~ yours does as well! I find that blogging is much more of a creative venture than I ever expected it to be ~ putting our thoughts out to the universe and having someone out there be interested is quite a compliment. I will definitely keep checking on your writings and maybe someday our paths will cross!
Alice

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