Exploring the Creative Zone

Wherein Beauty is Rediscovered

My posts lately have been a bit more than I usually post. I’ve known for a long time that exploring the food, faith, and their relationship. As I read Cravings the language of this discussion is clarifying, allowing me to explore some life stuff that needs some exploration. Oddly enough, I have the time at this moment to explore this and the food/faith relationship is demanding attention. A long time ago I learned to be comfortable with my body shape. It took a while to just own it. I must admit to shocking people with how I owned it in saying, “I’m a short, fat, quilter.” Each one of these things is true. I’m short, five feet tall since 9th grade. It’s a family trait on both sides. I’m also blessed with longer feet. I’m fat. I got to a point with the weight going up and down that I was just done. I’d get so far, plateau, and no matter what I did to help reduce the weight and tone the body nothing happened. For a number of reasons I believed that there might be some thyroid dysfunction the tests always returned “within normal range.” And still that nagging intuition. And I’m a quilter, while that’s kind of obvious it’s a descriptor that helps me focus on the beauty that resides within.

Did you read that? The the descriptor helps me focus on the beauty that resides within. Beauty beyond the outward appearance of this body. The beauty that resides on my face when I’m quilting, talking with a student, helping a customer choose the fabrics that will work for their quilt, selling a sewing machine, looking at my sweetie’s eyes. And sometimes when I look in the mirror I see the youthful appearance inherited from genetic traits from both sides of the family, and the distinct lack of gray hair. I see curls! now that I know how to bring them out. I see the dimples, another family trait. I like my dimples.

I also see a quilter who continues to work hard to hone her skills – won with blood, sweat, tears; with hour upon hour of sitting at the machine stitching, until my mind gave way to the creative zone. Going there is the coolest thing ever. It is the happy place. The one where creative ideas pour forth in unceasing, gentle, sometimes powerful waves. This space is a place of renewal. I’ve been there once in the last few weeks, it was glorious!

This place I’m in right now is a place of healing. I’ll explore this as long as God leads down this path. There are signs of spring.

You know I’ve had a love affair with the moon forever. I love the moon. I love how she waxes and wanes. I love how she shows us fully her bright side; and how sometimes she fully shows us her not so bright side. Tonight on the way home the moon is a wee sliver. Sometimes the wee littlest bit of light shines so brightly giving hope, leading the way.

Every now and again the quilt we’re working on leads the way, showing us a different way to go. As we go down that path, as we explore something beautiful happens.

God bless,

Teri