Just So
On the art of the small shift
My favorite pen ran out this morning, which happens much more frequently now that I write three morning pages by hand…most mornings, anyway! And using it up still delights me. I mean, looking at all I’m ‘doing’! All the living I’m embracing.
Today, I was mid-sentence. But it’s okay, I have a handmade pottery cup with the sweetest glazed polka dots sitting right beside me, chock-full of pens, pencils, paint brushes— but not another 'favorite' pen among them.
And so, while the first half of my first sentence was in a fading pen, the second half was in my deep purple, finely felt-tipped marker, the one that I love for pattern drafting as it’s precise and slow-moving. It sort of drags along and is dark enough to show the lines really well, and light enough not to bleed through my thin translucent drafting paper. And the pen I often reach for when planning: slow, thoughtful lists and ideas. But writing sentences (in cursive no less) —no. I feel like I’m tripping over my words.
So I switched to a promotional pen from a mini mart I have no recollection of going to, let alone swiping a pen from, and while I enjoy the clicking and the molded finger hold, it was entirely too fast on the page. My fairly terrible penmanship became quickly illegible. Like I was scrawling out a secret message in a getaway car.
And for just a moment, I thought, who cares, I plan to burn these journals anyway.
But, I’ve been working on writing in a satisfactorily quick, cursive manner, in sync with my thoughts AND producing words that people don’t need a decoder ring to decipher.
On to the gel pen (Pilot) that I nearly forgot I liked. Yes! Fast, but not too fast, smooth, and fairly comfortable. Not a favorite, but a close second. And the writing commenced. In ease.
Is it a privilege to have so many pens that one can know exactly which they like to use in certain circumstances? To fine-tune the experience of living to what gives you the best match, the best experience in the ‘doing’? Perhaps. After all, when I’m jotting down a note or a grocery list, the writing utensil closest to hand is the favorite.
To be clear, I did not sit down with 27 pens and 15 different notebooks and journals to determine the best match of paper/pen/feel/speed…ha ha ha, that would be crazy…right?
It happened organically—there was a slight irritation while I was writing, one that I knew I could smooth.
And there’s a beauty to bringing your awareness to the task at hand and noting what’s off and what could be easily shifted to make it more pleasant, more beautiful. To make life more lovely.
I’m a chronic fine-tuner. In my clothing, in the rhythm of my day, in my home…just this morning, while leaning on the 4-inches-too-tall deck railing, eating a juicy orange and watching the birds flutter about with seeds stuffed in their beaks, I thought for the hundredth time, I wish this railing was a bit lower. And while I don’t have the energy or time to fix it now, I probably will someday!
The art of fine-tuning your experience, your work, your day, your throw cushions on your couch is uniquely human (although I have seen more than one amorous male bird setting a twig just so in hopes of attracting a female…so maybe I’m wrong about that!).
And it’s uniquely connected to our shifting and changing desires and energy. We’re not meant to be stagnant, to walk through life half-present…next year my favorite pen might be entirely different, as my thoughts may come at a different speed and the spaciousness around me contracts or expands.
And rightfully so.
How do you fine-tune the texture of your days?
(And as always, there’s the balance of seeking a better fit and being happy with what you have. We can hold both…at the same time.)
In that vein, sewing clothes that fit, both your body and your evolving sense of self, is one of my favorite ways to feel alive.
It’s what we dive into at my sewing retreats. This October, on Mackinac Island, you’ll learn how to draft (and sew) a jacket of your dreams; fine-tuning not only the fit, but the pocket, collar, hem shape, texture, drape, and feel of a knit jacket made slowly, artfully, and together!
In Kinship,
Tina
Ways to Connect
Sew clothes with me:
~ PatternCon in Atlanta - Aug 1- Aug 2
~ Garment Sewing Retreat on Mackinac Island - October 11th-16th.
Check out all the details here.
Engage in sacred, joyful living:
~ Embodied Joy - Private, monthly audio to take listening into living.
What I’m Loving…
Speaking of fine-tuning things, I have this enormous Boston Fern that I recently repotted and in doing so, had to cut the macrame hanger to get him out without damaging the leaves. (Is there another way to do this?) As a lover of all things making and textiles, I plan to try out this simple macrame tutorial for a new hanger!
And then I fell down a cord/rope/yarn rabbit hole and found this delightful tutorial for a netted jar holder and a basket! Now if I had all the time in the world…I would make my own cord with this sweet Lucet (cord maker) I bought years ago. (that I have yet to put to use. Alas.)
And then I happened to snack on these while watching tutorials and NOT doing them. (my hands were chocolatey after all, plus for goodness sake, it’s a vital recon mission.) They are too delicious and free of all the allergens.
I'm so thrilled Rebecca Blackwell found you and restacked your post. This was a delightful read this morning. Perfect for coffee on the porch and pondering what's important as we plan our move into a new place.
Happy to have found you Tina! This post is beautiful. I especially love the part where you say, "And as always, there’s the balance of seeking a better fit and being happy with what you have. We can hold both…at the same time." - So true. I used to sew and quilt all the time and I loved it so much! We moved into an RV 6 years ago and I took my sewing machine with me, tucking it into precious storage space underneath our bed. I knew our new nomadic life wasn't compatible with sewing, but I wasn't ready to accept it. So, we carted the machine around for the first few years until I finally gave it a new home. The retreat on Mackinac sounds delightful. We are hoping to sail to Mackinac later this summer!