rain music

A slow, rainy, soak cycle in the studio sort of day. My soundtrack includes music by Mazzy Star and Megan Reilley, the kind of music I like to categorize "rain music." Music conducive for artmaking, reading, or staying in bed; those lingering sorts of activities. For afternoons of drinking English Breakfast tea with milk and honey having nary a care in the world. For pondering, soaking, breathing deeply, being grateful that this world is so alive and I have hands to make things.

I recently took a test online for an in-person psychology class. I was so frustrated with the formatting of the thing, and hated that I could not work my thoughts out on paper. I realized that I actually think through my hands!! Through writing, I pull words from the ether of the unconscious. In Latin, the word for this is poesis: the physical act of making a poem. In college, I made little handbound books of poetry under the imprint Poesis Press. Through making, I understand my materials, and somehow articulate a formless thing into the physical world. There is an element of alchemy involved anytime we use our hands to create something; be it art, music, writing, whatever.

I've been uploading and editing artwork to transform into cards this rainy day! The image above is one of the collages that will grace the front of one of my little notecards. There are so many more pieces to come, eventually they'll end up in my store. I love making cards because I love the thought of someone writing a note to a dear friend, or to say thank you for a beloved gift, or to express condolences over the loss of a loved one. I love being part of that process. We are all so far away from each other these days, and can be far away from ourselves. Writing a note can be a way of reconnecting with the slow side of things. A rain music sort of experience.