I have…
Crabapple jelly
If you’re seeing this photo and nodding your head up and down in acknowledgment, or you’re shaking your head side to side and tsk-tsking, either way, you’re right – I’ve got nothing right now, at least not in terms of pottery or anything clay related and it doesn’t seem like the situation will be ameliorated any time soon. I couldn’t bear the thought of writing a blog post without an image though, because I am such a visual person myself. As a child, I always digested the pictures before reading any text. Even after reading passages from a book, I would have to back track and make sure that the illustrations supported the text.
I can’t seem to find a rythym. It’s not like I’m sitting on my duff either. I’m volunteering, being a mom, designing a business card for the Colorado Potters Guild, helping my F.I.L. configure a wordpress site for his high school classmates and alumni, am embroiled in “math-gate” at my daughter’s school and yes, have even made crabapple jelly – something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s about time the squirrels weren’t the only ones to benefit from the bounty that our crabapple tree produces every year. The recipe is pretty simple – a ton of crabapples, water and sugar. Just google crapbapple jelly and pages of recipes appear magically.
In the meantime, I have agreed to substitute teach at my daughter’s school for the next 4 days, while the 5th grade students (my daughter included) and their teachers go to sleep away camp till the end of the week to bond. If I sound bitter, I’m not – I’m actually grateful for the distraction.
Just today, I was out walking my dogs in the park and listening to a podcast featuring art coach, Bruce Baker and I had to laugh. He mentioned how artists can often times get lost in ideas and that when the monkeys start chattering too loudly in our brain, it’s time to shut them up and just go to work – creative people have a tendency to over think stuff. Luckily, the park was empty today since it was a rainy and drizzly one, so when I laughed out loud embarrassingly at his remark, no one was around to hear me – except my dogs and they love me unconditionally. I’ve become lost in my head right now. That’s a true confession and I feel totally distracted. I need to learn to compartmentalize events as they occur and I’m afraid that I have been unable to do that recently. I feel everything acutely and often the need to react is just as strong as the original stimulus.
Sigh…. This is not a “oh woe is me post” either. It just is and so am I.
~Cynthia
Barbara J Carter
September 8, 2008 at 8:38 pm //
Hey, I think crabapple jelly is a fantastic accomplishment! Wish I could try some.
Artists have their manic creative times, and they also have their fallow periods. I think it’s hard to embrace the creative down time, but I think it’s very important for creative growth (not to mention avoiding burnout). I’m in a bit of a slow time myself right now, but I’m trying not to beat myself up about it. It’ll pass, and in the meantime I’ve got a lot of back-burner ideas going.
LB
September 8, 2008 at 9:01 pm //
I always have too many ideas going all at once, but I know they can’t happen until I finish what I’m doing. So, I just pace myself, and try to just do a little everyday. And, on days I don’t have time, I just think about what I’m doing a lot! LOL
Linda Starr
September 8, 2008 at 10:12 pm //
Oh, crabapples bring back memories of when I lived in Maryland as a child. The trees were so beautiful in bloom in the Spring and we loved eating the little apples in the Summer. Tart and sweet, but mostly tart. Yummy. I bet your jelly is wonderful.
ang
September 9, 2008 at 12:42 am //
and hey, why not make jam…..love it! …..had a minor slump a couple of weeks ago but it didn’t last long…and they’re good it’s time to do other stuff.
Noelle
September 9, 2008 at 3:31 am //
Isn’t canning produce from our gardens satisfying?…and jams and jellies are so lovely, they gleam with such wonderful jewel toned colors as the light passes through. I once made some jam from Damson Plums; whose flesh is kind of a watery green, but the skin of these fruits gave the jam a wonderful deep purple hue.
I think when we come to a place like this creatively, we just need to trust ourselves and our experience to know that this space for other things is what we need at that moment. But also know that it will pass, you will create more wonderful things. You will wake up one morning with a pressing need to make something, and you will go into the studio, and amaze yourself with the beautiful things you make.
Mary
September 9, 2008 at 5:02 am //
Awe, it happens,You have said before when you clean your space, things begin to flow. So when you find sometime,maybe this week end? Try that and see if it can give you a kick start? Your work is beautiful and you have the winter to spend at the Guild to experiment. PLUS HOLIDAYS are coming quick. . . any gifts you want to make for Friends?
Mary
Melody Madden
September 9, 2008 at 5:14 am //
crabapple jelly huh? I don’t think I’ve ever tasted it before. Good for you for taking the time to make it…….quite an accomplishment as I’ve never canned anything in my life. But I must say now that fall is here I’ve started baking alot more and the family is pretty happy about that.
judy Shreve
September 9, 2008 at 5:31 am //
Cynthia – you have had such a busy summer. No wonder you need a little down time & making jelly seems just the right thing to do. My son is now 17, but I remember being so torn when he was younger -between be involved in his life & doing what I needed to do in my studio. It’s hared to stay focused when that creative mind gets interrupted all the time. You do such beautiful work. Your new web presence is fabulous — you are moving forward creatively — just not as fast as your ideas! This is a good time for journaling.
Lisa Call
September 9, 2008 at 7:08 am //
Wow – great idea – I think I will make some jelly from the tree in the back yard before Jim has me chop it down. We signed the contract sunday morning so will start building as soon as we get permits. Thanks for the referral to Jim!
Mary T.
September 9, 2008 at 7:27 am //
I always used to make crabapple jelly and peach jam in the fall. It was my own made up superstition that if I did that I would live in the same place the next year and not have to move. It never was true, and we had 3 year old peach jam so finally I gave it up. Sigh! You’ll hit your stride when you hit it.
andrea
September 9, 2008 at 10:23 am //
Overthink?! NEVER. Let’s face it, there are worse things than temporary lack of inspiration. How else would we get our crabapple jelly made? (Artisan bread in my case
.) I can’t post without pictures either.
Nancy
September 10, 2008 at 7:35 am //
There is a time for everything … and a time to step back and take a breath from the norm. Love this photo. It makes me hungry. It has a beautiful warmth to it.
Lynette
September 12, 2008 at 5:19 pm //
I would love to have a hot homemade biscuit with butter and that crabapple jelly! Aww Cyn, maybe you are just resting a bit and recharging your creativity, it takes a lot of energy being an artist, a mom, a wife, and working too!
Cynthia
September 13, 2008 at 6:46 am //
Thanks for the comments everyone! I read every single one of them, but didn’t have the time to respond during the week.
Jean Levert Hood
September 15, 2008 at 8:57 am //
I think that we all have, and probably all need Crabapple Jelly times.