fanciful devices: Productivity.

A Stone Is Nobody's

A man ambushed a stone. Caught it.
Made it a prisoner.
Put it in a dark room and stood guard over it for the rest of his life.

His mother asked why.

He said, because it's held captive, because it is captured.

Look, the stone is asleep, she said, it does not know whether it's in a garden or not. Eternity and the stone
are mother and daughter; it is you who are getting old. The stone is only sleeping.

But I caught it, mother, it is mine by conquest, he said.

A stone is nobody's, not even its own. It is you who are conquered; you are minding the prisoner, which is yourself,
because you are afraid to go out, she said.

Yes yes, I am afraid, because you have never loved me, he said.

Which is true, because you have always been to me as the stone is to you, she said.

Russell Edson

FAQs

1. Are you a Southeast Asian dancing girl from the 1800s?

No, sorry to disappoint. My avatar and banner images are from an ancient book I found in the depths of my grandmother's cabinets. More on that here.

2. How do you make everything look so old?

First, you need a good oxidizer to brush on every bit of metal you can reach. I'll tell you all about it here.

Then there's this wax. I first mentioned it here. You'll have to scroll down a lot.

3. How can you be so productive?

I'm insanely obsessed and I have no offspring. I do nothing else- I don't have a day job, I don't clean my house or cook, I spend all day in pjs, often completely abandoning personal hygiene... I only interact with other humans when I walk my dog. And I like people! But I prefer dogs.

And I'm sloppy- but I make that sloppiness work for me.

4. Any tips you'd like to share?

No! Except for these 16 posts about techniques and this one about how to find your aesthetic.

5. Would you be offended if I took some inspiration from your designs?

Well, I'd be happier if you outright copied them.

No really, imitation is how we learn. I have enough ideas to go around. And even if I don't- please. No one's going to do this obsessively enough to threaten my business. (Probably.) I learned by copying others and I've seen others copy me as a step toward developing their own voice. So feel free. (I'd love if you tossed me a link in my comments, so I can feel like a proud momma.)

6. What do you look like?

Why, what have you heard? Really? Wow.

11/24/10

Productivity.

i haz it.

I can't believe how much stuff I've gotten done since my 'puter crapped out! Guys! It's like all the hours we feel are missing when we say "there just aren't enough hours in the day," suddenly revealed themselves to me!

I soldered a gagillion things after work the night before last, for example. I get home at 10pm, so I usually don't think of after work as even possible studio time. So, I just spend hours upon hours clicking through thousands of pictures of beads, mostly.

I have to limit my computer time from now on. Cuz Apple is giving us all new 'puter innards for like $250, plus installing back whatever was on the old one. And maybe by as soon as tomorrow. I know, right? Apple rocks.

Added some text here. "My heart, a dark and living snow."

Here's what these look like on.

"Sorrow that would offer you its precious blood." Could also be translated as "sorrow whose precious blood I would offer you." Could also be slightly mistranslated as "Too bad I'd offer you your pretty blood." Lols!

Here's some stuff.

Ok, so excuse the crap photo but I arranged an assortment of postcards and prints from Sparrow on my wall and it looks awe-friggin-some.

Anyhow, this is why she's the photographer and I'm not.

3 comments:

Spirited Earth said...: i soo hear what you're sayin' about the computer..i love it..really love it..however..it's a giant time suck...
i've decided that i sould only get on in the evenings..after i've done all my work. ;); 11/24/10, 5:08 PM
dd said...: the computer is a necessary evil. Oh the times spent social networking with strangers.

Beautiful work as always!; 11/24/10, 5:30 PM
stregata said...: Drooling over the results of your productivity. You definitely haz it. Such awesome pieces of gorgeousness.; 11/25/10, 12:44 AM