Best Things are Free Day 25

Climbing a tree and seeing what you see.

Best Things are Free Day 24

Jeder Mensch ein Künstler. Everyone an artist.

Joseph Beuys reminded us of this.

I just googled "Jeder Mensch ein Künstler" and some of the top links were essays revealing how ticked off the art world still is at this statement of more than thirty years ago. Surely, he didn't mean everyone.

A little trivia: In the Balinese language, there is no native word for "art", nor for "craftsman". They use the word "worker", the same cognomen for those in the rice fields or on the construction site.

I've never been, but I will go to Bali someday. Those who have been there tell me they don't believe that there's no word for "art" in Balinese, because they saw art everywhere. They show me the vacation photos and tell me I am mistaken: Sculptures, carved posts, prints, fabrics, paintings, the food is artfully stacked and ordered and arranged, even the daily utensils are adorned with representations depicting wonderment. 

That, which we identify as "art", the Balinese call "work". "Work", you know, that thing which must be done, something for survival, something to offer praise, something to pay for, something to teach the children, something to prioritize in their lives along with caring for children and running errands and doing laundry and visiting the doctor and fixing the bike.

And then I look over here. Oh, we understand art. We have museums unrivaled in the world containing the highest examples of art from all time and all cultures. Art is well maintained in grand facilities, highly guarded, surrounded by manicured lawns and parking structures. They are conveniently open to the public six days a week, between the hours of 10 and 5 during the summer tourist months. We have developed a language and understanding of art also unrivaled: (ordered abecedarian) Ashcan, Baroque, Constuctivism, Dadaist... High, Low, Commercial, Folk and, forget we not, hot. 

Maybe we understand art, but it is a thing separate, over there, a destination, an adornment, a frivolity, a political statement, a discretionary expense, a generous tax write-off, an angst-riddled self-indulgence, a piece to tie the colors of the rug to the couch, just really weird music, a once-a-year thing, like St. Patrick's Day. If you're not Irish, or if you don't know what or who a Fauvist is or was, well, whatever.

Maybe if it was just "work". Maybe if Joseph Beuys would only have been able to say, within his language, "Jeder Mensch ein Arbeiter," what would our world look like? How would we spend our days? What would be our work?

Let's get to work.

Best Things are Free Day 24

Not being afraid of getting wet.

I've come across Design for Mankind recently. I don't know who this person is, but she has three bachelors' degrees and is a blond Midwesterner in Los Angeles. So she could be me (I'm trying to think if there are any long periods of time that I can't remember or for which I can't account ... maybe this is me, an alternate identity, a younger, hipper dog-lover with better taste... ). I digress. This person (very probably not me) puts out such great positive ripples for anybody wanting to pursue a creative endeavor. I like what she has to say about networking. 

I think we all have a tiny, instinctual hesitancy to introduce ourselves to somebody new, upload a piece of work we have put our heart into for Internet scrutiny, jump into the water. Hey, nobody ever drown by not getting wet!

I learned lifesaving a long time ago, so I'm not sure if this is recommended anymore for actually rescuing somebody from the water. But I do remember this from my life-saving classes, that I'd like to add metaphorically: If a person can splash around enough to keep his head above the water, he's not drowning and, with a little guidance, he can splash his way to safety. As such, you can make it through the water. You'll need somebody you trust to show you direction and say keep going, you'll make it, this way, you're doing great, keep going.

I say, go ahead and get wet. Trust yourself. It's a thrill. And you never know who you will meet and who will help you help yourself. Also (ref. top illustration), reach for the beauty, not the money. Reaching for the money will take you down and you may miss the beauty altogether.

Best Things are Free Day 23

Not always getting what you want.

But, if you try sometime, you might just find, you get what you need. (Thank you, Mr. Jagger).

Because then you can improvise, right Diana?

Sure, I want a dress form mannequin. But there are other things I need to pay for before I splurge on that. 

While cleaning the garage, I did come upon duct tape, some rocks and old tee shirts. Add one silly girl, put them all together, and in about an hour, I have a custom dress form mannequin. Good enough, anyway. Good enough is good enough.

What you do: 

• Have your subject wear a tee shirt. I recommend a longer length tee.

• Duct tape away! Duct tape snugly around the waist and rib cage.

(After applying duct tape, allowing your subject to play "Girl Knight Warrior" for an hour is optional).

• Cut the shirt away along one side. Best to place your hand underneath the scissor blade to prevent accidentally poking your patient subject.

• Remove from your subject and re-duct-tape the cuts.

• Cover the arm holes and neck with strips of duct tape.

Stuff with poly fiber fill or unfinished sewing projects, you'd prefer never to see again.

• Place a layer of rocks at the bottom (shirt hem end) to make the mannequin stand.

• Place strips of duct tape across the bottom.

Voilá! Your custom dress mannequin is complete! This is also a fun project to do with a teenage daughter or good friend.

Sources: Here. Or Here. 

Nicht immer das zu bekommen, was du dir wünschst.

Ja, ich möchte eine Puppe. Denn Anpassen passt meiner Puppe nicht. Ich habe aber momentan andere Aufwendungen vorliegen. 

Also, beim Aufräumen in der Garage entdeckte ich Panzerband, alte Tee-Shirts und Steine. Na wunderbar. Zusammen mit einem frechen Mädchen kann ich in etwa einer Stunde selber eine Puppe basteln.

So geht das:

• Du ziehst das Tee-Shirt an die Person. Ich empfehle ein hüftenlanges Shirt.

• Du klebst und klebst und klebst das Shirt voll. Auch um die Ärmel und um den Halsausschnitt. Bitte stram um die Taille und den Brust das Isolierband kleben.

(Auf Wunsch das Kind ca. eine Stunde "Mädchen Ritterkrieger" im Isolierbandrüstung spielen lassen).

• Vorsichtig das Shirt wegschneiden. Am Besten legst du eine Hand unter der Schere, um möglichst die kleine Person nicht aus Versehen zu stochern.

• Wieder das Shirt mit Panzerbandstreifen zusammenschustern.

• Die Ärmellöcher und den Halsausschnitt mit Bandstreiben quer zukleben.

• Von unten mit Textilfaser (bzw. auch mißgelungene LAGUNA-Röcke) fest ausstopfen.

• Unten, eine Lage Steine bzw. einen Backstein legen, um die Puppe aufrecht zu halten.

• Die untere Öffnung (Saumende) mit Panzerband Streifen zukleben.

Voilá! Deine Puppe ist fertig. Und deine erste Puppe kann ja wieder spielen gehen. Dies ist ein lustiges Projekt auch für die Teenies im Hause bzw. auch mit einer guten Freundin zusammen.

10. April: Ähm, 'Schuldigung: Nicht ganz meine Idee. Schau hier. Oder hier.

Best Things are Free Day 22

Ripples.

With every step, we send out vibrations. With every breath, we change air currents. With every word spoken, we send sound waves into infinity. Energy never ends. It changes, but it is always still there.

The past few days have been a lot of fun. I have been exchanging emails with several people, sending out tiny ripples of ideas in all directions. Not every stroke of a butterfly's wing will stir up a hurricane on the other side of the globe, but occasionally an idea can inspire another and, ultimately, perhaps lead to achieving a personal accomplishment. I feel very privileged when I am included in these conversations.

Best Things are Free Day 21

Potential.

Potential, such as that is found in my garage.

Clearly, most of this stuff is hardly used, if at all. But to me it
is free stuff, because it was acquired, inherited and rescued from dumpsters so long ago, that, for me, it has been written off long ago. So it’s free. Shall we have a look?

An ancient scooter. It has the potential to be an ancient scooter. 

And I have boxes and boxes and boxes of dollhouse furniture. Wait! Don't call it dollhouse furniture: My mother's hobby was 1/12th scale minatures. Her dying wish: Keep it together and don't sell it. Okay. Now what? There's barely enough room for the things and people in 1/1 scale, let alone any 1/12th scale representations of such.



These lamps. Oh, I know you want them. I know you do! I think Nic really would actually want these.


My inline skates. Yeah, right. And tennis balls. Again, yeah, right.

Thonet chairs. Hm, will I ever take up caning? Yeah, right after tennis.

This cabinet: Supposedly, it came from the Old Country. The watch maker who first owned this house kept watch-making stuff in it. I flipped through a soft-cover book on how to organize by Martha Stewart. Apparently, neatness bliss can be achieved with an Old Country armoire, some matching baskets and some dried flowers on top. Okay. From the book, I still don't understand where to put the trashed surfboard. And frankly, the trek across the cold Atlantic and over the merciless Plains to reach California will prove less arduous than my actually moving that thing from behind the tool cabinet and those boxes of toxic trash. Must get those boxes to the disposal place.



Some of my old work in logistics. Just in case somebody rings the doorbell and asks, "Say, could you help me with an AS/RS warehouse?" I'm ready. Speaking of logistics and warehousing: Sewing patterns! Now that's more like it! These happen to all be in German. But we are working on the translations of the photo tutorials. All these sewing patterns have the potential to be trousers and dresses and tunics and jackets and coats and many happy hours. Tell your retailer what you'd like to have and we'll work to see that you get it.

Best Things are Free Day 20

Gullibility.

This is Wendy's idea. Wendy doesn't have a blog, because she sews, unlike me. 

So, it went like this: I rouse the kids out of bed. I tell them they've got ten minutes to get in the car. They're late, they're late, they're late! Here, take a hairbrush and brush it in the car. Just slip those shoes on and tie them once you're at school. Doesn't matter if the socks don't match. Just go! We're late, we're late, we're late!

Up at the school--oh no!--we are so late that all the kids are already in class! Hurry, hurry, hurry. Go on, get out of the car and run to class!

And there they go!

*hee hee hee*

Hey kids! Hey! April Fool's!

And they turn around, drop their backpacks and hang their shoulders. We were really extra early at the school. We all laugh. I hug them, put them back in the car and take them to breakfast at a restaurant. 

Not so bad, am I?