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| snap from a beautiful Japanese garden we stopped to enjoy |
Flowering trees announce Spring to me - I couldn't be happier to put this last winter behind us! We celebrated the sunshine with a much-needed 'boxing day. Obimaster, Samsonite and myself found three lovely treasures, and left one behind, as well. We also stopped by our favorite farmers market and picked up some different kinds of treasures!
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| I cannot pass up handcrafted wooden boxes! |
I got some other interesting pics from our adventure - we stopped at a couple of lovely cemeteries and a local brewery. What a beautiful day it was to get out and do a little relaxed boxing. Here's a few more snaps from the day:
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| cemeteries can be just as meditative as Japanese gardens, I think |
I am trying to make my letterboxing activities as mindful as possible this time around. When we were boxing before, we were so anxious to get our f-count as high as we could, rushing from place to place, and fitting in as many boxes as we could in a day trip. But now I want to slow down and enjoy the journey. I want to appreciate each carve and effort by the planter. I want to experience the places they chose to plant rather than just rush in, grab the stamp, and rush out.
Same goes for carving. I want my time carving stamps to be meditative and mindful. Slow, watching my breath, and enjoying the process.
After I graduated from the Mindfulness Studies program, I celebrated with a tattoo - the mindfulness symbol. I had it placed on my wrist to always remind myself to stop, breathe, and pay attention. It is a symbol with meaning and history for me - so I carved it.
As I was carving, I was contemplating whether or not a stamp has to be perfect. I certainly don't expect perfect carving from others - I am always thrilled with their creations, no matter the skill level. It is the effort and creativity that I really enjoy. But for my own efforts, I have expected perfection.
Unfortunately, this is a joy-killer. Anything that is less than perfect is a disappointment, or I feel I must apologize for this bobble or that mis-cut. No more. I do not want to be beholden to perfection, especially in my hobby. This is for fun, and I want it to be all that it should be, with none of what it shouldn't.
Perfectionism (or comparison) has no place in art or a hobby.
And so, here is my effort. I used a scrap of PZ Kut A, which was absolutely a joy to carve. No surprises there. However, since it was a scrap, the stamp is only 3/4" square.
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| the mindfulness symbol - meant to be a reflection of a drop of water ... don't look too close - it is certainly not perfect! |
You know what's funny, I actually nicked myself with these ultra-sharp Flexcut tools. I haven't drawn my own blood carving since the very beginning! I tried to ignore it, but blood on the stamp made me chuckle to myself! Had to stop and grab a tissue - sheesh. I am rusty!
1 comment:
Oh, gosh! I think we must be made of the same stuff! In my older years, I carve slowly because I enjoy the process and it's relaxing. I also hunt boxes slowly, partly because I don't have the energy I used to, but more because I love walking in the woods, and appreciating the little treasure I've found. I have a greater calm these days.
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