By Hand is a monthly prompt that focuses on freeing our words by using our hands. This month, we’re exploring stitching and coloring.
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I have a friend who is an ophthalmologist. She told me she is well-known at medical gatherings—conferences, board meetings—as “that doctor with the needlepoint.” Except, it’s cross-stitch.
She learned how to cross-stitch when she was five years old. Her mother owned a shop that sold supplies for knitting, crocheting, sewing, stitching, and other handcrafts. My friend has three children, all of whom have played sports, and she’s also been known to bring her cross-stitch to volleyball tournaments and basketball games.
She says she concentrates better when she’s doing something by hand. Since her hands do the specialized work of operating on people’s eyes, I would imagine that cross-stitching is fun for her fingers.
Fun. A lot of days, fun is hard work for me. I identify with the man in this article from The Onion:
Local man Marshall Platt, 34, came tantalizingly close to kicking back and having a good time while attending a friend’s barbeque last night before remembering each and every one of his professional and personal obligations, backyard sources confirmed.
Marshall, I feel your pain.
So as I headed into a weekend retreat—something designed to be fun—I brought along something that might be fun for my fingers. I don’t cross-stitch or needlepoint or do any other handcrafts, and I’d already colored my poets for Take Your Poet to Work Day, so I went to the store and bought a coloring book and some colored pencils for the weekend.
At least I can color, I thought to myself.
I pulled them out while we watched a movie. It had been a stressful week, and I woke up with a headache that was still going strong after coffee and black tea and an Advil. Knowing that I am good at ignoring what should be a pleasurable experience to marinate in worry, I reached for my handcraft. Instead of concentrating on my worries or on the movie, I concentrated on what contrasting colors of green to use for those mittens and which blue for the stocking cap. When the video was over, my headache was gone. I’d even strung together a couple of coherent thoughts.
I asked my doctor friend if she ever thinks more clearly during or after cross-stitching, if it helps her to solve a problem.
“Sometimes,” she said, as if she’d never connected the two.
Prompt Guidelines and Options
1. Do you have a craft practice? Do you color outside the lines? Don’t wait for a stress headache! Get out your stitching or coloring. How does working with your hands affect your thinking and even your listening?
2. While I colored, I was amused by how many different ways I could move the pencil to achieve the desired affect: circles, up and down, press hard, shade lightly. What motions do you use when you color?
3. Keep a notepad and pencil nearby while you work by hand in case inspiration strikes, or at least tap your unexpectedly brilliant question or idea into your phone.
4. Write a poem, vignette, or story opener that springs from your hand work. Catalog the necessary materials and write a catalog poem. Or write something entirely unexpected.
That’s it! We look forward to what you create when you do it By Hand.
Photo by hyacinth50, Creative Commons, Flickr. Post by Megan Willome, author of The Joy of Poetry.
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“Megan Willome’s The Joy of Poetry is not a long book, but it took me longer to read than I expected, because I kept stopping to savor poems and passages, to make note of books mentioned, and to compare Willome’s journey into poetry to my own. The book is many things. An unpretentious, funny, and poignant memoir. A defense of poetry, a response to literature that has touched her life, and a manual on how to write poetry. It’s also the story of a daughter who loses her mother to cancer. The author links these things into a narrative much like that of a novel. I loved this book. As soon as I finished, I began reading it again.”
—David Lee Garrison, author of Playing Bach in the D. C. Metro
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L.L. Barkat says
I’m very curious what makes fun hard work. (And I’m guessing you may not be the only one here who could say it.)
Since you started this column, I’ve been far more attentive about the issue of engaging the hands. Now, on Sundays, I make it a point to do various tasks by hand and to really let my fingers and palms feel what I’m doing. My day off for my mind is my day on for my hands, and this kind of task switching feels good to my soul. 🙂
Megan Willome says
I like your idea of a day off for your mind being a day on for your hands. I may steal that.
I think, for me, it’s that fun usually means being with lots of people, and afterward I need a day to recover and go into monk-like retreat.
L.L. Barkat says
Is it fun for you, then, being with lots of people? 🙂
My idea of fun is often the retreat. A walk in the woods by myself, or a walk on the shore. Not that I don’t love a good tea party now and then. 🙂 (I dream of a big tea party with all of you. We had something akin to that in Indiana, and it was… fun! 🙂
And I hope you steal a day for your hands. And then I’d love to hear how it feels for your mind to let go and your hands to simply be your mediator with the world.
Megan Willome says
People are fun, but they take it out of me. My other fun is a 30-mile bike ride by myself. All my hands do then is shift and brake.
Sandra Heska King says
You ride 30 miles??? And alone? You failed to tell me that.
Sandra Heska King says
My great-grandmother taught me how to crochet and embroider. Then there were the days of cross-stitch and taking it everywhere–easily portable. On our first move to Florida over 30 years ago and when we were struggling with infertility, I took up quilting. There was something about taking broken pieces that I’d purposely cut as well as scraps and making something beautiful. I even won a quilting contest once. And I can’t go into a fabric store without running my hands over the cloth. I did some piecing by machine, but there was too much tension in that. Mostly I preferred to piece by hand. I always quilted by hand. Every once in a while, I consider pulling out a basket of scraps.
Megan Willome says
Such striking memories, Sandy.
Katie says
Megan,
Thank you for this post:)
Coloring with colored pencils and painting with water colors have been fun for me over the past year or so – both seem to be calming for me during the process and then rewarding afterwards when seeing the result.
Megan Willome says
Calming–that’s a good word, Katie. I plan to keep up my coloring, since I bought a book with 48 detachable sheets. Only 47 to go!
Katie says
I have preferred that type of coloring book ever since being gifted one by a close friend. And my dear H got me the best pencil sharpener from Prismacolor! Happy and relaxing coloring:)
Megan Willome says
Ooh, Katie, that may be my next purchase.
Katie says
open tote
unzip pencil bag
remove coloring tools
sharpen and sort colors
peruse the book
select a page
scope it out
plan my route
plenty of light
glasses on
music playing
phone off
create calm
relax
Megan Willome says
I’m there, Katie!
What music?
Katie says
David Nevue
Kortney Garrison says
Contemplative coloring is such a happy part of our homeschooling routine. It slows us down and gives us all time to ponder when so often I’d fall into plowing ahead and marking things off our list.
Megan Willome says
Interesting, Kortney. I never homeschooled, and I don’t remember that being a part of my kids’ education. As someone who loves marking things off a list, I see the appeal in going another way.
Katie says
Some of my favorite memories of home schooling my children are of the read-aloud (usually history) times after lunch, with them spread out on the floor with coloring books or Legos:)
Megan Willome says
I like that idea, Katie. My son was one who listened better if he had Legos around.
Kortney Garrison says
Yes, Katie! That time after lunch can be magical.
Michael Hunt says
My friend Tracy Chevalier wrote a book called The Last Runaway about a Quaker community in Oberlin, Ohio and the Underground Railroad. Quilting plays a major part of the women’s socializing of that period and Tracy’s exquisite research into the topic led her to become quite involved in quilting. She resides in England and became involved with a group that teaches quilting and provides supplies for incarcerated citizens there. As you mentioned, such an activity can lead one away from their troubles and worries and to a more creative and positive view of matters. Thank you for your post.
Sandra Heska King says
Oh… I just placed a library hold. Thank you!
Megan Willome says
Michael! So glad you popped in.
I’ve heard a little about the use of quilts in the Underground Railroad–sounds like a fascinating book. And I like that your friend pointed out the social aspect of quilting. I think that’s something we’ve lost.
L.L. Barkat says
Your comment about the social aspect of quilting reminds me of when my girls were young and I decided I needed a social aspect to cooking. I’d invite another mom over and we’d make supper together, then she’d take her half home. Job done, with company! 🙂
Janice Lynch Schuster says
What a fascinating take on arts and crafts—it resonates with this writer. In 2015, I could hardly write a word, a problem since this was how I made a living. Grief stricken over the loss of my grandmother, I began to draw and paint for the first time since elementary school—the healing arts. I recently posted an essay about the experience. Please have a look : http://www.janicelynchscuster.com
Katie says
Janice,
Your essay about the arts bringing you healing was helpful and insightful. I was glad I went to your site:)
BTW you did have a typo in the address – here is the link that should work for anyone who wants a treat for the eyes and brain!
http://www.janicelynchschuster.com
Janice Lynch Schuster says
Thank you Katie, both for your comment and insight, and for pointing out that I had managed to misspell my own last name! I appreciate both.
Janice
Megan Willome says
Thanks for your thoughts, Janice. I think that often the way back into writing is through some non-writing, hand-driven activity, as you describe with your art.
I also enjoyed reading about your journey with haiku. I’ve been writing one a day for a while now. They’re rarely what a haiku should be, but they are good for my soul. It’s changed the rhythm of my thoughts.
Janice Lynch Schuster says
Hi Megan:
Thank you for your thoughts and time. There’s been some research into how important it is to connect the hand and mind with ideas and activities. Who knows. I found that making actual objects of art allowed me to access images that had been lost in the long storm (and occasional joys) of mothering five teens all at once.
Mine are hit or miss and I go through periods where I seem t write several a day, and then none a day. Since I’ve started to draw, I have found that I observe more keenly, but I’m not sure that has translated into better art, other than in my mind’s eye!
Best,
Janice
Megan Willome says
Five teens? At once? Yes, definitely storms and joys, sometimes even the joy of a storm.