Dear Readers,
It's Saturday morning and I face the daunting task of writing an editor's letter that I've put off until the last possible moment. I'm tired and feel tangled up and wonder whether I can muster up anything worth writing, let along reading. Writer's Block has definitely arrived.
I roam the Internet and find myself getting lost in the land of blogs including one of my favorites by multi-media artist Jude Hill. Her recent post about how during an evening when she too is feeling "jumbled up" and tired and lacking clear direction, she decides to pick up some cloth and thread and without too much planning, finds herself embroidering a small quaint scene of houses. In the post she also shows the back of her work, which is tangled and much more different than the front of her work.
I leave comments on this post making note of the fact that when I feel lost, I frequently find myself picking up yarn and needles and in the blink of an eye, I am able to get into a groove and find direction through the yarn and needles. And I also note how interesting it is that with much of what we create, there is always a front side and backside. And how backsides are where our tangles exist ... the tangles that few ever get to see.
My letter is still not written and I think to myself, "This is it. This is the day when Writer's Block, my nemesis, declares victory over me." And then my computer jingles sweetly to say that I've got mail. It's from Jude who says: "Something about a body in motion tends to stay in motion." The computer jingles again to deliver a second message from Jude who says:
"I remember when I was little, my mother was always the tangle master. If anything got tangled ... a shoelace, a chain from a necklace, the sewing thread ... she would just sit there patiently and undo the knot, slowly and deliberately. She used to say that if you had the patience to follow the path through the tangle, you could undo it. And if you could do that, you could always find your way."
Now I'm typing. And it's coming together. Jude's words have reinforced two important lessons. First lesson: When restless and in need of direction, pick up something in your hands and go it with it. So what if it's not fully planned? Don't give up. Stay in motion. Second lesson: Tangles will always be part of the process. Even when polished letters are sent to press, there is always the story of how the letter was tangled and very much troubled through it being written. Life isn't easy. But if you stay the course and keep working, you'll find your way.
As I reflect on the works featured in this issue, I wonder about the challenges each artist had to overcome. In order for we the viewers to enjoy the beatiful dyed vintae slips (page 19), the stunning Phoenix tiaras (page 42), and the award-winning gowns and ensembles (page 10), Sherry Mattia-Welch, Firuzan Goker, Etta McFarland and other contributing designers most certainly had to stay in motion, never give up and deliberately untangle design and construction challenges to make it happen.
And in the end, declare victory over Writer's Block and its many related nemeses.
Triumphantly yours,
Jenny Doh
Editor-in-Chief & Director of Publishing
[This letter was published in the July/August 2009 issue of Belle Armoire.]
