Its not like I don't have anything to do here in the aftermath of Christmas, but I always experience this interlude as a release from the incessant demands of December. There is so much to be accomplished in what never seems to be enough time that all personal projects go on hold for the duration, and that creates a kernel of resentment. No matter how lackadaisical I have been through the fall in pursuing my work, having to set it aside feels like an affront and the feeling is stronger when the work has been stymied as mine has been for a while. So now the knot is releasing and my imagination eagerly returns to its former channels. This very eagerness is a special gift of this time. It is a renewal and re-dedication, a confirmation that I am still interested in what I am doing. I am prompted anew to improve and elevate my efforts. I think about what is trite and expected about my projects and search for ways to deepen them. I go back over the decisions I have made and question them, trying to figure out where the snags and hold-ups are and how to smooth them out.
Lisa's table has been stalled for while now. I thought I had a good solution for her summer cloth, but my drawings and doodles haven't produced anything with enough energy to take further. I thought maybe the pillow project would spark something but so far that hasn't happened. I need a new idea or a turn to an old one that will push me to take action and actually bring what is in my head into being. Perhaps the forced hiatus of Christmas will be the fertilizer my project needs.
Stepping back a little from my specific work, I am reminded of the importance of imagination. Living in the moment is an attitude to be cultivated, but the projection of possibility into the future is essential to hope and hope creates meaning. Imagining something new illuminates a previously untried path which may lead (one hopes) to something of value. Even though that value can't be accurately assessed from the start, its pursuit grounds and endows life with purpose and I think we need that to be happy.