We’re going to close out this month of October with – surprise, surprise – even more chrysanthemums! A lot of the work I have been doing this year has been in service of the Creative Saskatchewan production grant I received all the way back in 2023, and these pieces are no exception. For a while there I dropped off, lost focus and honestly…ran out of energy.

Recovery from cancer treatment has been a long road, and I’ve seen some set backs – especially when it comes to how much more often I’ve been sick, and fluctuations in my energy levels. But, things have surely if slowly been evening out. After a break that lasted longer than I thought it would, I’m happy to say I’ve climbed back up onto the horse and have been picking away at my long list of unfinished production items.

These chrysanthemums were one of the last sets of items that I finished before I kind of hit that wall called art block. But, even if they were made with the last gasp of my failing energy reserves, I still appreciate the result. Autumn colors are not my favorite; browns, golds, oranges and so forth are amongst my least favorite colors.

But, looking back on these finished pieces now I feel like these shades have grown on me just a little.

As we move into the November, I’m already anticipating the winter themed pieces that I plan to make. I’ve always loved the idea of making a shaker-style piece that resembles a snow globe. I actually started working on some snow globe pieces, but there is a part of me that’s been hesitating about going all in on them. I have all the bits and bobs to do it; I just need to buckle it down and get it done.

For some people the most difficult part of a project is getting past the ugly phase – where you’ve started something and it’s not done yet but will look a lot better once it is. Normally my big struggle is with finishing pieces; I get all the way to the end, then hesitate. But, I’ve found these past few months that I’ve been struggling more with getting started than anything else.

All things come in waves, I suppose. Next year the big hurdle will probably be something completely different.

As I mentioned earlier, these pieces – like many of the pieces I’ve been working on this year – were made possible by a production grant from Creative Saskatchewan – who were kind enough to support the production of over 500 new works of tsumami craft made by me. I can’t express enough how grateful I am for their support. If you’ve ever wanted to support an arts organization, I can’t recommend Creative Saskatchewan enough.

Anyhoo, that is all I’ve got for today. I hope to see you guys again next week with more crafty creative projects.

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