Catalyst One Hundred and Twenty

Catalyst One Hundred and Twenty

September 15, 2010, 7:00 am
Filed under: catalyst

 

As always, thank you to all of our visitors and all the encouraging comments you left for us. For those of you who did, thank you for playing along with us.

 

Ok! Here’s catalyst number one hundred and twenty:

 

What are you waiting for?

 

We’re thrilled to have Kelly Purkey as this week’s Guest Artist.

 

Here’s a quickie self-bio for Kelly:

 

I remember the day I discovered my Grandmother’s scrapbooks and was so delighted to have this glimpse into her life. It all became clear exactly why I take so many photos, save each piece of paper, and try to record every aspect of my wonderful life. I am lucky to currently live in New York City, where there is inspiration around every corner. Besides scrapbooking I love traveling, curling up with a good book, laughing with friends, and cupcakes with lots of icing. I’m honored to be designing for American Crafts and Fiskars, as well as being on the 2008 & 2009 Creating Keepsakes Dream Team and teaching at CKC’s around the country.

 

Make sure to check out Kelly’s blog.

 

 

 

Here is Kelly’s art with this week’s catalyst. You can click on it to see a larger version and a lot more detail.

 

 

 

Kelly Says:

Taking a line from Lorelai Gilmore, I fancy myself Superwoman. I do. There’s very little that I feel like I can’t do or enjoy alone. I’m proud of my independence and achieving what I have on my own. I like who I am and I like my freedom. That being said… I am still waiting. Waiting to meet someone to be in the fox hole with. Someone who will take my life and his life and make an even more amazing life. Despite my cynicism and fear of marriage and the word forever, when it comes down to it I want it all. I want a partner. Someone to tell my secrets to and share a pizza with and who will curl up to spoon me at night. I am waiting to meet him. Sometimes I look at what the universe has sent me in the male department and I don’t know if he’s out there. Sometimes I think that I go so close only to be wrong and lose faith that I will actually find him if he is. Sometimes I am so lonely that I just want him to be here already. But I keep waiting. Waiting for Mr. Right.

 

 

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Here are some interpretations of the catalyst from members of our team.

 

Larissa:

 

Larissa Says:

I´m not waiting for anything, life is perfect the way it is!

 

 

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Dina:

 

Dina Says:

When I think of this phrase, “What are you waiting for?”, I think of all my insecurities that I am constantly battling. I do have an inferiority complex. I admit it. But I love the message, “Be your own hero.” I love the idea of not waiting to be rescued by someone else, but of taking your life into your own hands and forging ahead. I tell myself and my kids this all the time…be your own hero, make it happen, don’t wait for other people to save you. Save yourself!

 

 

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Karen:

Journaling Reads:

When I read this catalyst, my first answer was “Nothing.” A few months ago Jake was telling me to stop worrying. He said, “If you’re wondering how life is going to turn out, stop wondering, this is how it turned out. You’re living it.” And as opposed to what one might think, this sentence made me feel overwhelmingly grateful. I felt calm and happy. And peaceful. At this juncture, I am really happy with my life. My kids, my husband, our home, my work. Everything is in a good place and I am not wishing for a better tomorrow or waiting for the time to be just right for something. I am just working on enjoying this very moment. Reminding myself that I am not waiting for anything, I have arrived.

 

 

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Amy:

Amy Says:

There are many things I think I am waiting on, things that will change other things. This piece captures something someone said to me. What I find with “waiting,” however, is that it is important to balance out “waiting” with taking action and being proactive.

 

 

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Opal:

 

Opal Says:

I’m waiting for that ‘someday’ …and always it is just around the corner, almost within reach, but ever elusive. It is the stuff of dreams and wishes and hopes…sometimes so real as to be held in my hands….and hopelessly unattainable at times. It is always with me…inspiring me and giving me a reason to believe.

 

My piece is set on a background of raw edged strips which have been loosely woven, bits of color adding to the texture of my life..the ins and outs and ups and down of the grid of me….the spiral of tiny lines represents my days, months, and years….so much has been unfolded and discovered and there is more to become…and in that lies my ‘someday’…. The piece is hand quilted and measures 17″ x 20″

 

 

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Karola:

 

Karola Says:

It is hard to say what for I’m waiting, because it seems to me that now I have everything I wanted – a loving family, wonderful, supportive husband and absolutely sweet daughter, I have a good job, peace and security in life. However, it is one thing I’m waiting for – a phone call from someone very close to me. This one is very far from me, and our contact broke off several years ago. I have done the first step to renew contact now looking forward for the nex step from the other party. I hope that one day my phone rings with good news from that person.

 

 

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Shelley:

 

Shelley Says:

I am not sure…. I have spent the last 15 years being a single woman raising three wonderful children. I can’t say I am waiting for happiness because when I am with my family and friends, I have that! I am not waiting for love because with my family and friends…I have that too! I am not the kind of person who does well waiting in general so I don’t know how to answer this one! I have loved, lived, cried, and laughed. I have seen and experienced many things in my life….and I am glad I didn’t wait to do any of that! I guess I am waiting for the next moment in life that I am going to experience, whether it be good or bad. I am waiting for the possibilities. I am waiting for peace and eternal love.

 

 

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Wendela:

 

Wendela Says:

5 years ago, I was waiting for my sweet little one! I made this altered envelope, to save my pregnancy pictures. I’ve tons of pictures of my belly, and I used one for the envelope.

 

 

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Lia:

 

Lia Says:

I feel that I’m ready to make a career move. To earn a living through my passion. But something is holding me back from jumping in. I think it’s ‘fear’. Probably ‘uncertainty’. Definitely ‘a lack of confidence’. Because what if I don’t make it? What if I fail terribly at it? I won’t have a stable corporate job to fall back on. No safety net. And I don’t want to make my passion be my source of living. Because I know that it will become a ‘job’, and I don’t want to let my love of creating become my source of headache and heartache.

 

 

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Rachel:

 

Rachel Says:

Packing lunches, picking out outfits and accessories, waking up at 6:30 every morning. Spending just a few precious minutes with Roslyn before we drive to school and I drop her off into their hands for 6 hours every day for five days out of just 7 in a week. Someday I hope I won’t struggle with it so much. That I won’t want to cry every day that she walks into the classroom and away from me. That I won’t walk around like someone with no purpose or clue as to what she is supposed to do all day. Until then I endure and I go through it, hoping and waiting for the day when I accept, adjust and possibly enjoy my new normal.

 

 

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Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “What are you waiting for?” I urge you to give it a try. It can be any form of art as long as it speaks to you.

 

Leave us comments with your work so we can share in your creative therapy, too. If you don’t have a community or blog where you upload photos, you can upload them on our flickr group.

 

 

Remember, this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won.

 

Until next week, enjoy each and every moment.

 

 

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