Staying Awake

Preparatory Steps

“Preparatory steps are necessary in all the arts. They are also necessary in life if we want to live authentically. Every twenty-four hours we are given a new canvas to prime, to make ready for the vision.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

My sewing room is in the basement of my house. I have arranged work tables in the middle of the room and around the walls, shelving for fabrics. I organize the cotton fabrics by color, so that when I begin a new project, I can pull down the complimentary and contrasting colors without digging through bins or drawers. I have intentionally placed my sewing machine on one side of the room and the ironing board on another, so that I have to get up and walk around. Exercise is still necessary and once I get into a project, I can work all day long, for days. By the end of a project, the room is a total disaster, with thread and fabric everywhere. The creative process is messy, but the room still needs to be organized for ease and efficiency. I hate being way-laid by a buried pair of scissors or lost pin cushion. When the creation is finished, I spend a day cleaning up and reorganizing the fabrics to make the work space ready for the next project.

All of us know how to organize our workspace for maximum convenience and efficiency. We are careful and thoughtful about where things go so that we can put our hands on them easily. A friend of mine has stacks and stacks of papers and manuals and prospectuses lining the walls of his office. He won’t allow anyone else to clean up because he knows exactly where everything is located. It may look like one big mess to other eyes, but he knows his system and it works for him.

Our lives outside the office could benefit from the same conscious attention and unwavering focus we give to our work environment. Yesterday, I locked my keys in my car, motor running! It was the second time in six months. I was distracted by conversation with a friend and some guys raising a huge white tent in the street ahead. My focus was not on what I was doing. Luckily I have roadside assistance for such screw-ups, but all of life can’t be part of my AAA contract. Staying in the present moment, being aware, being solidly in my body-mind are preparatory steps for a conscious life.

Waking up in Birmingham,
Jane