To Be Immersed...


The following are musical experiments with immersion. They are beginnings. Listen to them with headphones and close your eyes.

Take Me (Higher) by David Leon Morgan
Take Me (Higher) by David Leon Morgan


  I Wanna Go by David Leon Morgan


I want to go beyond beyond. I want to go there.


A new art/life movement is coming to the Bronx and beyond. The writing group that I am a part of agreed at our last meeting that this needs to happen. It does.


Clothing
Suit jacket - Thrifted
Vest - Handmade by BurdaStyle
Shirt - Muji
Necklace - a 99 cent store
Belt - Thrifted
Pants - Thrifted


Be your full self. 


*Photography by Lisa Cunningham.

Tattered



I love clothes that are tattered, especially when they were not purposefully made that way. I got this cashmere sweater at a thrift store many years ago, and love it because in its previous life it was a feast for moths. Here are some of their bites:



I feel comfortable in its imperfections.



Other items I am wearing includes:

- A thrifted bag. 
- A green necklace purchased at a jewelry store in Washington, D.C. years ago ( I forgot the name).
- A green thermal from Uniqlo.
- Thrifted, brown overalls (seen here).
- Black socks from Uniqlo.
- Brown shoes from Trustfund21 (seen in my previous post).






Red Coat, Good Morning


I bought these shoes from Trustfund21 on Etsy. They're vintage and pretty. The socks came from Uniqlo, which has a large selection of colors to choose from. 



This coat came from Atlantis Attic, a good vintage shop in Brooklyn. The prices are reasonably affordable, and the selection to choose from is very well curated. The store is a part of an L Train vintage tour, which is a great shopping experience for anyone in New York City.


I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but my mother gave me a bunch of my father's sweaters that he didn't wear anymore. I love them all. I think my mother has really good, unique taste in clothes. She originally bought all of my father's sweaters from thrift stores, including this one.


I've been looking for jeans that sit at the waist (no low-rise, please), fit loose in the thigh and are narrow at the ankle. I can't seem to find them for a good price in regular stores, and even finding them at thrift stores is a challenge. These pair are pretty close to what I'm looking for, although I have an incredible urge to distress them a bit more. They've begun to tear a little bit at the knee (there was a rip already on one leg), though, so I may let nature take its course.


Lately and currently, the following thoughts are in my mind:
  • Seek to find. 
  • To get respect, you have to earn it. 
  • Time is money.
  • I have the power to choose how to live.
  • Brandy's Never Say Never is a musically innovative, incredibly well-produced album. I've been listening to it every day. "The Boy Is Mine" is a genius song with an absolutely stunning instrumental loop, and Brandy is one of the most creative singers I have ever heard.
  • I really, really love '90s R&B. Notable artists include Bell Biv DeVoe, D'Angelo, Sounds of Blackness (more gospel than R&B, but still...), Brandy (of course), Anita Baker and many more. 

Circles


I'm captivated by the concept of repetition. I'm spiritually moved by it. I think the majority of our actions are repetitive movements. Life happens through processes of repetition. In order to move forward, we must understand what is and isn't important to repeat. This happens both unconsciously and deliberately.

A few weeks ago, I attended the exhibit opening of "Jubilation|Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined" at the American Folk Art Museum. The entire collection was intriguing, but a particular work that particularly captivated me was "Untitled #303" by Hiroyuki Doi. It is essentially a huge collection of circles of varying sizes, and it has haunted me ever since I first saw it. The intricacy of it is astounding, and I feel strongly connected to it. 

There is so something so instinctual, so primal about repetition. Meditative, repetitive work evokes a visceral response in me that speaks to that essence. Inspired, I created my own series of circles.



Along with repetition, I am drawn to the idea of use and waste. Where do our possessions go? When do they die? Answers to these questions seem so far away in the American Consumerist culture, which I am a part of. Immediacy has replaced death -- in our minds, at least. 

I'm taking baby steps, but first steps, in exploring my connections to all of these ideas: repetition, use and waste. I made circles on brown paper given to me by construction workers, whittling down 3 colored pencils until there was almost nothing left. The fourth lay half used, awaiting its purpose. These moments were strangely funereal.





Flight Patterns











I went to California two weeks ago for The CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show, and took these photos on the plane ride back. Flying is so supernatural. My eyes aren't accustomed to seeing such beauty.

Doesn't the fourth photograph look like a blanket of snow? These photographs, of course, are not shot in the same location. They are probably thousands of miles apart. It's so interesting to see how unique the designs in each cloud formations are. I would love to have a book filled with nothing but pages and pages of different clouds in the sky.

Seize the treasure of a cloudy afternoon. The next time you have one, go outside and look up...

Things

Last week, I went shopping at Purl Soho and at a few thrift stores in the Bronx. Here are two of the things I found.


- A picture book called "There Was A Hill" by Lark Carrier. The pictures are dreamy and beautiful, and I love its simple plot. Here's the beginning:










- A very large crochet hook. It's glittery and huge, and I want to make something huge with it. I don't what that will be just yet.







Fresh

Nothing feels new, yet things feel fresh. Life feels fresh, but I wasn't reborn. I feel renewed.

I spent New Years Eve at home. I did laundry, watched a documentary, ordered Chinese food and crocheted. It was a good day.

 

I haven't worn this shawl in a while, but it is one of my favorites. It was handmade by a very nice lady who gave it to me as a Christmas present about two years ago. It was such an appropriate present for me. It is enveloping and fun, and deep red, too, which connects with me.  


I am making a new hat. I am excited about it. It is a nice shade of blue.


I love when I receive clothes as gifts, even if they are hand-me-downs. My brother gave me this coat I'm wearing. It is warm and wonderful.


How To: Organized Yarn

 Do you know how to transform a messy pile of yarn into an organized ball of yarn?




Here, I'll show you.

1). First, undo any knots or tangles that may be in the yarn. This may take some time, depending on how much yarn you have.

2). Then, grab one yarn end and, holding this end with your thumb, wrap a portion of the longer end around your index finger, about six or seven times.




3). Once you have a bit of the yarn wrapped around your finger, gently slide it off. Do not let it unravel.




4). Take the longer end of your yarn and wrap it perpendicular to the direction that the longer end of your wrapped yarn is oriented. For instance, if the end is horizontal (facing the ground or ceiling), wrap it vertically (facing the wall). Wrap it about six or seven times.




5). Now, take your yarn end and wrap it horizontally. Alternate between vertical and horizontal wrapping in order to form your ball. Wrap it diagonally to fill in any gaps, then in a variety of directions to form a complete ball.


How I've Been Feeling Lately + Project

A slow churn, mentally.
Levitating thoughts, a revolving door. Simplicity is the key.

I said to myself the other day, "I just need to pick one," and so I did. The day went by fairly smoothly after that.

I currently have a few projects in progress. One is this soon-to-be rug.


I think I started it in April. As of December, I have about 13% of it done.

There were a few months where I didn't work on it at all, for various reasons. Each row takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, and it's physically taxing to make because I'm using a small, 4mm hook and am making very tight stitches. I actually had a blister develop on my hand because of it, and a few callouses on my fingers, as well.

Still, I really want to finish it.

I want to finish it because I need to finish what I started, and because the process of creating something so tedious and cumbersome is fascinating to me. The dream of stretching out on a handmade rug, one that took months (maybe years?) to create is wonderful.

I also want to finish it because the yarn I'm using is actually from past projects I never really wore, and unfinished projects tucked away in a craft bin. I want to recycle and reuse more often, and am also interested in the concept of zero-waste. This is a step toward exploring these ideas further. Once this is finished, I hope to do more large-scale projects using discarded or unwanted materials. Here is some of the yarn I'm using, mixed in a glass jar with felted beads:


I recently received the hook I am using from Clover, and it is amazing. I crochet very tight, with a lot of pulling effort. This hook cushions my hand a bit, relieving some of its stress. It makes for a much more enjoyable making experience.


Create.


Covered




I finished my green scarf. It ended with two surprises.

The first surprise is that I discovered how important blocking was. It truly allows you to determine the shape of your crocheted piece, and is what my previously made crocheted scarves and hats were missing. This discovery is huge for me.

The second surprise is that I realized that I didn't have to hide the ends of my yarn. In fact, I could accentuate them. I created tassels with them and made them a part of the overall design. It adds a level of transparency to the shawl, and I like transparency.


 I already wear it a lot. I hope it will become a part of my history. Everything I wear needs to be an essential, visual way that I communicate to the world.





Beads

Last month, I found a cool, colorful, beaded purse from a thrift store in Brooklyn. It contained probably hundreds of beads.

 

I cut the beads from the purse, and added them to my new button/bead jar. I have a dream of creating a bunch of beautiful, beaded necklaces. One day.

I purchased the big, lovely jar from a store called Fishs Eddy, which is one of my favorite stores in New York City. It's filled with beautiful kitchenware and home decor items. I can spend a long time wandering in there.


Along with the big jar, I purchase two smaller ones, one for my loose change and another for my felted beads.


Now, time to create!


Dream Catcher

Feathered

slices, tilted
barely there 

succulent drifts 

grasped 
in mid-air, 

eaten, swallowed,
gulped; 

a hunter
heart 

made the slices
whole,

each one,
a part.


 
  
I am wearing:
- a necklace by The PurpleShmurple Shoppe
- a leather wallet I made at New York Maker Faire
- a green shirt by Uniqlo, with another green shirt underneath by Diesel
- a thrifted cardigan
- thrifted pants
- long johns from a random discount store (I don't remember which one)
- socks from Uniqlo
- and shoes from Toms.

Autumn Leaves

"When autumn leaves start to fall..." - Johnny Mercer


Fall is here. It's crisp, with terse winds. It's nippy, not biting. I like it.

This year, for some reason, it is especially beautiful to me. The gold leaves are especially golden. The red leaves are deeper, more heartfelt.  Everything is in it's place. The leaves are glowing. 

 
 

I found this green military jacket at a thrift store, and added a bit of craft love to it for a BurdaStyle project. I made a heart full of buttons that I hand-sewed on, and replaced all of the jacket buttons with fabric-covered ones. Get step-by-step instructions on how to make both, here.

Enjoy.


- I'm also wearing a scarf from my friend Shaun, pants from Gap and thrifted shoes.