Saturday, October 25, 2008

Learning the Piling System

My mom, Millie Goldschmitt, was just in town and she did her first art/craft show with me. How cool! It was Rag, Ribbon, Rainbow and it was last weekend. She sold her adorable children's clothing line and her aprons. A quick plug for my mom, her website for her aprons is www.flirttea.com. I'm writing this about how fun it was to be in a show with her, how I appreciate all I've learned from her, and where I've learned to truly appreciate where I come from.
I grew up in a very loud, fun, and messy house. Not messy/dirty, but messy with a sophisticated piling system. My husband makes fun of me, because I use a noun "pile" and changed it to a verb. Yes we had piles around the house. They were filed piles: piles of books (my dad), piles of toys (me and my sis), piles of bills, piles of homework, piles of pictures, piles of notes, piles of computer cables, etc. So you get where I'm going... Now when I go home to visit, the piles are still there. Now that my mom is retired from teaching and is pursuing sewing aprons and children's clothing, her new piles include: fabric, magazines, notes, sewing needles, thread, and buttons. I'm not being critical because, here's the kicker, my studio is SO similar! I have piles of beads, magazines, scrap metal, unfinished jewelry, mostly finished jewelry, finished jewelry, wire, and tools. Sometimes I feel so deflated because my house is pretty much the same as what I grew up with, the piling system in full effect.
It's crazy how the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. For a good part of my teens and twenties I tried so hard to find my identity and not be like my parents. I know, it sounds so critical, but I wanted to be so different and wound up so similar. Or should I say that I've always been so similar, I just didn't want to see it that way. We both create and we both have our creative spaces with our piling system.
I can't tell you how hard and stressful is is for me to get organized. Then once I do, I can't find anything and I make it a pile all over again. Almost instantly it's back into the piles I'm comfortable with.
So mom, if you ever read this, I want to thank you for the piling system you inadvertently taught me. I feel the most at ease and most creative with my piles.

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