A Game of Two Halves

Hello all!  Here's a post I wasn't expecting to offer up... my take on Tim's January tag.  I really didn't think I'd be playing along this month.  Truth be told, it wasn't my favourite Tim tag ever - sorry! - but now I take it all back...  I had a great time with it.  I should have known better really - after all, the tag this month is all about the words.

And now I'm not only here but I have two versions!

It all happened because I was putting off planning the workshops I was supposed to be planning!





Suddenly I found myself at the craft table and when I tore off my tissue wrap the piece was big enough for two tags, so that's what I made.












I thought I'd play with my two favourite colour-ways - the vivid blue/greens I favour in Jan/Feb and my all-time top combination of brown and blue.  And suddenly I found myself on an altogether unexpected journey into the duality of my life.












(I pretty much followed Tim's tutorial to the letter, so you can't do better than find out from the man himself how it's all done.)












As many of you know, I'm incredibly fortunate to have a real-world job which means I get to be creative with words (not just any words, but most of the time the best words ever - written by William Shakespeare).









However, that work requires intense people-focussed energy; a strength, generosity and positivity on others' behalves; not to mention a lot of travel; and listening, listening, listening with all of yourself.













All well and good... it's work which is massively stimulating, very exciting, usually highly fulfilling - always learning, exploring, inventing and discovering.  You constantly work with new people - a fresh company of actors to play with each time.










On top of all that, I get to work with words I'm passionate about.  I get to share that passion and inspire others to be amazed, curious and excited about those words.

I know I'm extraordinarily lucky.










But...

There's the other part of me - probably the major component of me - which needs to close the door, turn the phone to silent and leave the world behind.











The part of me which finds solace in books and music and nature...

... and perhaps above all in silence.











It's one of the reasons this crafty pastime fits me so well.  When I'm at the craft table, engaged with the journey taking place on the mat in front of me, hours can go by without me noticing.










I love being in the moment - focussed, in a state of "flow".  I get to experience that at work too, but here I'm not offering that energy up to others.  It can circle round and refresh me.

I've worked out as I've got older that the quiet time is an absolute necessity to keep me on an even keel.  Without it, chaos is likely to ensue.










As long as I know there are quiet times coming up, I thrive on the busy-busy...  One of the reasons these tags got made is that the more I'm doing, the more I do.










But it's only because I know there are havens of peace on the horizon and that, once the doing is done, I can close the door and melt into the solitude.

That's more than I'm used to sharing... but these tags opened up an internal conversation and it seemed right to let that conversation continue here.







Obviously, if you've just been looking at the pretty pictures, that's perfectly fine by me!!



So big thanks go to Tim for an inspiration tag which took me on a completely unexpected journey - my favourite sort! - and thanks to you for your company on this longer creative journey.  It's a joy to share the travelling with you.




Without Contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Energy and Reason, Love and Hate are necessary to human existence.
William Blake

I'd like to enter these as my version(s) of the January Tag in Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2015.
And I'd also like to add them as another Fresh Start over at the Inspiration Journal, sponsored by the Inspiration Emporium.