There is a delicate balance between what I’m going to now deem the LIFE TRIANGLE, and yes, I just made this up. Here’s a diagram. In one corner you have RESPONSIBILITY. That’s things like: going to work, getting an oil change, doing the dishes. Stuff you have to do. In another corner you have SOCIAL / LEISURE. This could also be titled “mental health” but that’s not quite right. So here we have: going to a friend’s birthday party, going on a hike or maybe watching a movie. Then in the final corner you have CREATIVITY, which is pretty straight forward.

All of these things are related. For instance, if you were a graphic designer your creativity and responsibility would have a lot of overlap. Similarly, if you loved running, running a marathon might be somewhere between social/leisure and responsibility. It’s all fluid, it all interacts. There’s a whole other layer when you bring in the economics of these categories, but I’ll leave it at that for the sake of brevity.

My nature is to be generally closer than many to responsibility but lately it’s been a bit extreme. My leisure time has turned into a sort of nothing zone where I just switch my brain off and occasionally interact with friends. My creativity has suffered the most. I feel like a blank, not wanting to take photos or write something or make anything. I’m just overwhelmed.

At the same time, the ideas are still bouncing around in my head, just waiting for a moment to escape. As summer rolls around I think things will balance out. There are fun events in the future, projects are ending and I can feel the scales tipping. I can’t wait.

In The Pines (Short Film) from Shep Films on Vimeo.

These past few weeks have rushed by in a blur. It feels like every moment has been jam packed with work and things. I feel a bit out of sorts, and not my usual creative self. Hopefully things will slow down a bit and I’ll get into a more productive mode. Right now though I feel like I’m on a see saw bouncing between being overwhelmed and then being absolutely slovenly (although this may have something to do with the fact that our shower is still being repaired).

Beyond that personal note, I wanted to continue sharing short films. IN THE PINES was something I had bookmarked last year and only just now had the chance to watch. I’m mostly fascinated by the macro footage, but it also manages to capture a specific longing emotion pretty effectively. It certainly makes me want to visit Washington.

This week marked little Weetzie Cat’s birthday. Granted, I totally made up her birthday but it could be her real birthday possibly.

I finished my Laurel dress! Hooray! I made few simple alterations, adding some darts in the front, lowering the neckline and embellishing with a pleated bib. Having such an easy pattern allowed me to flex my creativity a bit in making the dress exactly what I wanted. I’m already brainstorming my next dress. I think I’d like to try it in knit or something a little more flowy. With it’s light weight and soft colors, this dress will be perfect for spring and summer.

photos by Shawn Bannon

photos by Shawn Bannon

I’ve been trying to share more short films here, it’s nothing official but maybe it will be a Friday thing. Now that I’ve said that it probably won’t be.

In any case, this film is one that is near and dear to my heart. In part because Shawn made it, but beyond that, because it addresses some ideas about depression and suicide that I think are often overlooked.

When I first watched After Suicide, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s not often that I have such an intense reaction to short films, but the subject really resonated for me and I couldn’t quite shake it. In so many films suicide is romanticized or in some cases just glossed over. It’s such a dark subject, it’s easy to understand why it’s so hard to address. This film takes a personal look at how suicide effects those left behind.

AFTER SUICIDE from Shawn Bannon on Vimeo.

After Suicide is the antithesis of the viral video; it’s thoughtful, emotional and lingering. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch it and share your thoughts.

The dress is by far the simplest thing I’ve made in awhile. I’ve got the basic construction done, and am in the process of adding a few alterations and embellishments.

In other news, after a new set of paint samples we’ve finally decided on a color for the living room. I can’t wait to get painting. Unfortunately, some other repairs are going on in our apartment building so it will probably have to wait a few more weeks. It’s really for the best, since I have several projects going at once already. It will be nice when I’m finishing some of them instead of just starting.

A rare moment of Mochi not minding Weetzie.

WHATEVEREST from Kristoffer Borgli on Vimeo.

I’ve loved this short film Whateverest since I saw it at AFI Fest last year. It’s got great music and some wild antics. Love love love.

I’m also thinking about entering the Laurel Sewing Contest from Colette Patterns. The prizes are crazy good. I tend to wear dresses that are a little more fitted, but I have some fabric I’ve been meaning to turn into a dress since last summer. It would be best for me to just just make some adjustments and make a dress rather than keep the fabric as nothing forever. Plus it’s a very simple dress, just the right thing to get me back in the sewing habit.

Do you have any dresses you love? Share your favorites.

photos from Anna Allen and Colette Patterns

Easter brunch. Not a celebration of a religious holiday in our home, but a little celebration, nonetheless. An excuse to bring out the fancy china and a new bunny table cloth given to us by Shawn’s sister.

We feasted on cheezy broccoli quiche, roasted carrots, fresh berries, red flannel hash, sausage, gravy and molasses cake. We followed up brunch with a few rounds of Carcassonne.

Afterwards, I did a bit more painting to confirm my color choice for the living room. I’m still undecided. The shade I like seems perfect in the evening but possibly too light during the day. I’ll have to think on it some more. Meanwhile, Shawn rearranged some furniture, making our living room feel much more open and streamlined. Now we just need to find a cute bar cart.

Rock Pockets from Trevor Anderson on Vimeo.

I thought I’d share this short film by my friend Trevor Anderson because I think it’s just great and it seems particularly poignant while SCOTUS is debating such nonsense (love is love is love and marriage is whatever it wants to be). I can’t bear to listen to people’s idiotic dogma about god and procreation so I’ll just watch this and feel hopeful.