Why “My Art, My So Called Life”

So Dawn over at Sweet as Cinnamon wants to know how some of us got the names for our blogs. She’s even offering a lovely gift for one of us to win if we participate by explaining ourselves! So here goes:

“My So Called Life” was a short lived show that ran for only one season in ‘94/’95. I was very disappointed when the show was cancelled. I was fascinated by the main character, Angela, played by Clair Danes. I don’t know why I identified with the character Angela. I never went through a rebellious stage in high school. I didn’t have an antagonistic relationship with my mother, but still I get something about the character. Maybe it’s her social awkwardness or the not knowing exactly how to define herself or what group she belongs in.

“It just seems like you agreed to have a certain personality or something. For no reason. Just to make things easier for everyone. But when you think about it, I mean, how do you even know it’s you? And, I mean, this whole thing with year book, it’s like, everybody’s in this big hurry to make this book, to supposedly remember what happens. It’s not even what really happens, it’s what everybody thinks is supposed to happen, because if you made a book of what really happened it’d be a really upsetting book.”

– Angela Chase “My So Called Life”

I honestly believe that most blogs are “books” about what we want people to think happens. If we truly told the day to day, boring, grinding, sometimes angry and annoying truth about ourselves…well…really, who would read out blogs? And seriously, anyone that would like to read that type of blog is not really someone we want to be friends with. We want to surround ourselves with people who exhibit the same personality traits that we ourselves show to people. When we see only perfect lives on blogs…they’re lying!  What we see is a “so called life” as it were. That’s the honest truth in my humble opinion.

The “My Art” part of my blog title is rather self explanatory. I like to show off my “art” in all it’s varied forms. I have had many different “so called lives” over the years when it comes to my arts and crafts.

For years I crocheted. I started crocheting when I was five and at my pinnacle, I made the most beautiful doilies and pretties. I think I was pretty good at it.

Next came cross stitch. I did that for years, made lovely large “paintings” with thread.

Then came beading. Probably the art that I have been the most skilled at. I ended up branching out from making beaded things to teaching others how to make beaded things. I helped my father to design a bead loom that he still sells and gets wonderful reviews from those who have one.

Now, I am a bit more eclectic with my art. I sew. Both by hand and by machine. I like to embellish what I have sewn with beads and embroidery. I have started to incorporate many of my skills into single pieces. I really like it as it adds an extra dimension to whatever I am working on.

So now y0u know why I have chosen the title I have for my blog. It’s all about my art and my so called life…the part I want to show you!