My head works faster than my hands ever will
and it's a dilemma
For every finished piece of art, I have 10-20 more in progress. For every piece I’m working on I have 50 more ideas. For every 50 ideas, I have 50 journal/notebooks, each filled with 50-100 more ideas accumulated over 30 years. I doubt I am alone in this situation for the simple reason that ideas come with the territory. The more you create, the more creative you become.
My right brain tells me to be realistic and give up the notion of ever bringing all my ideas to fruition. My left brain thinks I can accomplish it all and eagerly awaits the opportunity to prove it. I tend to rush through the mundane to get to the art part of my day, often wearing myself out by noon. I’m working on that.
The spirit is willing. I would work round the clock, but my hands can’t keep up. I worry about my hands. Both thumb joints are arthritic. I’ve been diagnosed with severe carpel tunnel in both hands which is amazingly asymptomatic. My fingers are getting knobbier and more crooked. I am not in pain, but I’m so used to the dull ache that I only realize it when I wash my hands and the warm water soothes them causing me to linger longer in the loo than necessary.
My motto is use ‘em or lose ‘em, but I am concerned that the continued creative use of my hands might make the inevitable surgical intervention more complicated. But I can’t stop now. I cannot imagine losing the use of one hand and then the other for the weeks or months that it will take for full use to return.
I want my hands to keep up with my head. As I write this (and I do so love to write), they are itching to finish a quilt so I can get to the print table and make more fabric. But even that will have to wait because I am leaving to teach in Ireland on Wednesday. Then there is the family beach week, but I’ll take work to make newer samples for the two workshops I’m teaching at the Houston Quilt Festival. I haven’t been in years and this is the 50th anniversary. And then there’s a guild lecture, my daughter’s wedding, a Red Thread Retreat, and several 2025 commitments that will require the use of my hands. Wait, EVERYTHING requires the use of my hands. What’s an artist to do?
While I am on the topic of hands, I just purchased Intelligent Hands: Why Making is a Skill for Life and a sweet little book I saw at the Renwick, How Art Can Make You Happy. I imagine I can read a book with one hand. I have quite a few of them waiting for me to stop creating long enough to catch up on reading about everything I want to know. (I wrote about my insatiably curious mind a few weeks ago.) I even dangerously bought two novels. They are dangerous because once I start a novel I won’t stop until I finish. They can really eat into my making time. I prefer non-fiction because I can read them piecemeal.
Perhaps I will get a “state of the hands” consult. I was scared into not putting off my rotator cuff surgery last March after I was told the longer you wait, the more complicated the repair is. You can see where I’m coming from. Now I will hand it over to you. I’m open to advice and suggestions.
Quotes of the Week
When you really think about your hand you begin to realize its connection,
to sense the hum of your own being passing through it.
Emily Carr
The heart to conceive, the understanding to direct and the hands to execute.
Junius
My most recent OT work...2006-2013 when I retired, was with a local hand surgeon. If you can keep yourself asymptomatic, there is no reason for surgery. The thumb pain is likely arthritis at the base of the thumb. there are soft splints that can support those joints when they are inflamed and OT or PT can make a custom plastic splint. Pacing yourself and not doing one single repetitive movements are good ways to stave off pain and joint damage. Keep looking for ways to slow down your repetitive gripping. knitting is not a good activity. teach your computer to write what you say so you don't have to type as much. Look at your posture as you work. Consult an OT or PT who is an expert on ergonomics. Experiment with heat and cold to see which helps most. Heat helps joints move more easily, cold decreases swelling. Take control over how you use your body...the parts don't last forever...but you do not have to give up everything.
Have you looked into food allergy testing? I noticed that if I consume milk based products, my joints start hurting. Also, there are natural supplements like Dandelion and Uric Acid Flush and more. Ask in your local, natural store. Look into Reiki as they will work on removing the blockage energetically. Reiki works and is non-invasive. One last thing, is perhaps crystals. They also work on an energetic level. Go see some healers, especially in Ireland!! They have the ancient practice of herbalists and that is centuries of knowledge. I would try ALL of these before surgery. Makers need our hands. Have a wonderful time on your adventures.