Saturday, June 9, 2012

Build Your Wings on the Way Down

Ray Bradbury died last week.  In my teen years, I was a big fan of his writing.  The Martian Chronicles.  Fahrenheit 451.  Golden Apples of the Sun.  Stories about what it means to be human.

I heard an old interview, where Ray Bradbury said, "Stand at the top of the cliff and jump off and build your wings on the way down."  Yeah!  I dig it.  


For someone who looks only slightly quirkier than a librarian, I am actually surprisingly good at jumping off and building wings, again and again.  Risk-taking works best if you are not overly attached to a particular outcome.  For example, I can no longer parachute because I am very attached to not dying, but I will still snowboard because I am willing to break a bone now and again.


And so it went with my storyquilt painting from a few posts ago.  It was a good first effort but I really wasn't happy with it.  And so, having nothing to lose, I cut it into pieces which I then stretched around boxes.  Actually, it took some pretty handy sewing to get them to fit properly.  The effect is completely different but I am much happier with the outcome.


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