Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus

QUESTION 2.    How do you guide others to find calm and presence through something as simple as a single stitch?

• ANSWER 2.   One of the key aspects of Stitch Meditation is the release of judgement, perfection and outcome. We do this with the rule that one can't take a stitch out. We consider each stitch is perfection as it is stitched. When there is no judgement or concern about the outcome we can focus on the process not the product. Each stitch allows us to be solely in the moment of creation.
  
  

  We have confused the product of art and craft as the goal of creativity. It is the process of creating that is the most important element of creativity. The process is why we need creativity. It is an essential aspect of what it is to be human. It is a connection to ourselves, our community, our world and even our universe. AI can paint more pictures than the world will ever need but it can't experience the creative process.

Liz Kettle
Painter - textiles, stitch and mixed media

BIO: Creativity seized me at a young age and became my passion and obsession. I freely explore all of its options although I am particularly drawn to writing, fabric and stitching. I live in and am inspired by the lush forests and rocky shores of the PNW in Washington State.

I am the creator of Stitch Meditation® where stitch allows us to use its beautiful rhythm to quiet our thoughts and expand our awareness. This creative meditation experience is a daily practice that reduces stress, relaxes the body and engages the right brain for a more holistic perspective in our life.

My newest adventure is my just launched podcast- Wilding Creativity- where I will be exploring the nature of creativity and what it means to live a creative life.

Teaching has been a part of my creative journey since 2006 when my first book was published. My classes are designed to be fun and experimental; making a fabulous mess while unearthing our unique artistic expressions.

LINK: www.lizkettle.com

QUESTION 3.   What does joy look like in thread form to you—color, flow, or the quiet moment of completion?

• ANSWER 3.  There is a moment during my Stitch Meditation practice when I lose the chatter of my analytical brain and my stitching becomes something that is moving through me, the stitch flows intuitively. That is pure joy. It is so difficult to describe. Sometimes I am surprised by what I stitched.
  
  

QUESTION 1.    When you practice stitch meditation, what shifts first—the fabric beneath your hands or the rhythm inside your mind?

• ANSWER 1.    When I sit down to my Stitch Meditation it takes me a few moments to settle in as I choose my fabrics and thread my needle. The moment I first apply my needle to the soft fabrics I feel the shift in my body. My shoulders relax, I take a deep cleansing breath, and a blanket of quiet stillness fills my brain. My busy analytical left hemisphere is quickly bored of the soothing rhythm of the stitch and as it quiets all the to-do chatter, I can hear the quiet voice of my right hemisphere-the connected, intuitive self.

Quiet Strength 2

Kettle Beginning to End

River Blue

All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Liz Kettle.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.

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