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anotheranonJust going through my notes and pictures from Italy (forthcoming, really!) and wanted to get this little bit out of the way before I post further:
All during the conference I had the opportunity to meet many gifted, accomplished, focused people who are, if not professional costumers/curators/historians, are certainly enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateurs (waves at new LJ friends!). And I mean "amateur" in the best possible sense because they're doing what they love, and that leads to great art, startling insights and new discoveries.
I could not help feeling like an underachieving neophyte most of the week. This didn't diminish my enjoyment of the conference AT ALL, but really: I speak/read no foreign languages, I have no ongoing projects, even as an enthusiastic costumer I have very little output, given that I quadruple-guess my every sewing decision. I'm a promiscuous generalist who can't pick just one thing to dive headlong into.
Having said this...
Florence was the first 2 consecutive weeks of vacation I've had since, oh... 1999(!?) I don't think I've been this decompressed in years, if ever. If nothing else, taking the time to go slower (really, the conference was SLOW for me!), talk, and think is definitely the right thing for me to be doing! The more I can quiet my mind the more I can get out of my anxious lock step and be open to learning new things as they present themselves. If any intellectual lightning bolts strike, I'll be able to see them :)
All during the conference I had the opportunity to meet many gifted, accomplished, focused people who are, if not professional costumers/curators/historians, are certainly enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateurs (waves at new LJ friends!). And I mean "amateur" in the best possible sense because they're doing what they love, and that leads to great art, startling insights and new discoveries.
I could not help feeling like an underachieving neophyte most of the week. This didn't diminish my enjoyment of the conference AT ALL, but really: I speak/read no foreign languages, I have no ongoing projects, even as an enthusiastic costumer I have very little output, given that I quadruple-guess my every sewing decision. I'm a promiscuous generalist who can't pick just one thing to dive headlong into.
Having said this...
Florence was the first 2 consecutive weeks of vacation I've had since, oh... 1999(!?) I don't think I've been this decompressed in years, if ever. If nothing else, taking the time to go slower (really, the conference was SLOW for me!), talk, and think is definitely the right thing for me to be doing! The more I can quiet my mind the more I can get out of my anxious lock step and be open to learning new things as they present themselves. If any intellectual lightning bolts strike, I'll be able to see them :)
