Graceland

This past summer I went on a road trip to Texas with a friend. On the way we passed through Memphis and decided to make a stop at Graceland. The area its nestled in is not what you would expect, having strip malls and fast food restaurants. I thought it would end up being in an upscale neighborhood, but I guess the area just changed over time to match the needs of Graceland: which is a huge tourist attraction. Here are some photos:

Celtic Illustrations

These are some Illustrations I did in 2008 (?) that were inspired by Ireland and Scotland. I hope to keep practicing drawing and post some more of my more recent work here soon. These garments are a combination of a more flowing, delicate fabric and a more rigid applique of Celtic knots. This combination represents the environment of Ireland and Scotland, which consists of flowing soft greenery and the hard sharp rock cliffs of the Emerald Isle. The woven plaids are actually meant to be a wool tartan.

 

The Scientific Mind vs. The Magical Mind

These are some quotes from a paper I wrote concerning the ways the modern scientific mind differs from the magical mindset (or shamanic/intuitive/gnostic world view).

The difference between magic and modern science is a difference in consciousness: subjective and objective, participant and observer, voluntary and accidental. From the Neanderthal man to Francis Bacon human perception of nature and the natural universe has gone through a profound transformation.

In terms of consciousness, the scientific mind disassociates itself from all other things in order to analyze them objectively. It distinguishes intellect from emotion and is based on abstractions. Instead of being an interactive contributor to the universe, the scientific mind is a detached observer. This mentality isolates itself emotionally and mentally from nature in order to view nature as a machine.

In stark contrast to the mechanization of nature by the scientific mind, is the primitive magical mind that sees itself not as an observer of nature, but as an active participant in it. Pre-modern humans believed their consciousness was not independent or individual in relation to nature, but a part of it and that every experience was unified with nature itself: “I thus see myself as an island, whereas my medieval or ancient predecessor saw himself more like an embryo.” Therefore they gave personification to nature as a way to relate to it. They saw the earth as a body and rivers as veins in a form of macrocosm and microcosm. They believed the world was sympathetic just as they were sympathetic to nature in return, experiencing archetypes and symbols where the scientific mind saw only abstractions in accidental occurrences.

These are the main points that I really am feeling right now. Especially the last paragraph. I wrote this as a paper in one of my classes, which ended up being a really neat class, basically on the history of science. It’s amazing how much modern concepts are influenced by ancient history. For instance, did you know Isaac Newton was a Gnostic, and basically believed his knowledge was tantamount to magic?

If you want to know more check out my sources:

The Disenchantment of the World

A History of Magic

The Death of Nature

Original Participation.

New scarves for sale at MiCA in Cincinnati!

Its knit season again, and I’ve been preparing for it for the past year! I now have 10 scarves for sale at MiCA which is located at:

1201 Vine Street

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

513.421.3500

Monday – Thursday 11-7 PM, Fri & Sat 11-8 PM, Sun 11-4 pm ET

There are a lot with the repurposed belts as closures, and a few new type of metal closures. Stop on by and check them out! MiCA is a really amazing store that sells a lot of local artisans work and the owners are so nice. There is plenty of parking right outside the store on the street.

Senior Thesis

This is my senior year as a Fashion Design/Product Development major with a minor in Marketing.

Our class must produce a senior thesis to present at the end of the year. Students that are in the Product Development Tract of Fashion Design at my school produce trend research, marketing plan, and a final product line. Basically we go through the whole process of developing a product and planning a marketing strategy. Since we don’t necessarily have to create a physical product at the end of all this, we are given a lot of leeway to conceptualize our ideas and forecast far out into the future.

Right now I have two ideas running around in my head. I will have to explain these more fully when I have time.

1. Mysticism

This is a concept I have been researching for some time now. But most likely won’t be my senior thesis. It’s hard to translate something so conceptual and that deals with spirituality into a product, and honestly I don’t believe products should be made that take advantage of this.

But that is not going to stop me from researching this stuff. It all started with me following the tracks of the Folk Art trend that is currently set to be in full swing this Fall, but has actually been gaining momentum ever since the economic hardships started to trickle into the American people’s lives. But this isn’t the only sign of our country trying to find enlightenment. I also wonder if our current fascination with vampires could be anything here.

Now where Mysticism comes in: I am wondering why all these things are happening: the Folk movement, Localvore, vampire fascinations. A good portion of humanity right now has become disillusioned with the progress of technology and our ability to contain the negative effects of our overconsumption. We have distanced ourselves so much from nature in the last couple decades and it’s starting to have devastating affects. And I’m not just talking about ruining the environment. I wrote a paper on this subject and I will add it in here at a later date.

8-17-10 I have started listening to podcasts on metaphysics and paganism. I had no idea there were so many people that followed paganism, wicca, Druid, and metaphysical paths. These people go so under the radar, or else only the nut jobs are the ones that surface, but these podcasts are so informational, even if you would never identify yourself with these labels.

• The Infinite Beyond
• The Druidic Craft of the Wise

8-26-10 I’m currently reading The Doors of Perception by Adolphus Huxley. While it does have a lot of bias towards zen teachings and the use of mescaline, Huxley’s explanation of spirituality and it’s necessity in society has been useful.

10-31-10 I’ve posted some quotes from a paper I wrote for school about the differences between the Scientific Mind and the Magical Mind

2. Internet

Having wireless internet is on its way to becoming a national right. More on this later!