dresstags on foreign shores

May this dress remind you to learn from the past and to savor the peppermint and thyme you find along the way (in Dougga, Tunisia)

For those of you not on Facebook I want to share lovely phenomena which has come from this cyber connection that social media allows us.

(Not that I am in anyway promoting FB.  As I have mentioned here I have a love hate relationship with social media, there is good and bad, as it is with many relationships.  But today's story springs from of the good.

dresstags heading to Asia

Thanks to social media my dresstagging practice has reach a much larger audience. That is very gratifying since I usually never see where or if my dresstags are found.  But with the wonders of Iphones, instagram and the likes, I can post pictures of these little parcels of goodwill and good fortune and their message is sent and received virtually, and usually to much enthusiasm. 

Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou, China

Clara's story: "This dresstag was left at the Guangdong Museum's small shop in Guangzhou. A little later I could not resist, went back there and saw the moment the young woman picked up the dress and looked very intrigued by it. She looked around and saw me, I guess she connected... and then she smiled. I smiled back and left."

This positive energy has been very important when inspiration fails or financial stress looms.  This cyber-encouragement lead me to doing my Daily Dress Inspirations blog/group, my daily morning meditation practice where I find a quote that I need to hear for that day/at that moment and post it with or without a dress.

May this dress inspire you to appreciate the art all around you. — Dar Ben-Gacem, Tunis, Tunisia

This practice has been invaluable to me during these past months and appears to be supportive to others as well.  Via Facebook I have received messages of how the quote I choose what perfect for someone to read.  Here is a comment that was shared on FB.  I LOVE  the idea that I live in a corner of her life:

"my experience has been that I/we are planted where we/I can meet those special people bringing in the light, lessons and love in unique ways that I/we most need at the time we/I are in need. Virginia Fitzgerald was introduced to me by my daughter the first year I lived in Massachusetts. Her creativity is the outward result of her inner beauty. It seems she shares each day exactly what I need. I have a feeling she lives in a corner of my life just waiting to provide these dresses just for me. So happy you have found her as well. We all make the world go round!!!!" G. Armstrong

The dress on the photo was left at a market in GZ, with the delicious dragon fruits. I left there and some 10 minutes later, when we walked back to that area, the dress was already gone and a young woman, that I think works there, was looking at us with a very big and friendly smile!!!! — in Guangzhou, China.

Social media has increased the reach of my dresstagging practice.   Because of FB one of my artist/friend/dresstag followers, who was heading to China asked if I wanted her to take some dresstags with her!!! YES!! and I posted on FB that my dresstags were heading to Asia, which lead to two other friends offering to take some to Tunisia!!!where they were going to spread dresstag inspiration in french!!! So very exciting!! 

So during the past week I have been receiving beautiful photos from abroad.  These pictures have been tremendously welcomed by me, amidst this times of holiday stress and some loneliness triggered by figuring out how these family focused time unfold when you are divorce.  I am continually amazed how my dresswork seems to go out into the world, just to return to help me.

left in the Alps

left at the Frankfurt Airport

May this dress bring you (and us) safe and sweet travels! This one was left on a shelf of maple syrup in the Montreal airport.

So here are some of these treasures, most received this month, and one from the Alps a few summers ago!! Thank you dress carrying world travelers, Martha Calderaro and family, Liz Gray, Jacqui Bloomberg and Clara Bohrer, I am truly grateful!!! peace

link to the FB photo album #dresstagsabroad  and you can follow my dresstagging practice on instagram, @virginiafitzart

Getting into a Poetic State of Mind

Packing up my Poetry Dress to take to Attleboro for my Interactive Poetry Sculpture workshop, TODAY!!! If you are in the Attleboro area, stop by!!  It is a drop-in workshop, at the Attleboro Public Library,  74 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA 02703.  We will be making Birds of Poetry from 1-3pm.

And to help get into a poetic state of mind. . . 

First, here is an illustration of Wendell Berry's poem, The Peace of Wild Things from one of my sketchbooks from 1996.  I have always loved this poem and find it particularly poignant as our lives seem to run at this frantic pace and fears can infest our souls.

Also check out a this wonderful post about friend and poet, Martha Calderaro on the blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup. This blog is written by Children's author Jama Rattigan and Martha was a guest for Jama's Poetry Potluck Series 2012, celebrating National Poetry Month!! It is definitely worth a visit!!! And besides reading a wonderfully playful poem that celebrates National Poetry Month, you will also see pictures of Martha's new adorable Newfoundland puppy, Daisy.  

SPECIAL DELIVERY
by Martha Calderaro 

Maybe I shouldn’t have borrowed it without asking,
painted it magenta with golden daffodils,
folded origami swans from bulk-rate inserts,
penciled nursery rhymes on envelopes that looked like bills.

In my defense, I’m not a reckless driver,
have to say, I love the steering on the right –
makes it easier to offer treats along the sidewalk,

like a limerick or a sonnet to recite. (click here to see full poem)

peace 

Breathe in,... knowing we are truly blessed

While perusing my dear friend's blog, Martha Calderaro: writer, poet, roving pen, I came across her Poetry Friday entry with this poem which speaks to how i am feeling today. So I wanted to share. When she posted this poem she was in a place of unease or as she put it "feeling angst or sadness over a difficult decision." She also noted, "I appreciate its (the poem's) reminder of the connectedness of all. Perhaps the right answer is beyond our knowing, or that we are just a part of it?" Not to 'steal' her entire blog but she is the writer and has a way with words.

So as we head into this wondrous & magical, yet at time stressful, next few days i offer you this poem. I hope that these words may help us all to remember to breathe ~

" ...breathe, knowing We are truly blessed..."

Eagle Poem

by Joy Harjo

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadly growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

So enjoy these holiday days!!! Be blessed and breathe in!!
Peace to all and all a good night!!

A poem for the day....

With April being National Poetry month I want to share one of my favorite poems ~ Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. This poem was sent to me by a friend a few years past and it changed my life. It was this ‘gift’ that lead me to create my ‘Poetry dress’, on which Wild Geese sits prominently. Besides loving the spirit of this poem, it also reintroduced to the world of poetry. It is now a common sight for me to be lugging around a poetry book. In fact for the past few weeks I have been reading Wild Geese everyday ~ letting Mary Oliver’s words roll over me. My favorite line is
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
I also have been deep into Nikki Giovanni’s work, especially her latest book Bicycle.

In the interest of poetry, a blog worth checking out is Martha Calderaro
Writer, poet, roving pen. She has many poetry related posting, such as Poetry Friday as well as page called POEMS BY FRIENDS where you can add your own creation.

So don’t let National Poetry month pass you by without seeking out some poetic magic. Grab a poem, find a nook, curl up and escape. Peace

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--

over and over announcing

your place in the family of things.

© Mary Oliver
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver

published by Atlantic Monthly Press