2013 Here we Come!

I am so surprised sometimes by my own work and how it manages to emerge from me. Even in the darkest, coldest time of the year, when I feel cranky (haven't I honestly mentioned that recently?) and it would seem I/we should be creatively "frozen", all kinds of things pour out of me. The last week or so has been ridiculously productive...
As sometimes happens, I have been motivated by the endless debates in Congress about whether to end Bush (ugh) era tax cuts, go over the 'fiscal cliff" (voted one of the most over used phrases of 2012) raise the debt ceiling, get partisan politicians to agree for once, blah blah blah, blah... But I have made a small suite of collages and a fabric piece and I made an entire new (very silly!) alphabet book; the list goes on.
And I was remarking to Bob the other morning, over coffee in bed, that we still don't know where "creativity" comes from. They've located places in the brain that hold memories and dream centers and language but the formation of creative ideas-or thoughts in general!- is elusive. It seems like one minute you're debating whether to have peanut butter and jelly on your toast and the next minute, your next overwhelming concept/ project is arrayed out before you. I know; it's a hackneyed discussion, but miraculous none the less!
So the piece above is done entirely in flesh toned magazine samples. I feel that is appropriate as Congress often seems to "traffic" in us. (Like the proverbial pound of flesh). How else can they justify giving themselves raises while they argue for years about raising the minimum wage (how it will hurt business to give workers something like $10 extra a week. Don't get me started!) And the price of not raising the debt ceiling is real in human terms.
Anyway, the alphabet book I made is an exercise in fun and games and an antidote to all that budgetary hogwash and dreck. Gotta lighten up some how!