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return from hiatus


Dear Bears,

I'm coming out of a hibernation of sorts-- not an extended sleep but a disruption from my schedule. After spending the most magical weeks in Iceland, in a remote little blip of a town, I feel a deep affinity for the land and a shock of seeing so much foliage after nothing but short low to the ground mosses. The imagery and the experience will stay with me for _____ (ever? a while? at least so far?).

I mean look at this place, no softer bed has ever been made.
No better place to lay my head, or the rest of me.

It felt so great to be back in a studio space, a dedicated and focused place for making lacking in distractions like comfortable seating or chores or screens. I found that semblance of community I had been missing in my cohabitants, in the mountain peaks, in the birds gone fishin'. I already feel the yearning to return to a bubble that isn't my own... wrapped up in clay and breads and spoons and warm jackets. I have nothing but good things to say about a place that is so clearly and thoroughly imbued with passion and fervor.

I don't have a lot to add yet, usually Friday work days are my days to spend mulling over my letters to no one, overall I am content. My cup is filled. Even if the coffee goes cold I'll still drink.

I miss you fjörd, friends, reindeer and whales and puffins and other birds with long beaks.

I feel lucky to feel sad when leaving a place------- a sign of a connection. I felt sad to say goodbye to my barn door, maybe because it coincided with a particularly difficult week, and even though that left me skeptical of hopping on a plane to some unknown I am glad I stuck with it. Traversing the perils of my winter barn arc definitely reminded me that I can persevere, especially when the other side seems clearly worth it.

Here's to finding things that are so clearly worth it,

Elise


p.s. I love you ísland, iceland, island of ice and land of true untouched no human in sight beauty.