I’ve been looking and looking for the right words for a Valentine’s Day card. Today, I found the quote by Hermann Hesse, and, well, it’s right.
The Waiting
One of the benefits of getting older is realizing that one has less time ahead than behind. I am beginning to come to terms with that.
The other realization is we can’t wait to “be picked.” Actually I learned this almost 12 years ago, when I first began finding and then creating community online. Nearly every opportunity I’ve had– professionally and personally– has been because I reached out and said “why not?”
Whether it was starting my running blog in 2004 and finding myself in a solid community of supportive runners, or reaching out to an online teaching community and spending years learning and growing together, these moments when I say “pick me” usually result in a fantastic experience. Most recently I made a connection with Mary Anne Radmacher, and we are going to partner on a small project. As Mary Anne says, “everything is possible.”
Not every opportunity comes to fruition. But that’s ok, too. Because if we never try, we may wait forever.
I’ve not always been the first to put my hand up. As an introvert, my tendency is to hold back and hope someone finds my work. But over the years, I’ve been able to put my discomfort with being discovered aside. Rejection isn’t easy, for sure. Nor is failure. But I know if I want to move in a certain direction, the only one who can get me there– is me.
It’s a cultural instinct to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission and authority that comes from a publisher or talk show host or even a blogger saying, “I pick you.” Once you reject that impulse and realize that no one is going to select you–that Prince Charming has chosen another house–then you can actually get to work. ~Seth Godin
Figuring It Out
Getting a clean print from my Golding Pearl #1 can be challenging. I thought I’d learned her secrets.
But, oh no. Yesterday and today made me scratch my head, take a break, and rethink the problem.
You can see the image on the right is blotchy. I assumed a packing problem, so I spent time changing thin to thick paper under the Tympan, even trying a piece of printer’s blanket I’ve ended up with. Some improvement, but not good enough.
Next, I tried more ink on the disk. Logical, right? Nope, I still couldn’t get a good print. After playing around for several hours, I decided to head home and try again this morning.
The first thing I did was to take the chase out of the press and try inking it by hand on the proof press. Bingo. That told me I wasn’t getting enough ink from the rollers to the type. I’ve had to remove and add tape to the rails many times, but this time I took it down to nearly nothing and printed. With the rollers getting closer to the type, it worked!
Why my other metal type didn’t need so much tape removed is a mystery, unless– this type is fat, and the wide letters don’t print as well on my press? I’ve been using much thinner, lighter type recently, and I think that’s the difference.
The print still isn’t as clean as I’d like. My sweet little press isn’t great for getting solid prints from wood cuts, either, though. To get this ornament to print, I had to put the chase back in the proof press and print it separately. Plus the uneven texture of the print indicates my platen may need adjusting again. I haven’t had to do that for over a year, but I’ll consider that soon.
When I first brought her home, I struggled to get any good prints. A friend then told me to relax, that it would take a year at least for me to get to know her. Ha, he was right! I do love the problem-solving. And I’m also ready for a bigger press. I guess I’d better get ready for more of that :)
And people wonder why I only print a handful at a time…
12 years
That’s how long I’ve been writing posts on this blog.
I began on typepad.com and lost the first three years when I moved to wordpress. I began writing as a teacher, then a runner, sharing my ups and downs, successes and failures.
When I took over as tech coordinator at Fredericksburg Academy, I used it to connect teachers with each other and folks around the world who were using technology in effective ways- what worked and what didn’t.
Recently, after a year or so focused on poetry, I’ve documented my own learning– figuring out how to use vintage letterpresses to print cards and posters. Again, failures and wins.
I have no idea if anyone reads this. But it doesn’t matter to me. I turn 64 this year…and I think, in ten more years, I’ll look back and have a personal map of my thoughts, hopes, and dreams.
But the one thought that resonates is this desire to keep learning, sharing, and moving forward.
Happy New Year…. 2016
Courage in all things….
A year ago, I wrote Mary Anne Radmacher to see if she would let me use her quote: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
She explained that her quote is licensed, but that she would accept a trade of some sorts for the right to use it. I was thrilled, but it took me the rest of the year to figure out what I wanted to do. I wrote her recently, and we worked out the details.
Today, I started working on a polymer plate, but I am not too excited. I was trying to do two colors, but they didn’t work together. And the font for Courage? Yeah, it doesn’t work.
So, I’m going to redesign to see if I can come up with something else. I love the quote. It resonates with me in so many ways. But I want to do it justice.
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