This morning I calculated that, in my 52 years, I have traveled by plane 79 times! Most of those trips have involved international flights. What an incredible privilege each has been, yet as I am getting older & my tall body is getting wider...I am actually finding flying somewhat stressful...even, at times, near panic attack level! The fact is that there is a lot of me to squeeze into an economy seat & as I am usually seated alongside at least one other bigger body, flying now tends towards the torturous!
I have, however, found a coping strategy!
I doodle!
In my hand luggage, I now take a large pencil case which contains; an A5 size blank sketch book, a few copic waterproof black drawing pens of various nib sizes, 3 water pens ( I cannot begin to tell you how valued these are!), a small gluestick, a 4 layer tower of Koh-li-noor paints and a paper serviette to wipe the brushes on!
When I get to my seat on the plane, this is tucked into the pocket of the seat in front, alongside the packet of mints, which I tend to consume in flight! Once up in the air, my tray comes down & I start creating a doodle. Being able to focus on this distracts me from my physical discomfort. Phew!
It also means that once at our destination, I have those tools ready to sketch, or paint if I should feel so inspired.
Because I am textile oriented within that whole art spectrum....I also like to take something to stitch! Some people enjoy inflight stitching, but I am too paranoid that I will lose a needle that I just don't even go there!
For the recent two week trip to Tasmania, I had a specific stitch project in mind (I'll post a blog about it when it's finished!) & took a small variety of fabrics, some blanketing & a minimal variety of threads. In an old glasses case I take scissors, needles & an air erasable pen.
Sometimes very little of my art supplies get used. Other times they all do!
Regardless, I am always prepared, so that when that moment comes, that I can wrap myself up in a blanket, sit on a porch in the sunlight, and stitch, whilst robins & blue wrens hop about, and a little Bennets Wallaby nibbles away at a nearby bush... I can!
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