Embroidery Digitizing Blog

Well, I just returned from a vacation to the Yosemite National Park. I have always heard how beautiful it is there but let me tell you that all the words do not do it justice. I have been to only two other places that are as visually stunning as Yosemite: Hawaii and the west coast of Canada. So how does this all fit into embroidery and digitizing? A fresh eye and inspiration!

Bruce Lee used to say that to be exceptional at something you should incorporate it into everything you do every day! For him it was Martial Arts and he was always practicing his art with every movement of every day. When he bent over to pick up the morning paper he did so on one foot practicing his balance, when he opened doors he would test himself by aiming his hand at the doorknob with his eyes closed and then open the door in the most efficient manner. He always practiced efficiency of movement. Again, how does all this fit into embroidery and digitizing? Methods and intent!

For me I am always studying the world and how it is put together but even more how it appears to our eyes. I look at shadows and highlights, the way that sunlight reflects off of water, the glistening point in an animals eye. It all matters and it is the very details that will make your digitizing stand out from the crowd. I am sure it sounds corny but I take alot of Bruce Lees advice to heart. When I take a drink of water I watch how the water reacts to the glass and how it kind of curves right where it meets the glass as well as how things look through the water. If I ever digitize a glass of water I will have that much more time studying it. It is just a way of looking at things with interest and intent.

Taking time to stay in a place like Yosemite is really refreshing. No phones, no TV’s, no computers. Just nature in it’s most beautiful form. Truly being able to experience a new world revives my sense of reality and makes my mind look at things with a fresh eye. I came back with a ton of pictures and some real yearnings to digitize some leaves, trees, animals and now for the first time waterfalls!