Why Birds?

You may have noticed the birds. They’re everywhere, it seems. I don’t think this is simply a case of seeing what’s on my mind. Browse Etsy, watch the craft blogs, look at fabric collections, look at scrapbook stores and tshirts and, and, and…

And I will admit this bugs me. It’s the anti-establishment reflex I have. It’s the punk in me. “It’s a trend, ” she gasped, shaking herself out of a jaded reverie, “Run the other way!”

Because I am drawn to the birds. I want the felted bird brooches and the distressed tshirts and the stamps and the paintings and the embroidery… I like the primitive birds, the whimsical birds, the realistic birds. Watercolour, acrylic, stamped, cut, stuffed, or beaded, I want to buy them all. I also like to make them.

So why birds? Why am I in the grip of flock of feathered muses? Why is the craftysphere right there with me? Here are my explanations/theories/wild guesses:

General reasons:

Birds are wild. They are an anecdote to our urban lives. Right there, outside your commuter bus and my window, are wild creatures. With personalities. With sounds that sweeten the air.

They are also proof that the world is bigger than just the humans. Bigger than the drama of your life. They rebuke us and encourage us by living unconcerned by the problems of our days. And, as we sit mired in contemplation of our problems, birds outside the window can fly away. Yes, they can fly, and that is no small part of their charm.

Birds are sweet. They neither slither nor creep. They have no slime nor do they have more than four legs. Ants and beetles and snakes may also be of the urban wild, but they’re not as endearing.

My reasons:

I’m eternally curious. Homeschooling is supposed to be for the kids? Oops! I thought it was so that I could have all the time I wanted to answer all my questions. Oh, alright, I do know it’s for the kids, and one of the coolest ways to spend time with kids you love is through nature studies; walking, observing, drawing, reading - seeing the world around you through your kids’ eyes is a gift beyond words.

I also have a growing desire to know the things around me, like the constellations and the kinds of trees in our neighbourhood. I am no longer content to just float through my space like an unconnected thing. I want to know, to name, to recognize, to tell the stories of all the things around me.

Craftysphere reasons:

Birds are multi-leveled. They are easy for beginners to create. When you’re just beginning, creating a simple shape can be discouraging whether it’s a human or a house or a dog. But a bird seems to look charming no matter how you manage it. That’s good for the creative ego. Yet non-beginners find a lot to work on when portraying birds. There’s a rich tradition of birds - whether you have a taste for doodling or realism or folk-art or tattooing, there is a bird precedent for you.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a definite explosion of creativity. We want to buy local, we want to know that a human has touched a product, and we want to make. Creativity creates mindfulness and awareness. It wakes you up to the inspiration that lays all about us. As you open yourself to inspiration, birds are so easy to notice. There they are: chirping and flying around in your field of vision. “Of course!” you think, “Birds!” So creativity = awareness = birds.

But what of trendiness?

Am I part of a trend? Am I following a trend? Is there a problem with a trend?

Here’s my thinking: if it arises out of my process, then it’s my inspiration, my voice. I may be part of a trend, but only as part of a great upswing in delighting in creativity and awareness. However, if I am trying to make a product, to recreate something I’ve seen and want to have, and I’m not creating something because my creative voice compels me, that’s different. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. It just means I’m creating in the same spirit I’d go shopping. Being aware of the difference has helped to calm my inner punk with her knee-jerk reaction to popular things.

Besides, what a fool I’d be to let a little something like popularity keep me from loving the sweet, wild strength of the birds!

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
Henry Van Dyke

I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to
heaven.
Emily Dickinson