I saw this post a few weeks ago on Instagram…
View this post on Instagram
And I just loved it. I love that the artist saved all of her pencil nubs, 272 of them created and collected over 8 1/2 years of practice to become the artist she is today. I love that she wanted to celebrate them and take it even further to turn them into a piece of art.
When I’m browsing at an antique market or store, I seem to be drawn to pieces that have been well-used, patched, and repaired. I always felt like it was evidence that the object was very useful and loved. We simply don’t take the time to repair things we don’t need, use, or love. But, we’ll superglue, stitch, tape, mend, darn, and care for our favorite things. We’ll tolerate stains that won’t wash out or discoloration that comes from the oils of our skin in a place we touch frequently. We’ll work around holes and cracks. In a society where it’s easy to throw things away and replace them, I think we undervalue pieces that show wear from use.
And, that wear is valuable. It shows that something didn’t just sit in a drawer, preserved, untouched, and perhaps saved for just the right occasion that never came. The pencils in the Instagram post above weren’t too nice to use. They didn’t remain in a freshly sharpened bouquet sitting on a desk, waiting for the right time or perfect conditions to start drawing. They were worn down to a nub in the pursuit of becoming a better artist. Those worn items showed the user went for it. They didn’t just dream about it, but they did it.
I like to think of the evidence we leave in our wake as we use something over and over again in pursuit of whatever we’re pursuing as the “patina of practice.”
It’s the build-up on the edges of an easel. It’s the dried crust of paint that points to the hundreds or thousands of pieces that were held in place as they were rendered.
It’s the paint splotches and stains on an apron that are a history of all of the colors used.
It’s worn shoes from walking, dancing, or playing a sport. It’s the hard-won calluses earned from hours upon years of playing an instrument, knitting, or quilting. It’s the knee brace that supports a joint that has been so well used that it needs a little help to continue.
It’s the sketchbooks filled with notes, observations, drawings, scribbles, and swatches. A record of good work as well as failed experiments.
It’s the tarnished brass handles of scissors. It’s the ink stains on the desktop. It’s the creases in the spines of your favorite books. It’s the channels, nicks, and dings on a cutting surface.
It’s the carpet worn from practiced dance steps. It’s the wooden spoon that is dark with age from all of the meals prepared.
These things aren’t worn in a way that makes them worthy of the landfill. These things are worn in a way that makes them worthy of being kept and cherished whether it’s through continued use or preservation and display.
I write all of this today to ask a question and to offer a word of encouragement to those who need it.
The question – What are the things that show the patina of your practice?
The encouragement – Use your things in pursuit of whatever it is you’re pursuing or what to pursue. It might be cooking, gardening, writing, drawing, painting, singing, skating, whatever it is. Use your good things. Use your BEST things! Don’t save them for the right time that may never come. Use the expensive brushes, the prettiest papers, the finest tools, or the thing that was a gift or a splurge. Use the things that are prized, special, valued, and perhaps “too good to use.” Use them and create your own patina on the materials and tools that were used in pursuit of the things that bring you joy.
17 Responses
This post resonated with me…I have some overalls used for gardening that are at least 25 years old. They’re soft and have stains and memories of garden projects completed,. I’ve repaired the strap buttons and fasteners with wire, and they mold to me when I put them on. I wouldn’t wear anything else. Thanks for reminding me that many times new is not better. Hugs from Texas
Oh Vickie how blessed are you!!!! Living in KS/MO I see many an old farmer wearing these amazing antiques and I want to go up to them and ask to buy them but I’d bet they would say no!
I love this! Even though this isn’t quite the same, I recently changed out the quilt we’ve had on our bed for at least 25 years (more than a few years since my husband first started suggesting it). It’s threadbare in many spots, but our two dogs, both now gone, slept with us on that quilt. It has been laundered and folded, and now lives on a shelf in our bedroom closet, so I still see it many times a day. I cannot make myself get rid of it.
I lost a very dear friend to cancer this week. She struggled mightily and with grace and gratitude. She gave me the gift of seeing my own life in a new way, with gratitude for every little moment. Not to say that I wasn’t already aware of my good fortune but now I am keenly aware that life is short. All of this to say, use the good dishes. Stop waiting for a worthy occasion. Get out there and live because tomorrow is not promised. Try. Fail. Try again, just be brave and enjoy the journey.
💙
❤️
Glad I found your website Via the blog Pinecones & Acorns. There is a lot to explore. I love your pencil piece.
Your top is gorgeoous. What is the label?
The sketch you did of the child on the lap is actually after a Cecilia Beaux painting. https://www.pafa.org/museum/collection/item/les-derniers-jours-d-enfance
Yes! I recently cleaned up a small wood box that was my father’s. It is scared and worn from holding tools in his workshop. I remember watching him repair it long ago when it was falling apart. It’s not exactly a showpiece, but it sits proudly in my laundry room, bringing me warm memories every time I see it. More precious than gold.
Hi, Do you have any of that blue checkered fabric to sell or know where I can find it?
Thanks
I have a stepladder that I use whenever I’m painting anything in my house. I was just looking at it last week and observing all the different colors of paint spatters, along with drywall mud, caulk and who knows what else. It’s been with me for about 20 years now, fixing up the last 4 houses we’ve lived in.
I so agree with what you said as I am a junker who looks for used items to resale in my booth. Something that has been loved for a long time is so much better than new.
I love everything about this post! Thank you!
I have a 1770s Cape Cod house. Most all of the furnishings in our house are second hand, curated certainly, but they’ve been through others’ homes. I think it’s a fun and healthy form of recycling! I enjoyed this post so much, Marian!
I loved this post. A good reminder….USE it before YOU lose it!!! I have some Arches Watercolor paper that I have had for years…waiting for when I am good enough to use it!!! ….mmmm
I have, about 25 year old slip on Nike clog shoes I use for the garden. Duck tape holds on what is left of the soles . They are the best and I can’t get rid of them. Comfy and molded to my feet. Easy to kick off for a run into the house. AND many memories of the gardens I started from nothing. Sadly they don’t sell them anymore. My kids joke that I should be buried in them……I said, “HEY!!! Why didn’t I think of that!!! ” I want those shoes on and my favorite “J ” sterling silver crochet hook in hand!!! lol….seriously!!!
What a wonderful post, full of thought-provoking statements. This also reminded me of the Japanese art of kintsugi, which is where they repair their broken items with gold, look it up and see.
Thirty years ago, I lived in an apartment next door to a lady that was ninety-two. One of things I “inherited” upon her move to a nursing home was the plain silver plate serving spoon she kept on her cookstove. She used it e.v.e.r.y. morning to stir her oatmeal as it was cooking. The end was no longer rounded, the years of use had worn it to an angle and was thin. It is one of my dearest possessions and a precious reminder of our unique friendship.