Finding meaning is important to me but it is not easy to figure out the essence of things or to convey its meaning to others. Discovering the "why" of making spirit dolls has been fun, finding names that suit their shape and weaving stories around these little creatures has taken me into fantastic realms. They are not "pretty dolls" some are in fact very "raw and ugly" but somewhat in spiring, I am blessed to say, "The Muse" of creativity has helped in the process of their being.

My friend Monica invited me to join The Crusade for this round of Green Pepper Press Street Team to explore on the theme of "Who or What Is Your Muse?"

I have been inspired by many people, artists and authors but my doll making took a spin in another direction when I started reading the marvelous books by Charles de Lint. He has a unique way of getting people close to nature where magic becomes reality, in one of his books I found a reference to numina spirits and realized that similar kind of energy takes place in a Spirit Doll. I have read 10 of his books and I am making a wish list to get to the rest of the list, even tho it seems to me I am not meant to keep a collection of his books because I have lent them out and gave the rest away last month. Ahhh but this magic is at work...someone surprised me with 4 books which I had not read! So far, my favorite is "Dream and Memory" where he describes in detail many aspects of the numinous spirits very close to those I imagine, living all around in nature. Besides that, I also love the sound of these words...numinous, numen and numina; a presiding divinity or spirit of a place, a spirit believed by animists to inhabit certain natural phenomena or objects, a creative energy and genius.

Just as my little Spirit Dolls who come to life representing nature spirits and helpers, because every time I allow one to come into being I feel a sense of nurturing peace. You can see why de Lint's books and his creative spirit have become the center of my attention making him my latest muse.
I also want to say that I was able to contact Mr. de Lint's beautiful wife MaryAnne Harris who corresponded with me, and now two of my dolls and a small crow painting are part of their collection. They were sent as gifts of gratitude for all the hours of inspiration...such a lovely lady, and a great artist and perhaps de Lint's muse with a lage "M"

If you are interested in his work, here is a list of his books but don't get intimidated by such a long list, you can start anywhere you want, many of his novels are set in a city called Newford but each story stands on its own and soon enough you will be traveling to that place on your own. I have read The Onion Girl, (which was the first one and I got hooked) Someplace to Be Flying, (with its marvelous mythology on Raven Girls and Cayote) Memory and Dream,(the story of a gifted artist, with enough power to blend urban mystery with folk tales) Into the Green and The Little Country (a fantastic journey to The Green Isles) Dreams Underfoot, (this is probably a good one to start with because it is a collection of stories set in Newford) The Ivory and The Horn (another collection with my favorite "The Bone Woman") Spiritwalk (a glorious blend of Shamanism and Celtic tradition nestled in an enchanting house called Tamson House) and I just finished reading Forest of the Heart and Trader.Who knows how Spirit moves from one person to the next, we live like the mighty redwood trees, standing tall in a grove we reach to the heavens for inspiration, supporting each other by a network of roots, we are "All-in-Spirit" and perhaps you and I are already someones muse! Why not, the veils lift and we find layers of creative genius hidden moment by moment, I believe we just need to trust the process, the "real muse" lives inside each and everyone of us. I will leave you with this quote from Steve Martin:

"I have learned that there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration"

These dolls are part of my "numinous" series, the forms for my dolls were created byMonica Magness, she sells the blank forms and doll heads for beading in eBay and Etsy.




The Art Spirit Gallery