Greetingseveryone…
I’mdelightedtosharemyfirst potlatchwithyou
Potlatchisagift-givingfeast practicedbyIndigenouspeoples ofthePacificNorthwestCoast. Thesecelebrationsfocusedon thereaffirmationoffamily,clan, andthehumanconnectionwith thesupernaturalworld.In additiontogivingawayriches, potlatchesinvolvedfeasting, music,dancing,singing, storytelling,speeches,andoften jokingandgames.
Whilepotlatcheswereillegal formanyyears,theyremainedan integralpartoftheIndigenous culture.Iamborrowingtheterm andusingitasametaphorfor theactofgivingawaystuff…for somerichesorwealth.
Inmycase,itwon’tbewealthin thesenseofmoneyorassets,but ratherthegatheredgiftsofalifeI neverexpectedtolive.Untilmy middleyears,Ineverexpected creativitytobepartofmylife... itwassomethinggivenonlyto “them,”thegod-likecreatures whowerebornwithtalent. Therefore,ithasbeenanongoing surpriseanddelighttofind myselfwritingpoetry,makingart, seeingbeautyinordinarythings.I nowknowthatcreativityisa partofbeinghumanandoneof thegreattragediesoflifeisthat sofewpeoplehavethetimeand resourcestodiscovertheirown creativegifts.
Ittooktwogreatlossestogive methetimetodiscoverthe directionofmycreativelife.The deathofmyhusbandendedone phaseofmylifeandthefinancial
devastationof2008endedthe careerthatIthoughtwouldlast forever.Outofthoseashes, though,camepiecesofmethatI neverknewexistedand remindedmethat,“This,too, shallpass.”
Fifty-sevenmonthsago,Ibegan celebratingthe17thofeach monthasmyDeathDay(sinceI donotknowtheexactdateof mydeath,I’vechosenthedayof mybirth)bywritingaloveletter tomylife.Thismonth,Idecided toaddaritualoflettinggo…of potlatch…tothemonthly celebration.
foundthere.Iwasespecially enchantedbythetinymessagesin-a-bottlewordsIfoundfloating primarilyonanoceanof advertising.AtsomepointI createdabookletoffoundwords thatIwantedtopassalongto peopleforuseintheirown collagesorjournals.However,the yearwas2003andtechnology didnotofferacost-effectiveway tosharethecolorimages.Idea shelved.
ThisweekIunpackedaboxthat hadsurvivedseveralmajor downsizingsanddiscovereda treasuretroveofmagazine imagesaswellastheoriginalsof thatshelvedprojectfrom2003.
Sincewenowhaveaccessto magicintheformofauniversal fileprotocol…pdf…this slightlyupdatedfoundwords bookletisattachedforyouruse. Again,feelfreetopassitalong.
Twoideasforhowtouseit… andifyouthinkofothers,please letmeknow: jwycoff@gratitudemojo.com.
Sinceyouaremyextended tribeandIcannotinviteyoutoa gatheringoffeastingand celebration,Iamgoingtouseour electroniccircletosharewith yousomeoftheartifactsofmy creativelife.Theseareyoursto useasyouwishandtoshare withwhomeveryouwish.
Potlatch#1FoundWords
Beforedigitalartenteredmy world,Ididcollageandspent untoldhoursrippingmagazines apartfortheimagesandwordsI
1.Usethewordsasthought promptsforyourjournal.
2.Printthepagesanduseas graphicsinyourjournalor collages.
Thankyouforbeingapartof myworldandacceptingthissmall gift.Ibelievethatgivingaway whatonehasbeengivenisaway ofexpressingjoy.So,bybeinga partofthiscelebrationofmylife, youareaddingtomyjoy.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Toall…hopeyouenjoy someofthewordsI’ve collectedonmyjourneys. Manyhugsandmuch creativityonyours…joyce
