5:49 PM
After several heavy breaths, my heartbeat finally came to normal 50-60. Another day of work.
I snapped close my MacBook, and all the loads on my shoulders went away.
After several heavy breaths, my heartbeat finally came to normal 50-60. Another day of work.
I snapped close my MacBook, and all the loads on my shoulders went away.
Finally, no more fire to put out, no important people to flatter, just some time alone.
Carefully packed up, said bye to anyone still in the office, put on my jacket, and walked into the cold rain.
Carefully packed up, said bye to anyone still in the office, put on my jacket, and walked into the cold rain.
Lana de Ray was singing: “You took my sadness out of context, at the Mariners Apartment Complex”, and I was walking on the street like I was the hottest supermodel.
Found a comfortable spot on the Red Line, I started to put down all my things and dug out my yarns and needles, and started knitting.
By comfortable, I mean a hard cold chair with people from both sides trying to invade your personal space. But I was not angry, actually, I felt a little guilty about saying, I was happy.
Knitting is such a good tool to kill time with. It is repetitive but not. It requires thinking but not. It helps me get into a state of Zen.
When I was knitting, my brain was directing what to knit next, but at the same time, it was going through all the things I have done today, this week, and the past of my life.
It is like when I go to bed, I am always thinking. But that’s the thing, there are things that always require thinking, and if you figure it out, you can go to sleep.
It is always fun to do a little stretch. You can see people’s eye suddenly looked away when you looked back at them. This makes me smuggle.
This always makes me wonder, what are they thinking of me?
Are they thinking: Ugh, another college art kid
Or they are thinking: This fucking faggot!
It always interests me. I can see some people are not happy with what I am doing but they cannot say it out loud, and I am enjoying their sufferings.
I am a born performer. Even if I don’t have an audience.
Fuck, it’s Downtown Crossing.
I rushed out of the train, and hurriedly put my yarns in the bags, and grabbed the work I am doing, passing through the whole platform.
Businessmen, students, hipsters, old, young chatting, calling each other and swarmed out from another platform, along with beggars shake their plastic cup full of coins, training braking, becomes the perfect example of chaos.
I fought my way to the another platform, to wait for another train.
I like to lean on one of the piles, and face to the direction where the train come from, and knit.
The piles created a perfect half-public spaces to divide all the passengers. Sometimes, it forces people standing in it to look at each other. This is my favorite moment.
Sometime, I feel like it becomes too crowded, I pick a bench and sit down and keep knitting.
And there is a moment, what I am doing doesn’t matter any more. I just blend into the crowd.
From this point on, there is no identity, no brief, no color, and there are only humans.
I like to lean on one of the piles, and face to the direction where the train come from, and knit.
The piles created a perfect half-public spaces to divide all the passengers. Sometimes, it forces people standing in it to look at each other. This is my favorite moment.
Sometime, I feel like it becomes too crowded, I pick a bench and sit down and keep knitting.
And there is a moment, what I am doing doesn’t matter any more. I just blend into the crowd.
From this point on, there is no identity, no brief, no color, and there are only humans.
After-note
This piece is the mid-term homework of my elective: Beginning fabrics. After the first 2 classes, I was so attracted by knitting, I start to knit on my commuting to my work (I was working at iAdvize as an intern)
One day when I was traveling back home, I was knitting on the train, and an old lady, presumedly from China, asked me who was I knitting for. I chuckled and said I wasn't knitting for anyone, I was just free-knitting. And then she added: "Do you know its women's work?"
This interaction inspired me to make this piece. I want to use this to defy all the stereotypes and celebrate art and diversity.
One day when I was traveling back home, I was knitting on the train, and an old lady, presumedly from China, asked me who was I knitting for. I chuckled and said I wasn't knitting for anyone, I was just free-knitting. And then she added: "Do you know its women's work?"
This interaction inspired me to make this piece. I want to use this to defy all the stereotypes and celebrate art and diversity.
