Monday 20 February 2012

An exercise on biography

I wrote the following lines as an exercise, but I do want to share it. So, here it goes.

I was 6 or 7 years old when my father grabbed a flower drawing I had made. I am not sure why, but I still remember that three petals flower quite well. Not only because we were three daughters. Probably because at the time my parents were remodeling our bedroom closet and decided to feature my flower on one of the closet’s sliding doors. My father was a very creative person and acrylic painted a whole bunch of flowers onto that door. The flower on the top of the brunch was my own drawing. That is my earliest memory as a surface pattern designer. Isn’t that fun? I did not pursue that career for a long time, but deep inside I have always cherished a secret desire to become a Surface Pattern Designer myself. I didn’t even know there was such a career. Nowadays, have given myself a sabbatical period to look after what I really love, I remember this old story and it all sums up as a natural pathway. I look at my lovely creative mother, a great home stylist and embroider, and see that I am now following my real call. My daughter looks at me now and knows that I am doing what I love. So does my husband, the man who has always told me that I could do whatever I wanted to and helped me find my way. I might be 48 now, but completely in love.
PD: the original flower was purple, lilac and yellow. Shall I add that I am a colour lover too?

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Eu tinha 6 ou 7 anos quando meu pai pegou o desenho de uma flor que eu tinha desenhado. Não sei bem porque, mas ainda me lembro bem daquela flor de três pétalas. Não apenas porque éramos três filhas. Provavelemte porque na época meus pais estavam remodelando nosso quarto e decidiram colocar meu desenho em uma das portas de correr do armário embutido novo. Meu pai era uma pessoa muito criativa e pintou em acrílico um ramo de flores na porta desse armário. A flor no topo desse ramo era meu desenho. Essa é a minha memória mais antiga como uma designer de padronagem de superfície. Não é engraçado? Não segui essa carreira por muito tempo, mas lá no fundo sempre soube que era isso que queria fazer. Nem mesmo sabia que essa carreira existia. Atualmente, tendo me permitido um período sabático para descobrir o que amo fazer, lembro dessa estória e tudo me parece um percurso natural. Olho pra minha criativa amada mãe, uma maravilhosa estilista de interiores e bordadeira, e vejo que estou seguindo meu chamado interior. Minha filha olha pra mim e sabe que estou fazendo o que amo. Também assim me vê meu marido, o homem que sempre me disse que eu poderia fazer o que quisesse e que sempre me ajudou a me achar. Eu posso já ter 48 agora, mas estou completamente apaixonada.
PS: a flor original era arroxeada, lilás e amarela. Preciso dizer que sou uma apaixonada pela cor também?


23 comments:

  1. Lovely to read... I think that things will go their own way.. I recognize it in your story, I've also allways been attracted to anything to do with patterns, and now it has to coon out, I think!!
    Good luck for you, hope it will succeed for all of us, the dream of SPD!!

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  2. How sweet and encouraging that your parents used your art to decorate the room, I think they recognized something in you at an early age :) Let's keep dreaming of patterns and colours :D

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  3. Loved the way you wrote the story, Betha. I was moved. The way we get older and start mattering on things that are the only important. Your daughter's look, your husband's love. Makes us know that the path we choose to build the world we want is our own and its o.k. More calm and creative days are surely to come.

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  4. Really lovely. So nice to express your creativity as a child. I can picture it so well.

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  5. Que linda essa estória! agora sei de onde veio sua vocação. Sempre achei seu trabalho lindo, mas agora voce está se superando. Bjs, Solange.

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  6. Dear lovely ladies,
    I do appreciate the encouragement that comes from those comments. Thank you very very much.
    Solange, mineirinha escondida Brasil afora,adorei saber que vc está por ai e veio ver meu trabalho.
    Kisses, besos, beijos.
    Bethania.

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  7. Lindo texto Betha! Deliciosas memórias. Nada como nossas raizes a nos guiar.
    Bjs aos queridos Lica e Gabriel
    Regina

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    1. Obrigada, querida Regina. Acho que agora tô encontrando minha "voz". Rsrsr.
      Bjs,
      B.

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  8. This is such a lovely and inspiring story, both in picture and in words. I am happy for you that you have found your path. Good luck following it!
    It is so important to follow one's calling. I heard it once, years ago, loud and clear, but I didn't follow. Mostly because everybody around me told me I was to old to go back to university (wanting to study SPD). I was 32 then. I am 45 now … and starting to believe in second chances. Ain't that funny? I will definitely follow the call this time round. I think we just get wiser and braver as time and life goes on!

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    1. Wise words, dear Eva. I think I'm in my third opportunity here. The difficult part is really to follow it!
      Let's.
      Thank you.

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  9. Tal pai (ou mãe) e tal filha.A estória se repete, como diz Belchior,"nossos idolos ainda são os mesmos e as aparências não enganam não........como nossos pais".muito bom e com muitas saudades de mim, Vera e Camila.

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  10. Esse teu texto é só emoção, fico tão feliz por te perceber tão plena. Quando comecei a fazer patchwork também senti como isso de juntar os paninhos me era familiar e como vinha carregado de lembranças. Saudades, Eliane

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  11. Parabéns Bethania, seguir instintos e antigos desejos faz bem para a alma e para o coração.

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    1. Tentar seguir, Karin.
      Bjs e 'brigada por aparecer aqui.

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  12. Que você possa brilhar e destacar com todo o seu talento, criatividade e bom gosto. Que, o exercício da sua verdadeira vocação, possa torná-la cada vez mais feliz, plena e poderosa. Aqui no seu blog tenho aulas de redação, idiomas e artes. Parabéns! Você tem a minha admiração desde o tempo de bancária competente e comprometida, bons tempos.

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  13. What a story? Love it so!
    I will be turning 35 on the first of March and I was feeling that I am so late with this career, but now you just consoled me and that made me happy inside of me. Age en't nothing but just a nr. Actualluy a short story. A man in my neighbourhood is almost at his pension when he just decided -It's a doctor I dreamt of. He is almost done with it. It's NEVER too late and it's bette late than living with regrets!

    Lovely motif! Go go go!

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    1. Only 35 and already on the rigth path? LOL. Great, my friend, and lovely story too. I'll change the letter size.
      XOXO.
      b.

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    2. O my dear, it took me ages to realize this, times I admire the young stars who are born knowing what they want to be. But anyway who said that you should discover that on birth? I guess as unique as we all are, things come our way differently. If I knew what I wanted to be earlier, then I would probably NEVER have met people like you!

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  14. By the way, is it my side? You blog text is too small

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    1. No much better, the body text was too small at the time I commented!

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