Owl Spotlight, Squarejane

Absurdities, by Karren Square Jane Halley

Absurdities. My life in one way or another has always revolved around the absurdities. It started young when i was a child... My mother was always laughing at the most obscure things. I think it stemmed from a British heritage and too much alcohol. Perhaps it came for her from a creative mind and a cold climate. I remain unsure of the roots but it runs deep.

As a youngling i noted that i was different in that, "um, what ARE you doing?!" kind of way. Perhaps it was wearing a witches costume or cowgirl costume to school in March or February and not getting why it was an issue.Often, art was my outlet for this affinity with the absurd. I began drawing when i was able to hold a crayon, crocheting and knitting in my pre-teen years and sewing with an old metal Elna when i was 11. Painting became art therapy for me when i was in my late teens and early twenties. To this day, if i don't create something each and every day, i go a little crazy. There really is a very FINE line between creative intellect and complete madness.

Back to the absurdities now... One of the fantastic things about relishing the absurdities in life is that life has a way of feeding you extremely unique situations if you simply choose to notice the opportunities of the absurd. Like this:



Or this:

Or this:

Yes, the absurdities is where i am most comfortable. They have allowed me to play accordion on stage while dressed as a giant broccoli, to tattoo my own leg with no previous experience in tattooing, to work with an Elvis impersonator and to meet some brilliant people. When people ask me where i get my inspiration to create, i tell them i find it in the absurdities. The absurd allows my brain to wander free of many constraints as i know my thoughts aren't too crazy or the world wouldn't present us with these absurdities.

Squarejane is one of our newer Owls, and definitely keeps us on our toes! Her Etsy shop is full of creations that reflect her unique energy and spirit, such as Ernst who is pictured on the right. In addition to her Etsy shop, she can also be found on her blog or can be found occasionally on Twitter @squarejane