Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’m sharing my thoughts and reflections on a lexicon (vocabulary specific to a certain subject) of unusual, obscure, or simply charming-to-me words. Ludic is defined as “playful, in an aimless way” and that’s my plan for approaching this challenge – keeping my feet on the joy trail and meandering wherever the daily word takes me.
I is for…
indagate – to search out and answer or investigate. First appearance English dictionary in 1623.
Earlier this year I took a course on the scents of ancient Egypt taught by an Egyptologist and co-hosted by a natural perfumer. It was fabulous, and both the Egyptophile and natural perfumer in me was in serious bliss. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as it helped jumpstart and re-vitalize a major, long-term project I let languish during the wobbliness of last year.
The project itself began with a dream – one in which I traveled the spice route in ancient times. I literally smelled the rich scents while dreaming and woke up knowing I wanted to explore this. The perfumer in me was overjoyed with the idea of creating a number of scents, and the researcher in me was blissed out thinking about all the ways to approach this and all the interweaving of threads to explore. The journaling geek in me knew this would mean the creation and keeping of many journals. And my creative heart knew that there would so many potential spinning-off points along the way – zine updates, perhaps a limited edition artist book, months and potential years of listening to the plant allies and creating relationships, and on and on and on. So much fun, so much magic, so much to immerse myself in.
The project expanded in the sense that in addition to following the Spice Route, I also felt called to include two other areas/timelines. Before the dream came to me, I had been establishing a relationship with Blue Lotus, which happened to be immensely important in ancient Egyptian culture. So I decided to add ancient Egypt and its sacred flowers and fragrances to my project. And then all of a sudden I was slammed with knowing I also needed to include an exploration of Mayan flowers and scents as well. I was thrilled with this addition as well, particularly since as such unexpected developments often do, it arrived with curious synchronicities and delightful nudges. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I do my very best to follow those little whispers from spirit.
Something else that’s true about me is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE to be working on multi-layered things and many projects (or sub-projects) at one time. It fuels me. I don’t function very well in a strictly linear progression – my heart and mind yearn to be free to choose what calls to them in the moment. It used to trouble me as I didn’t really know others who liked to work this way. Still, once I realized my real comfort zone was accepting that I like living and working and writing as close to stream of consciousness as possible, I settled down into joyful acceptance of how I am and of my process. I am eternally grateful for that understanding – it made a world of difference for me.
The thing for me about being interested in many things and working on multiple projects is that it fosters such delicious and often unexpected cross-pollination. I’m really interested in, and rather skilled at finding connections between seeming disparate things. I’m not sure I believe anymore that it’s an actual skill I have like some superpower, but I’m more inclined to think that my process of juggling multiple inspirations and willingness to fall down rabbit holes has simply honed a natural inclination all humans have to find connection.
I’m excited and inspired about picking up this project again, and looking forward to where it takes me. My destination point is unknown and that’s totally fine with me. I know I’ll have fun wherever I end up. And I know I’ll have learned some fascinating things. How does it get any better than that?
I can’t help but think of the admonishment by Walker Evans: “Die knowing something. You are not here long.” Wise words.
I’ve managed to take a rather meandering path to tell you what I’m currently involved in researching and investigating but to be fair, you were warned. Walking alongside me is to discover the path is never straightforward. But now it’s your turn to share. What are you interested in investigating? What do you celebrate knowing? Do your dreams invite you into real-world explorations? Is your sense of smell active in dreams? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
I like you awareness, acknowledgement, and acceptance of your way of grokking the world. It reminds me of a butterfly, visiting a large field of flowers.
My “I” Jethro Tull song is here:
http://tao-talk.com/2021/04/10/a2z-2021-jethro-tull-songs-day-9-inside-from-benefit-1970-2/
That analogy makes me smile – thank you.
I rarely have smell as part of my dreams, as intense as colors and plot can be sometimes. I’m trying to remember my last dream with scent but I can’t. There’s no taste, either – if there is food in my dreams I somehow never get to eat or taste it. What I’ve gotten into recently is watching the wild birds in my life. It’s a show I never paid much attention to pre-COVID. Now, my spring days (when the weather is nice and when I don’t have to work- I’m retired but working part time now) include sitting in my yard and watching/hearing the birds. That has led to some investigations on my own. I enjoy scent (and flowers) but also find that some commonly enjoyed flower scents actually smell unpleasant to me – like paperwhites and certain lilies, which, to me, smell like rank garbage.. My son thinks lilac scent is unpleasant. This must be a genetic thing.
What a curious thing about the flower scents you and your son find unpleasant. How lovely you get to spend time watching and enjoying the birds. I always find it fun when I spot a new-to-me bird and have to start searching the guides to see if I can identify it.
all I can say is wow.
your passion far reaching scope layers upon layers is truly beautiful and inspiring.
thank you for sharing this ..it has struck a very deep note in me …
It’s lovely when those deep notes get activated.
Hari OM
Well, yet again I seem to have skipped letters (this is happening with one other blog at the moment – but I did go back and read, so know that you were Heard!
Indagator could be one of my names! I love to follow various paths of learning and to have two or three at any given time to make sure not to become one-dimensional! It might be said that I like to ensure that each day I have at least three gems of knowledge herded “in-da-gate”… 8~{>
YAM xx
“in da gate” – your sense of wordplay delights me!
Oh, loud cheers for cross-pollination! I’m always drawn to digging around in the things with multiple connections calling off in all different directions.
Black and White: I for Isles
It’s a fabulous compulsion, isn’t it?
What a fun word. I am investigating making how-to videos. Also investigating some new ways of crafting. I am loving layering and collaging.
How fun Janet! And I have no doubt you’ll master the how-to videos.
You tell your tale beautifully – my book idea also came to me in a dream…
I love that!
It sounds like an amazing project! I recently visited a museum where they had some perfume scent samples in the Egyptian exhibit. It smelled so lovely! I can’t wait to hear more 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
I’ve heard and read about that exhibit and wish I had been able to experience it. However, the woman responsible for the “scentscapes” you experienced was the Egyptologist teaching the course I mentioned. Small world, no?
That is such an interesting word. I am investigating ways to be more sustainable.
Oh, excellent!
Meandering is how we see the most and remain open to new paths. I went to a parfumerie once in the south of France (Grasse) and the way they described mixing the various scents was fascinating, as well as the role and the talents of the “nez.” (the nose)
Sounds like a fabulous and fascinating experience Margaret. Nez is the name of a lovely bi-annual olfactory magazine, the only periodical devoted to scent and the sense of smell. I love when a copy arrives, and I can settle in to devour it. Because I’m a natural botanical perfumer and am not interested in materials fabricated in or tampered with in a lab, there is certainly lots that doesn’t pertain to me. But there are always treasures to discover. And how does it get better than that?
What an interesting word! It’s something I’m certainly guilty of. I start looking up one mall thing and can end up falling down rabbit hole after rabbit hole for an entire afternoon if I don’t watch out!
LOL – ah the joys of rabbit holes!
After meandering with you through your post, I read Jade’s comment and smiled– You are a butterfly– okay, okay– a bee that buzzes over many blooms to collect her honey.
Getting to know your process via this post puts an idea in my head–how wonderful it would be to be your apprentice in this project.
I can’t recall a single dream where my sense of smell was active. Your dream reminds me of our local souq in Doha which has an amazing spice section–many, many intertwining lanes of fragrant and colourful spices and spice mixes on display. Maybe, I’ll prepare a post about it one day:)
I love not only how you’re defining unique words each day, but sharing such interesting stories. I can definitely relate to this one!
Love the following of whispers from the universe. When I notice them, I am always excited, because I know I’m on the right path.
I am gathering family recipes for a cookbook, that grew from a pre-Thanksgiving conversation among cousin. We realized we all were going to have to cook everything, instead of only a few assigned items, and we had no recipes for things as simple as sweet potatoes or cranberry sauce.
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
Sounds like a fun project Beth and a great pragmatic solution to a problem who would have guessed we’d have.