It survived a tumble in a suitcase across the ocean. It managed to escape breaking at the grabby hands of my 4-year old. It also teetered on the edge of the bed one morning thanks to my 2-year-old daughter, but never fell.
The hand-painted statuette my mom made when she was a little girl, it’s pastel pink dress and creamy white angel wings, was like the traveling gnome prank, always showing up somewhere new in our house. But now it’s gone to artifact heaven, that place where all the little tchotchke’s go when they’re broken. Fitting that the word tchotchke is from Yiddish* – my mother’s family spoke it, and I wonder if my bookish, clutter-oriented grandmother would be dismayed I have so few of them now.
At a time when I’m paring down stuff, it surprises me how hard it is to accept that the ceramic is gone.
How do you say goodbye to an object that is emotionally laden?
It’s timely that the theme of the inaugural issue of MOTIF Mag is Nostalgia. It’s cover is graced with a retro feel, but a quick peek inside shows nostalgia can take on a fresh look.
I’m proud to have designed the logo and title of this enticing and lovely free online magazine. Partnering with
Lara Cory and
Tegan Pasley, we created a motif, no less, for a theme-oriented magazine welcoming talent, skills, and ideas from readers related to the next issue. I hope you’ll subscribe and seep yourself in the world of nostalgia.
*The OAD says the first usage of tchotchke was in the 60’s, Merriam-Webster the 70’s. Regardless of when it came into parlance, the little effigy I moved from ramshackle apartment to apartment in the Midwest and then over to Turkey, was made in 1955, born just in time to fit the definition.
