MAA-Podcast-003: Poetry, Memory, and Art with Jenny Kander

Jenny Kander (Bloomington, Indiana)

Born in South Africa, Jenny Kander traveled throughout her life. For years she has written poetry and made collages. After a stay in the hospital, she started making dolls that are both whimsical and serious. The dolls she makes blends her love of needlework with storytelling, allowing her to conjure fanciful worlds and characters. Often her creations offer a subtle commentary on the world and her life. 

For Jenny,  writing poetry and making dolls is a kind of meditative practice. She explains, “I'm no good at meditating--in the classic meditation style-- but I certainly meditate when I'm sewing.” In fact, she gets lost in her creative practice. She will start making a doll, and time passes quickly. She explains that she will start to feel hungry and look at her watch, and realize that she had been sewing straight for hours. This compression of time that often accompanies a creative practice is called “flow” and happens when someone engages fully in a pursuit. In addition to the quickening of time, those who experience flow often benefit from increased focus, enjoyment, and energy through the process. 

“I didn't do anything creative that I can remember. Not that my memory is great, but I don't think I did. It's been latterly that I'm enjoying life more and more. The older I get, and the more meaningful it is. So I've spent a lot of time wondering, where creativity comes from. And as long as we know how to express it.”--Jenny Kander