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The exhibit of textiles made by indigenous people from pueblos throughout Oaxaca was stunning. Fabric and traditional garments woven in white, cream, and black hung from the rafters like papel picado, billowing gently in the breeze made from the rain pounding heavily outside.

While studying textile design at RISD, I loved patterns and screen printing, but I found weaving hard. It had to be planned ahead, and followed line by line. It was challenging to have patience and trust that those lines were going to lead me where I wanted to go.

Lynda Barry writes that when children draw, they make lines and follow them and a picture emerges. They enjoy following the story that unfolds from the picture that unfolds from the lines. Teenagers tend to have an image in their minds of what the story should be, or what the world looks like, and they try to get it on the page by being as precise as possible. The end result often looks pained, and since it's impossible to get the world on paper, most give up on drawing.

Following lines, like following visions, a picture emerges and the story tells itself.