(The next instalment from Kawashima Textile School…)
By Day 4 of school it is time to prepare the warp (and by now I am secretly wondering whether I actually get to do any weaving at all…!) I cannot believe how much preparation goes into this craft, and I will never look at a piece of fabric in the same way again. Respect to professional weavers!
Back soon, preparing the loom…
(Earlier posts here: (1) Preparing and dyeing the thread, (2) Preparing the giant bobbins
(Part 2 of my tales from Kawashima Textile School…)
Once all the threads have been dyed, they need to be put onto big wooden bobbin-type things. When I think of the word bobbin I think of the tiny metal thing that goes in my sewing machine – but these wooden bobbins (‘kiwaku’ in Japanese) are huge!
This stage is important in order to stop the threads getting tangled when you prepare the warp (coming up in the next post).
All these things I didn’t know I didn’t know…
Next time we get the warp ready…
For the past couple of weeks I have been studying weaving at Kawashima Textile School in the north of Kyoto. It was a wonderful, quiet reflective experience, where I was treated to one-to-one tuition. Over the next few days I will share a series of posts showing the process that I learnt.
I will begin with dyeing the thread… First I tried natural dyes, and loved going out into the school’s garden, picking biwa (loquat) leaves and using them to colour the wool. I also tried ‘yamamomo’ which translates as ‘mountain peach’.
Depending on the metal-based ‘mordant’ used, a range of colours were possible. These (above) are the six colours I ended up with using natural dyes. And then I tried chemical dyeing…
Weighing out the chemicals to get the exact colour mix I had chosen
The lovely Hori-sensei, Master of Colour, shows me how to dye evenly
I also tried acid dyeing, which produced a more vivid palette.
These are the threads I used for weaving during my time at school.
Stay tuned for more in the coming days…
When we decided to come out to Japan to spend a few months, I knew that one of the things I wanted to do was take some lessons in photography/styling. Out here they call it ‘photostyling’, and they even have a formal association for it.
I found a teacher here in Kyoto who lives out west, among a green expanse of paddy fields. Once a month I have to take a sweet little train for 20 minutes or so, away from the city, past a stunning gorge and out to the beginning of the countryside. I love the little adventure, and the prospect of learning more about my beloved camera (as well as learning how to take better photos of all that lovely stationery…)
This month’s theme was flowers – and in an attempt to understand more about the different settings on my camera, I took a lot of shots of the same thing! It was interesting to see how the light and shadows changed between each image. Can’t wait to find out more…
Today’s shared stories come from Cris Gladly and Veronica Funk.
“Once upon a time, not very long ago …
I was living a very different life.
It was a small life.
A lonely life.
I was a bird in a cage.
A million different stories begin like this.
Mine. Possibly yours.
So many great adventures seem to begin in dark places.”
————-
This is how the story of Doing What I Love begins.
Why?
Because I have been afraid my entire life.
All of the time.
Of just about everything.
Then, I woke up one morning (after 18 dark, disconnected years)
and decided: I’m tired of that!
So I kicked open the cage door of my old life,
and flew out on untried wings into a world entirely new.
And now my days are spent pushing past fear.
And doing this is “doing what I love”.
Not because it is easy or comfortable.
Oh my gosh, it is soooo NOT remotely either of those things.
But because it is honest.
And living an honest life is the only way to live that makes any sense to me.
So in this new world, I live into this honesty
by using my love affair with words to tell my story.
After years and years of calling myself “a writer” without actually writing,
I finally launched a blog, called Gladly Beyond,
where I share the story of this newly unfolding journey.
The ups and downs of it.
What is beautiful and difficult about it.
It’s a story about what is real, for me.
The world as I see it through these brand new eyes of mine.
The process of sharing my Self in this way
has been powerfully transformative for me.
There was something about fully and unapologetically stepping into
the truth of my Self
that prompted all of the bullsh*t in my world
to simply crumble and fall away …
Projects that did not nourish me creatively …
Connections that depleted my energy …
Relationships that did not honor me …
Just blew away on the wind.
No fighting. No fuss.
Just “bless you, but be gone.”
It’s scary some days.
It has been lonely.
But I am more authentically and loving tethered in my Self
then I have ever been before.
My happiness is honest.
My grief is honest.
And what I share of my Self with others is more deep and true.
I am my real Self now.
And this, I love!
Because when you give up trying to be your “best self”
and embrace being your “real self”
everything that is beautiful about you shines through.
There is an element of breathing room that manifests.
A breeze of possibility that blows in.
The sky itself expands for you.
And so now, what lies ahead, as my wings strengthen,
is even bolder and more playful exploration into that expanse.
As my business organically evolves and grows
I have taken on two new “fear” sub-projects under its wing.
The first is an unofficial research project exploring the attributes of true love,
called Solo Me. The second, which I am ridiculously excited + scared out of my mind about
is an exploration project about exploring the very world itself,
called The Terrified Traveler™.
And so the path ahead holds much the same as the path behind:
Pushing past fear.
Opening up and being honest.
And doing, as bravely as I am able, with heart wide-open, what I truly love.
[All images courtesy of Cris Gladly.]
Find out more about Cris on her website.
I’ve always felt ‘different’. During my school years this was a challenge. Academically I was doing just fine, physically (gym class) not so much. Though I got along well with others, I was skinny, small, shy and to top it all off, I received my first pair of glasses in sixth grade at a time when glasses were not fashionable at all.
But I was fortunate that, even though our northern school did not have an organized art program, the teachers incorporated art in as many ways as possible. They introduced us to a variety of professional artists with whom we had the pleasure of meeting – cartoonists, weavers, poets, photographers, and musicians.
In our language arts class, one area in which I actually excelled until I had to make a public presentation, we created maquettes of the theatres that were utilized during the time of Shakespeare, and we listened to the beauty of the words in the ballads of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. We were taught to stitch, bake and knit. And those of us who were interested in woodwork, leather and metal had the opportunity to learn to work with tools such as a lathe or an arc welder.
Our public library was also our school library with an attached community exhibition centre where we experienced art in all genres. It was in these spaces that I initially found my home.
Hours disappeared as I was exposed to a great variety of art and craft, and to the kindness of the artists and artisans who created them. Then, in eleventh grade, we moved across the country. It was a challenge to move at that age, but because I was in a larger school, I was able to study drafting, fashion design and ultimately fine art. I began the formal study of line, composition and colour, and was introduced to a great variety of media including clay, printmaking, ink, and paint. I was finally in my element.
As I grew up I was often told that I would not be able to make a living as an artist and as a ‘growing-up’ I have learned otherwise. Originally I followed the direction of others at a huge financial and spiritual cost to me but I have realized that each one of us needs to create our own path by doing those things we love.
For me, it is in painting and exhibiting my work, in writing and sharing my words, and in encouraging and supporting other artists as a Curator in my local public library and as a Director on a Board that supports the growth of the arts in my community.
I have learned that others respond to the passion of my heart and support me in this journey as long as I remain authentic and true to the core of my being. I am still growing and learning to trust my voice in this journey. I am learning to surrender myself to stillness so that I can be open to opportunities that lie ahead and that excites me.
[Images courtesy of Veronica Funk.]
To find out more about Veronica visit her website.
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Want to get closer to doing what you love? Why not join the transformational Do What You Love e-course, to identify your passion and make it a greater part of your everyday life? Class bustards soon. Find out more and register here.
The Japan Hobby Show was crazy. Literally thousands of craft lovers in one place, oohing and ahhing over buttons and ribbons, fawning over fabric, patiently queueing up for workshops.
And I was one of them!
I went to get some inspiration for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, and snapped some gorgeous eye candy – the images above and below are from my favourite stand from Scandinavian design company Tilda.
Now if this doesn’t make you want to stitch up an apron or cushion I don’t know what will!
I took a little workshop from Japanese collage artist and illustrator Yoko Inoue. Her work is really beautiful – she uses photos she takes herself, shrinks them down on a colour photocopier, then works them into gorgeous collages in muted colours.
In less than an hour there wasn’t much time to get into it, but it was fun to have a play around with all the free supplies! I used a couple of postcards of Lily Greenwood’s art in mine.
For the latest information about the Japan Hobby Show click HERE.
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I’m on a big adventure in Japan right now. If you fancy an adventure of your own why not join me for the Do What You Love e-course? Shake things up, expand your comfort zone, nurture your playful spirit and feed your creative soul. Identify your passion and make it a greater part of your every day life! Find out more and register here. But hurry, class starts soon!
It is really hard to put your finger on just what it is that Japanese people do that makes everything so beautiful, but there is definitely something. They have this aesthetic sense which I have never seen anywhere else in the world – simple, perfectly imperfect (see ‘wabi sabi’), treating space and shadows with as much respect as objects and light. Look at the photo above, taken in this lovely shop at Gotenzeki – a cluster of beautiful shops and cafes just of the main street in Yamagata City.. Someone has just put some berries on a stick next to a teapot, but somehow it is a work of art!
And the buildings at Gotenzeki below – so serene yet cool at the same time. I know I will come back to this time and again while here, but this gorgeous little arcade of shops and cafes (designed by Yamagata-born sports car designer Ken Okuyama) really got me thinking…
The coolest drainpipe I have ever seen
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I am currently on a big adventure in Japan. If you fancy an adventure of your own, why not join me for the Do What You Love e-course (Japan edition!). Find out more and register here.
Just look at this work – isn’t it beautiful? British designer Helen Stevens is the talented surface pattern designer and illustrator behind the Surfacephilia brand.
Helen works through layering of illustration, collage and paintings with a unusual combination of geometrics and natural forms. We are thrilled that Surfacephilia is one of our fantastic contributors for the Surface Pattern Design E-course.
Surfacephilia has recently launched a new wallpaper collection and will be selling in Liberty’s of London. Helen’s designs have an uber cool edge with a level of beautiful detailed sophistication.
You can visit the Surfacephilia website HERE and connect on Facebook and follow on Twitter@surfacephilia.
As the second designer in this series highlighting talent from The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design e-course, I am excited to introduce you to Sian Elin. Sian is a fun, creative surface pattern designer and illustrator, who has “spent a lifetime seeing the world through pattern and colour; and observing how shape and form interact.’
There is a simple, naive beauty to her work that is so charming, and she clearly knows what she’s doing with a pen! To find out more about the designer or to see more work, check out her website.
We are pleased to announce that we are running a second series of the e-course! Join us and dive into the exciting world of surface pattern design! Find out more and register here.
Today’s shared story comes from Stephanie Gray, co-owner of Creative Nectar Studio – a safe haven for self-discovery.
I am finally doing it! I am living the life of my dreams by co-owning Creative Nectar Studio and sharing the gifts of process painting with those who are seeking greater authenticity.
It all began in 1998 when I attended my first process painting workshop with Sarah Oblinger. (Process painting means painting from the inside out. The idea is not to produce an end product that will hang on your wall, but to full engage in the creative process and honor howit wants to appear on the paper.) I was nervous about going because even though the description of the workshop clearly stated “no experience necessary”. I was still scared to look foolish. I had never taken an art class of any kind and I was sure my painting would be the worst. But something was stirred deep inside me at the possibility of it all. I had to try. Something shifted for me during that weekend workshop. The process had already begun working on me in very subtle ways.
There was something about the combination of Sarah’s soothing yet powerful questions she would ask when I became stuck in my painting and the magic of the creative process, that stayed with me weeks after I had left the workshop. I guess I really knew then that the process work would be with me for the rest of my life.
In less than a year I was helping Sarah with the studio prep work for her weekly classes and in turn I was able to paint at an affordable rate. Shortly after that a studio was built in the basement of my house and Sarah was holding weekly classes there. I discovered painting 2 to 3 times a week was knocking things loose for me and I was on my way to really getting to know myself. I also realized painting was providing me powerful tools I could take into my life away from painting. Although the studio in my basement was only open for a year, it was during that time.
I met my now business partner Jenny Hahn. She had been painting in the classes and her journey was knocking things loose for her too. She was unlearning what she was taught in art school and discovering how it felt to be spontaneous within the creative process.
Because the painting was in fact transforming me and the way I wanted to live my life, I ended up moving to California and sadly leaving the studio behind. I stayed in California a year but had to return home to Mission Kansas because it was becoming clear my father was very ill. That was the beginning of a very dark time for me. Within a 6 year period I lost my father to cancer, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and in the middle of helping care for her my fiance left me. I was lost. Painting had fallen away because I was taking care of my mother, working full time and grieving the loss of my father and my partner. It seemed I didn’t have time to do anything else.
But at some point it became too much for me and I knew the thing that would help me most was to paint. Luckily, Jenny had a studio in her attic and she was offering classes. It was wonderful to reconnect with her and to paint with others again. I worked through my grief with paint and because we didn’t comment on each other’s paintings during a workshop, I felt free to paint whatever wanted to appear. Some images were sad and some were really dark but having the freedom to express them in a safe environment allowed things to shift over time and I painted through the grief. Jenny and I decided to facilitate a few Saturday workshops together in her attic and I think it was then that we started realizing how powerful this work was and that we needed to share it with as many people as possible.
Things didn’t happen overnight. We both had fulltime jobs and I still had a mother that needed lots of care. But 4 years and more life challenges later, we were both ready to take the leap of faith and do whatever it took to make the dream we had for Creative Nectar Studio a reality. Once I knew what I was supposed to do with my life, the old ways of being and moving through the world no longer worked for me, So I quit my job of almost 10 years. It helped that Jenny had done the same only a few months before me. I had a retirement fund I cashed in and , although i was very scared, I felt alive for perhaps the first time in my life. It’s been a year now that the studio has been open. Things are really starting to happen and although it can still get a bit scary at times, I know this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Now days you can catch me telling anyone who will listen that if you have something inside you begging to be born and know it will set your heart on fire, you must do it. I have been supported in ways I could not have imagined after taking that first step. There can be challenges along the way. You must be prepared for some things and relationships to fall away as you grow into who you always knew you could be. But, the payoff of expressing your true self in the world is far too big to ignore.
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” – Patanjali
To find out more about Stephanie visit her website or connect on Facebook or via Twitter @Creative_Nectar.
[Images courtesy of Stephanie Gray]
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Want to get closer to doing what you love? Why not join the transformational Do What You Love e-course, to identify your passion and make it a greater part of your everyday life? Find out more and register here.