Life has been ticking along since my last post, way back in 2015. We're all a little older, maybe a little wiser.
My children have completely finished school, which is great, because I was never really good with the routine of school.
Days have consisted of waking at a reasonable (but not too early) hour, eating breakfast and then getting work stuff (as in, my partner's business, the one that actually makes money) done. Some days, I powered through it. Other days, my mind wandered and it would take me 8 hours to do a 2 hour job, thanks to distractions via the internet.
I'd reward myself with a full day of crafting, or op-shopping or just watching something on tv. Some weeks, when I needed to spend hours on end at the computer, I'd know that there was a carrot at the end of the stick, to keep me on track. That carrot was to go away to Tolmie (in the Victorian High Country) for a few days. It is a place with limited wi-fi, a very small tv (with no streaming service) off grid power (which blacks out if too many things are plugged in) and limited cooking facilities. I love it , because it forces me to plan my meals ahead, plan whatever craft project I want to work on or basically, get outside and be out in nature. It's not uncommon for me to potter around outside in 2°c weather and think nothing of it. Whereas when I'm at home, I'm cold when it's 15°c.
Due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns here in the state of Victoria, I was only able to go to Tolmie a hand full of times in 2020. I found it hard, but for the sake of the regional communities, I didn't try to break the rules like some others. I figured I'd wait it out and things would calm down and then 2021 would see things returning to normal and travel to regional areas being relaxed.
2021 arrived with a whimper (as New Year's Eve celebrations were discouraged, due to Covid) and I made a promise to myself that I would have some sort of plan when it came to my creativity. I'd played around with lots of new fibre based projects in 2020 and had a slew of unfinished things hanging around, with no cohesive theme or vision.
I tried canvas embroidery, using supplies that I had sourced from Op-shops and Reverse Art.
As usual, I didn't plan it out, so it ended up being a bit of a random mess. I enjoyed the process, but it's not something I'll revisit much, as it was labour intensive for an outcome I didn't love. Maybe one day I'll make some patches or necklaces using this technique, but for now, I've ticked it off my "things to try" list and am moving on.
I looked at some of the things I'd made over the past year and wondered how I could improve, or why I made them in the first place.
This brooch came about by trying to think of ways to use the many beads I have. It was originally going to be a patch that would get sewn onto a wall hanging. I finished it, made the padded frame for it to be displayed on and now it sits in my bathroom, looking pretty but gathering dust.
So a plan was formed. In 2021, I'd sketch, research, work to themes etc, just like a designer.
I felt invigorated and renewed to create. As things were starting to open up after the crushing lockdowns in 2020, I could go to places that often inspired me, like antique centres or vintage markets. And I could source more books (particularly vintage embroidery and needlework).
I started a sketchbook with my chosen theme and set to work, filling it with ideas and pushing myself to find my style. I also grabbed lots of materials from all of my favourite places, like Vinnies, Savers, Resource Rescue and from markets and vintage sheds.
I started to see the ideas changing from random skctches and collages, to something that could be recreated in fabric. I wanted to loosen up and create something textured, vibrant, using age old techniques and a wide variety of materials, but also create something modern. I created a very loose ink scribble on a scrap of paper, and this was the first piece I wanted to create in fabric.
It took me 4 months just to get to that point.
I grabbed various materials from my (recently reorganised) studio and set to work creating the finished wall hanging. Some days I worked on it for hours. Other days, it sat on my desk, untouched. It would be another 2 months before it was mounted on the hanger and hung on the wall.
Not long after I had finished this piece and had gotten through all of the EOFY work that had kept me tied to my desk, Victoria went into another Covid-19 lockdown. We were told 1 week, which was ok.
We'd had a snap 7 day lockdown earlier in the year so it wasn't a new experience, just a minor blip to any plans that were made. But we were seeing what was happening in NSW with the number of infections, and things weren't looking good. Our 1 week got extended for another 2 weeks. Then, before that 2 weeks was even up, more restrictions were imposed, including the travels bans to regional areas, mask wearing at all times and a curfew from 9pm until 5am. Everything ground to a halt again. All outings that I had booked were shelved for the time being (one has been rescheduled to 6th Sept so my fingers are crossed!)
I spent more time sleeping and stayed up later, binge watching The Magicians. I had a rope wall hanging that I'd started on a whim one day, so that kept me amused for a short while. Once again, I was trying to allow myself to just experiment with the materials I had on hand and create something fun. I finished that last week and am really pleased with the results. But again, it was time intensive, did my neck no favours as I hunched over at my desk and is probably not something I'll try to make again anytime soon.
So now, I've hit a wall. I've reached a point where I am mentally fatigued. I've spent too much time on Twitter, being angry and disheartened at what is going on with society. I'm angry at those in power, using this pandemic for political point scoring.
I'm creatively drained. And creativity is the one thing that gets me through difficult times. So hopefully, we can get back to living a normal life soon, even if the "new normal" isn't quite the same as the old one.
