Something Extra for June
My first post was published in June 2007, almost a year ago. I have a little sidebar widget over there –> that says right now that I have 13 days left until my blogoversary (c’mon, that’s not a word, is it?).
Anywho, it took me three days to decide, but in the end I wanted to do something special to mark my blogging anniversary month because my blog has been an unexpectedly influential force in my life for the last year. So I’ve decided to participate in NaBloPoMo(Fo) again for June. In case you were unaware, the organizers decided to continue the monthly blogging sprees with new themes for each month.
Home …
June’s theme is Home, so at the very least, each day I’m going to say something about some concept of what home means to me, from the simplest “home is … ” to the more absurd things I can contemplate.
Today’s concept of home, to coincide with that picture of my couch, is sanctuary. What you see in the picture is one thing that my home crafting exploits means to me, and that’s retreat and respite. I had a really stressful month of May, and coming home to that pile of yarn and books and my crochet hook was very therapeutic and necessary for me. I can get lost in the repetitive motion of the hook, and take comfort in my messy piece of couch and forget all the stress of the day.
Today is another example of how home is a sanctuary. I had a lot of nasty dental work done today, and I was not feeling very well by the time I got home. Frankly, I don’t know who’s writing this post, as I’m in medication la-la-land. I was so incredibly happy to get home and find my couch corner, a book and a blanket. I should also mention that it’s days like today I remember why my husband is so completely awesome, because he was absolutely the epitome of good husband-ness today, and even managed to make me feel like I wasn’t quite as pathetic as I looked.
See you tomorrow 
Indie Love
By now, most people who know me know I like handmade items a lot, but nonetheless I was so pleased that some took the time and spent the energy to get me gifts this year from craft fairs and Etsy. I know it’s almost two months since the holidays, but I don’t see some of my friends as often as I’d like, so some of these I’ve had for just over a week.
One thing I got from Jeff was spices, the Pepper and Lime seasoning to the left is one of my favorites, from a company called Cherchie’s from PA. I found Cherchie’s at a craft fair long ago. Although the business has grown, they’re still small enough to write a note on the packing slip! I think food is the best part of craft fairs. I like all of it, but I really like people’s cooking and spices. Like the hot sauce festival I went to. I guess I just like meeting people who are into their food. I love food.
… Right! I was getting hungry there. Two good friends also gave me handmade things: the pretty coffee cozy is from the bright and cheerful Etsy shop Dizzlepop, and is a simultaneous nod to my obsessions with coffee, daisies and indie. The Murano-esque earrings are from one of Austin’s oldest street-fair-craft-places down on the “Drag” across from the University of Texas. The fair’s been there forever, from way before DIY became cool and the founders of Etsy were born.
The next item was from husband again, who is lovely, and finds that buying me presents is ridiculously easy when I excitedly point out pretty things on the web to him. I also loved the packaging. The woman behind Shy Siren knows something about business - her products, presentation and marketing were all quite impressive.
These next items aren’t gifts (do gifts to self count?), but I purchased them at a shop called Parts and Labour that only sells local artists’ wares. I wanted to buy half the store, and my friend Melissa wanted the other half. Independent artists have long been popular here in Austin (we did/still do have a lot of hippies here, after all), and now is no different. Indeed, it’s been helped by the resurgence in interest in such things nationally.
D’you know, sometimes I meet people who believe that crafting as a business is a new modern thing (perhaps the ones who believe leg warmers are a new thing?). Hardly! We’re simply re-fashioning it in our own political and social image, as all cultures do. This shop is a good example of that sort of recent re-imagining.
Handcrafting as a business has long been a staple of western culture, even if the media has tried to convince us it’s not true and big companies have tried to marginalize the independent worker. Even the industrial revolution began and existed for some time as a mobilization of woman-centric home crafting industries. Handcrafting is also (as some craft-loving but not historically-minded people don’t realize) long been an important part of feminism, as the method by which many women granted themselves financial independence or provided for their families. Women’s handcrafting has saved several civilizations’ bacon by doing everything from lacemaking to brewing to scribing. The idea that women aren’t intelligent workers and valued breadwinners is a purely ridiculous and modern idea unsubstantiated by historical record.Hey, where did that come from? I just can’t quite help that I was a feminist social historian, it leaks out. Seriously, after all that social history I have the utmost respect for women and their crafts and the enormous historical impact they’ve had. Some young women seem to feel embarrassed by their knitting and I say Knit On, Sew On, your skills have had more of an impact than many philosophers could dream of.
2008 and counting
I’ve been contemplating 2007 via pictures, and thinking about what to write in my “it’s a new year” post. Shall I make resolutions? Shall I consider them a lost cause? Shall I stick to hoping I can get our holiday decorations down in time for spring? Hmmm …
I’m leaning toward making resolutions. I am going to endeavor to not make this into an opportunity to overachieve, but that’s such an integral part of my personality I am already okay with failing that part of it. Instead of specific things, though, I’m going to look at areas of my life I think need enhancement or improvement - things that would make me less frustrated and more happy.
Technological barriers: I think of technology as sets of tools, and although I’ve picked up some and use them frequently, I’m at the point where I need to either put some decent time and energy into what I’m doing or accept my limitations. I don’t really accept limitations well, so I’ll be giving myself some lessons in things, specifically Illustrator and PHP. I need to stop being an “expert dabbler” in complicated things because that’s just ridiculous and in the end, defeating when you can’t quite do what you want to on your own. I think doing this will give me a huge sense of relief and eliminate a lot of my frustrations.
Sense of accomplishment or completion: I really need more of this to feel better about my crafting in particular. I get fidgety and move between projects a lot, but I think that’s not a great approach. I need to put my energy into finishing the projects that have been languishing. I think this will make me worry less about things I’m not doing that I think I “should” be doing (I hate the word “should”). I also think it will allow for more creativity eventually when I can move the “stale creativity” (old projects) out of my head space. For example, the granny square blanket I began in 2005. So, no more new projects until I’ve completed the old ones. Applies to all things, but particularly my crocheting and sewing.
Spend time on things that are important to me: I get caught up pretty easily in minutiae & pointless activities (or sometimes endless reruns of Law and Order - you know how they start the next episode before the first is really done? So annoying.) and end up not doing the things that are really important to me, which leaves me feeling like the days are passing swiftly in an endless sea of repetitive nothingness. This is depressing. I should stop doing this.
Use more paper: No no, just kidding. This is an odd one, but it really means I want to write and draw more. It means I want more sort of “raw” self-expression. This is the antithesis to the finishing projects one above, and is all about not perfecting things, but just sort of sketching or doodling or playing with ideas and colors and techniques without needing to feel as though I have to finish something, or perfect it, or even see it through to some illogical end. I need to change up what I’m thinking about, and get my ideas out and into some kind of life, even if I look back at my 3-headed monster and shake my head in bewilderment later.
Be more thoughtful and intentional: Relatedly, I think the big projects I undertake this year should be few and very carefully chosen and most importantly - achievable. If I want a project, I think I ought to consider taking on small projects instead that have short life spans. It is part of the Crafter by Night (and weekends) problem that I must consider what I do and how I do it more carefully, and put my time to better use lest I feel as though I can’t accomplish anything and am just trying to get by. I have a lot of ideas, lots of energy, but … I can’t not sleep.
I hope with these resolutions that I will find that I can achieve my aim: to foster my creativity, cut down on being overwhelmed, and do things that give me joy. You know what? I really hope too that I don’t sound like a new-age self-help book, but I fear that I do. I guess we’ll see!!
