Making Time To Make -
Do It For The Process:
Making time to make in my humble opinion is such an important aspect of who so many of us are. I think to make you do not necessarily need to be ‘arty’ or ‘creative’ but to connect our bodies and minds in a practical sense is very therapeutic.
Ironic isn’t it that that running my jewellery I actually get less time to make than I ever did? In fact, I too have to carve out that time in my schedule to ensure I am still feeding my inner maker. With our ever developing technological world and ever more demands on our time, I see that it’s even more imperative that we are making time to make.
Grey linen studs made for month 4 #ProjectWabiSabi
Blue knot necklace made for month 2 #ProjectWabiSabi
Bronze earrings made for month 8 #ProjectWabiSabi
For me, my #ProjectWabiSabi last year was very much about committing to making. Every month I set myself the challenge to make a new piece of jewellery from a new material. By setting up my year and making myself accountable by putting it out there to the ether, I actually did it. Now, I’m not saying it was easy but I’ve found that I have to commit to it, to make it happen. Without setting myself some tangible goals, it simply doesn’t get done!
Making A Promise
For me, making time to make, really starts with a promise to yourself. That you will actually do some making and then in turn, ensuring this promise happens. I set out some promises (or resolutions, some might say) at the start of year. One of these resolutions was to do with taking some pleasure in making that was not business related.
I started a project over two years ago, reupholstering a 1970’s vintage Danish armchair. At the time I booked a 4 week evening course. At the end of the course, I had completed a footstool and unpicked all the fabric from my chair. But the chair remained unfinished. It’s sat there in my workshop making me feel like a failure, ever since. So my promise to myself was that this year I would complete the chair and have it in my home.
Making the 8 hour round trip to collect my beloved
Stripping the chair right back, to begin recovering
Covering disintegrating foam with wadding for longevity
Taking action . . .
Last week I attended a day’s workshop to undertake the next steps of bringing the chair back to life and I absolutely loved it! To be immersed in an activity all day long felt utterly indulgent! The space gave me such great thinking time too and it was really enjoyable to have my hands and brain challenged in new ways. I’ve realised that so many of the things that I used to do in my down time, are now so integrated into my business. Therefore, it was a real pleasure to revisit some freedom in making. I’ve made another promise that I will ‘allow’ myself more time like this in the coming weeks. I’m determined to accomplish the piece and be able to finally sit on it in my home.
At the beginning of the year, I also set out some aims for Saloukee. One of those was to develop further some of the pieces I created last year into fuller collections. (More on this in the coming months.) This was a commitment to making time to make, for myself. But I also feel passionately about spending some of my time developing an offering which empowers others to carve out time for their own art too.
Empowering Others In Their Making
My existing girls night in kit to enjoy with 4-8 friends
NEW workshop date in Shrewsbury – 4th June 2019
NEW necklace making kit, a craft box accessible to all
Make for the sake . . .
So my Saloukee Home (my jewellery making at home concept) kits are a reason to fulfill that promise, they are a way to carve out some me time, whilst spending time, making with friends. My jewellery workshop in a box kits are your permission to slow down and create. It’s the prompt you need to gather your gals and get your craft on! Then you can while away a relaxed couple of hours with these making kits and finish victorious with your very own Saloukee statement necklaces. Taking away a newly learnt skill that you can develop and return to, again and again.
I’d love to know what you do to slow down? What’s your ideal go to craft activity? When’s your next sit down session, where you are making time to make?