"You're so talented" and other malignant myths.

There were many things that spurred me on to create The Craft Sessions, but one of the biggest drivers was hearing the words "You're so talented" when someone saw something I had made. Now before I sound totally ungrateful, I know that the person saying "you're so talented" to me, is trying to be kind and complimentary. But the way the statement is often used implies that the crafter in question, in this case me, has a special quality that means that I can make beautiful things due to the magic of talent.

Talented is a quality that you either have or you don't, because talent isn't something that one works towards, is it? Talent creates a divide between those that make things, and those that wish they could. The concept of "you're so talented" really bugs me - really really bugs me - because I think that the idea of people being "talented" is so deflating and discouraging to so many people. AND for what we do - which is craft for joy - talent has nothing to do with it.

So bear with me while I explain why I have such an issue, and why I think that talent is totally irrelevant. 

So let's say we are runner's rather than crafters. Most of us runners are simply looking to put on our sneakers and go out for a run around the block. We aren't concerned too much about our speed or the finesse with which we run. We just want the exercise and the joy of running. Obviously this joy only happens once you get past the initial six week hump, which in crafting equates to the "learning to sew/knit/quilt" hump. As we get better we might want to improve our technique, so we might start reading the odd article about footstrike, or maybe join a running club. We may want to start challenging ourselves to get fitter and improve our speed, so that we get a bit more enjoyment out of it.  But - and here is the key - we aren't trying to become Olympic athletes - we are just trying to go for a run. Now, if you were wanting to be an Olympic athlete, you probably need some natural born talent. All we are looking to do is run around the block (enjoy making some stuff), and maybe eventually do a fun-run here and there. Talent is not necessary. Practice is.

It goes without saying that the internet has been a total game changer where craft is concerned. It has given us access to techniques and skills that previously existed in silos of local knowledge. We have been able to learn to craft (in my case knitting) without having someone teach us in person. But the biggest thing it has done is inspire us. There are so many amazing (talented? ;)) people making so many beautiful things. However, there is a dark side to all the inspirational joy we get from looking at what others make. The prevalence of beautiful pictures without context, can sometimes have the opposite effect on us, leading us to make less not more, as we struggle with the idea of being less "X" than someone else. Questions arise; "How do they make something so beautiful", "Look at their gorgeous finishing", "Look at their perfect topstitching", "How do they make so many things, when I can't find the time to do one?". And those questions can stifle us, deflate us and ultimately lead us to not make. 

These contrasting feelings of inspiration and deflation can coexist. I wrote on Wednesday about the uber-inspiring Gee's Bend book, which on the one hand floors me and encourages me, but on the other hand deflates me with feelings of "there is no way I could ever make something that beautiful". I think I said to something to Anna over coffee this week about a quilter in the book being "genius". She gently (mockingly?) reminded me that I had just been talking about writing this blog post. Whoops.

A reality check is needed. The quilts are in the book because they are so clever. The pictures people post on the internet get posted because the person is proud of their work and they are pretty. People don't tend to put sub-standard quilts in books, nor do they post sub-standard work on the internet. They often don't talk about the ten/twenty/thirty quilts they made before they made the one in the book. I don't often post pictures of the many ugly jumpers I made before I made a pretty one. Or if I do, I post it in it's best light. 

Practice.

I strive for The Craft Sessions to be a place where we find balance in this. Yes - I post pictures of the pretty but I try to temper it with reality. Like that the buttonholes on the birthday dress are sewn all the way through the bib of the dress. Or that I ripped the yoke of the colourwork jumper out six times before I got it to something approximating wearable. Yes - I want you to find inspiration in the things I post - but I also want to talk about the reality. I want you to feel encouraged rather than discouraged by what you see here. I hope I've found some balance.

One final thing; Yes - there are talented people. But for most of us "talented" doesn't actually matter, and it dismisses the largest factor that affects a person's ability to make the things they want to make, and that is practice. Practice and practice and experience and making mistakes. 

This post is me setting the scene for a brand new blog series we have starting soon. It's all about the journey. I can't wait to share it with you. You're going to love it.

As always - I love hearing your thoughts...

Felicia x

Stash Less - Taking Stock

The series where we talk about having a thoughtful stash.

So last week I talked about identifying the reasons why we stash. Which was an incredibly useful way of figuring out how to create change - I loved your comments too - but this week for me was all about getting practical. And the first step was looking at what I actually have, and seeing whether I could figure out practically how I purchase, what I purchase, and if possible figure out why. 

And it was really interesting. What I found was many many things I have purchased without thought. Many things where I'm not quite sure why I purchased them. For example, I have two metres of BRIGHT YELLOW linen that is of a skirt weight. I don't really want a bright yellow skirt…..and I don't remember ever wanting a bright yellow skirt. I can't for the life of me figure out what it was for, especially as 2m would be a lot for a skirt?  

My stack of rainbow linen. Including 2m of yellow. I worked out that this stack alone is worth over $300. 

And a stack of blue linen. And some grey linen. And some stripes. 

I'm not sure if my stash is large or small. I know it isn't huge, but in a way that isn't that relevant. What is relevant is it's thoughtlessness.

So here is what I have learned: 

1. I buy yarn in smaller than useful batches. I like a yarn, I think it is pretty and I want some. I don't want to buy a sweaters worth (as that would be excessive ;)) so I buy a little. And a little isn't that useful. So it sits there. Three balls of wool over and over.

This chest contains my yarn stash. 

The bright stack. And the Nani Iro I often avoid using. That gorgeous black down the bottom is about 6 years old.

2. I buy bright fabrics that catch my eye in a store, but they aren't what I want to wear, and they aren't what I want the kids wearing, so they sit unused.

3. I don't use scraps because I keep buying for the next project, so I always have something new and shiny to play with. Therefore I am super inefficient with fabric. I have lots of pieces of 0.5m or less. Lots. 

4. I have a massive mending pile. And again, it sits there because I often have something new to play with, instead of working with what I have. 

5. I avoid using fabrics and yarns I really love. I'm worried that I won't love what I make. I'm worried that if I use it for one project I won't be able to another (classic opportunity cost avoidance). I'm worried that I haven't thought up the "perfect" project.

Avoiding getting started on the new colour work cardy. I really want it to be perfect so I'm just not starting. Good plan hey?

6. I keep some of my supplies in sweater form. I have made many ill-fitting sweaters over the years as I have been practising in the gap. And instead of accepting that mistakes are how you learn, and addressing the fact that they will never (EVER) be worn, I leave them in the cupboard as monuments to learning. And that is being generous to me and my motivation. I've started addressing that this week. 

I'd love to hear about your stash - what it looks like and why.

Felicia x

Previous post: Stash Less - Why we stash!

Note: I wanted to clarify, in case you have missed earlier posts (or I confused you) that I'm not saying I want to go stashless. I love having a stash. I believe in a stash. But I want to have a mindful stash. I'm saying that I want to reduce my stash and reduce my stashing behaviour - so I want to stash less often, As Kasia said in the comments last week "if I'm not making just collecting, I'm basically hoarding right?" I don't want to be a hoarder. 

Stash Less - Why we stash?

The series where we talk about having a thoughtful stash.

OK. So I titled this post "Why we stash" but I'm going to talk about me to start with. I would love to hear your reasons in the comments as I'm sure I haven't yet uncovered all my reasons. What I do know is that a standard part of beating any addiction, be it cigarettes, sugar, you name it, is looking at your motivation. In order to beat it you have to understand your triggers.  So here goes.

The addiction in question today is stashing, which leads to the question - "why am I over purchasing craft materials"? What is the point of it? How does it make me feel before, and after, I do it? What behaviours am I engaging in, that have led to me having a larger than desirable stash? It's been on my mind a lot, and I have found a few initial answers.

The first is about lifestyle. Until my family recently went through our life change, I had a partner that worked a lot and I had three very small kids. As such, I suffered from a common modern ailment called time poverty. And what made it worse is that I had a lot of time to think. Doing housework for five people, especially when that includes three small grubby ones, means that I  had oodles of time to dream up wonderful projects and objects and ideas while doing things that I was trying to not think about so much, like the washing. Not very mindful I know, but I have never mastered the practice of being able to be in the moment when sweeping. Instead I go to some happy creative place. The thing is that to create all those wonderful things I obviously needed materials and I didn't have much time to go shopping. I may have shopped big when I had the chance, and done a bit of online purchasing, so that when I could make the projects and objects and ideas I had the things on hand. But see the thing was I was time poor, so I didn't get to tackle even a fifth of the "amazing" ideas. Purchasing was a way of getting the thrill of making, without having the time to actually do the making. Sometimes by the time I got to look at the materials, I often couldn't even remember which passing idea I had purchased them for.

The second is another modern ailment - fear of missing out (FOMA). I buy linen when I see a perfect colour because I know I only see it rarely. I buy Nani Iro when it comes out and I love it because I know it is in limited supply and the most beautiful prints sell fast. I buy it even if I don't have a project for it. I do this with other seasonal prints as I know I don't find ones I love often, so when I do I purchase without even having a project in mind. 

A stack of yarn that I've owned for years and never used as the colour isn't quite perfect.

The third is one is even more painful to write as it is even more frivolous. I buy things just because they are pretty and I want to see them, try them, have them. I want to own the pretty things. Errgh. This one makes me like myself a little bit less ;) as it is not in line with my principles. In the last couple of weeks I have had big big urges to purchase some of tonofwool's gorgeous Cormo and also the new yarn from Woolfolk which comes in such pretty pretty colours. Some people like buying shoes. My weak spot is pretty materials.

The fourth one is that I buy because I am looking for perfection rather than making do with what I have. I could make a jumper from a yarn in stash and instead I try to match the pattern to the yarn to make perfection. Which is a totally valid thing to do. Totally. BUT it means that I am not using things that would be 90% right which is often good enough. And it also means that I miss out on the magic of some of the ideas that come from creating from what you have.

So what to do. Here is what I am going to try to do to combat each of these "triggers".

1. Time poverty - I'm going to go back to my visual diary and plan. I think I need to get real about what I actually have time for. Ouch!

2. FOMA - I'm not going to look. I'm not going to wander around the internet looking at shops. Pinterest yes, but online shops no. I'm going to make instead.

3. Owning the pretty - This one annoys me. I'm just going to shut. it. down. Yes they are pretty but if they are pretty without purpose then they make me less happy, not more. I'm going to remember what I tell my kids "stuff doesn't make you happy" and also the Mary Poppins quote "enough is as good as a feast". I have enough.

4. Perfection - I think I may have kicked this one in part. Since embarking on this challenge I have been wandering around my sewing room pulling things out with totally fresh eyes and I am super excited by some of the things I can make. The combinations I am going to get by making do are so exciting. I can't wait to show you some. 

As I said at the top of the post, I would love to hear your reasons too. 

Felicia x

P.S. You can find details of the Stash Challenge here and here. 

Craft as an equal

So I met this bloke, let's call him Mick, at a bar the other night who was a friend of a friend. And we had the pedestrian "what do you do?" conversation. Him "I'm a painter. And a trader and I do a little teaching". And I felt the thing that I always do when I meet a person that identifies themselves as an artist - I felt an impressed, kind of good-on-you respect. The question was then reciprocated. Me "I'm a parent mainly, but also a crafter, and I run a craft retreat". And he said "Oh". And the "Oh" had weight and a flat, falling intonation. 

I was at the aforementioned bar with my very good friend Anna who helps run The Craft Sessions. Before we met Mick, we had been talking about the dividing line (or not) between art and craft, which as a conversation falls into the oldie but a goodie category.

At this point I want to say that I have no solid opinions, or conclusions, from the many conversations I have had over the years on this topic. Some people seem to be very clear on it. I'm still not. My brain gets in a tangle just thinking about it, which is why I find it so interesting. For example are Meg Callahan's quilts art? Or craft?

After Mick said his initial "Oh", I jumped on my small soap box (or on this occasion bar stool) and had a little bit of a rant. "See Anna, that is exactly what I am talking about. There is discrimination based on my mode of creative expression. There is a respect afforded to art that doesn't exist for craft, unless someone crafts for a living, and therefore calls themselves a craftsperson. Craft as a hobby has no respect." 

I love this kind of discussion with Anna. She is so clever I know if I put my ideas out there, she will help me come up with better ones, and often prove me totally wrong ;). Smart as a whip she is.

Then Mick pipes up and says something along the lines of "well what do you make?". I say "mainly clothes", and he again says "Oh", with a similar intonation. Anna shows him a few of my photos on instagram and he says something along the lines of "Wow" and then " ….but in reality, it is a cardigan. What do you want? Are you asking for it to be called art?" 

A valid question. And no, that is not what I am asking for. I guess I just feel a little frustration over the fact that the divide between Art and Craft sometimes seems to include such a large amount of snobbery. When my new friend Mick says he is a painter people assume he is doing something worthwhile. When I say I'm a crafter I feel people assume I make ill fitting jumpers in acrylic yarn. And maybe I'm being totally paranoid but I feel like there isn't yet an appreciation of just how skilled our crafting community is…. or how things have changed with the rise of the internet and the now global sharing of craft techniques and skills. In my opinion craft should be seen as an equally skilled and valid form of creative expression. And sometimes it's not. 

I spoke to Anna the next morning and she said she had some clarified ideas for me which I can't wait to hear. Sadly we haven't found a moment to discuss it this week, so to continue the conversation I would totally love your opinions and thoughts on this topic.

Do you clearly define art and craft? Does it matter to you? Do you feel the art/craft divide? Or in your part of the world are they a seamless continuum? Do you think that I am totally wrong about the snobbery aspect and getting frustrated/paranoid over nothing? Anything else you want to bring up?

I really do learn something new from the comments with each post - and this is a topic I feel I never really get my head around. I can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Felicia x

PS. You are welcome to enter the giveaway of some of Kirsten's new Shibui patterns. Details in my last post. I've been loving all the suggestions so far - so thank you! I'll close the comments on Sunday night.

Stash Less - The details of the challenge.

The series where we talk about having a thoughtful stash.

So this challenge is all about consciousness, and making the choice to stash less. As I said in the last Stash Less post, I believe in a stash. However, I want to get concious about how purchasing works in this context. Why I do it. What I like about it. What I don't like. How it affects what I make. What do I want to change about how I act.

I loved reading your comments on the last stash post*. So interesting that many of you feel the same, and that many of you had made a decision to make changes. For me I think changes have already occurred just by deciding to do it. Consciousness has been raised. And there will be more to come I'm sure.

But we don't start talking about the good stuff until the next post. This week I want to tell you the details of how this thing is going to go down.

So I'm going to restrict my spending. But because this isn't about deprivation, but rather about exploration, I'm going to allow a little spending. I don't want it to be too hard. I do want it to be thoughtful.

I'm thinking of a budget of about $50 per month but there are some guidelines about what and how it can be spent.

Stash Less - The Guidelines

1. The $50 is inclusive of spending on tools, materials including things like cottons, needles, etc, and….oh yes…..books! Ouch!

2. I will be making from stash. As such I can only purchase supporting materials for projects that are majority made from the stash. For example - I make a frock using stash fabric but don't have a zip, or buttons. Or I make a quilt from stash but need something special for the binding. I see myself buying things like cotton, interfacing, buttons, etc.

3. I am able to buy yarn for one adult sweater for me during the year. This needs to be concious and thought out. And this money comes from within the budget.

4. I'm going to keep track of and report on what I spend once a month. I'll be posting I'm guessing every two weeks or so about how it is going. I promise to be totally upfront about my successes and my failures. 
 

More guidelines may come and/or these may be subject to change depending on what I discover. I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts on my proposal or if you feel like joining me. 

Felicia 

* I'm so sorry I haven't got to answering them yet. Busy week with school going back!