Dear Reader,

Last week’s newsletter was all about how artists view the world, and why it’s ok to call yourself an artist. So, this week I thought I’d talk about my process and how I make art. I was inspired by a book I picked up in the free library by Ann Lamott called, Bird by Bird. It’s a wonderful book that gives you practical, easy to manage tips on writing. The title of the book comes from an anecdote that she shares about her father and her brother, which was about breaking down large tasks into small, manageable steps. The book is highly informative, humorous, and down-to-earth. Even though, the book focuses on writing, some of the information could be applicable for other forms of art as well. In reading it, I realized that the way she approaches her writing is similar to what I do in my creative practice.

Just start at the beginning

Sometimes staring at a blank page or canvas can feel overwhelming. People often think that whatever they create has to be perfectly formed right away, but that’s absolutely not true. The best way to make art of any kind is to just start doing it. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Put that first word on the page, paint your first brushstroke, start composing that song on your guitar. Whatever it is that you want to create, just start doing it. What’s holding you back? These are the early stages of your work. No one has to see it but you. Or, no one has to ever see it. Take that first step. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think it’s good enough yet. It will be. Give yourself permission to just get all of those creative ideas out of your head and see where they go. This is your rough draft, where everything is still ruminating. Better to have that happening outside of your headspace so you can make more sense of it. It’s ok if you don’t like how things start out. You can always make changes along the way and find your direction. The journey is part of the experience. Your rough draft is a small, manageable first step in the creative process.

What type of artist am I?

I’m a multi-disciplinary artist who makes apparel, accessories, objects, and art. Fiber art is my main medium, but I also paint, work with clay, write, and play a couple of musical instruments. What makes it all cohesive,(or at least I think so), is the fact that all of the art I make within the confines of my business is sustainable. Everything I create comes from community donations, thrift stores, items I’ve recycled, etc. My writing and music don’t fall into the same category as that, but they’re still a part of who I am. I’ve been writing and playing music ever since I was a child.

Starting a project

Most people think that starting a project can be quite difficult. And, for some, it might even prevent them from creating anything at all. But, let’s take this one step at a time. Here’s how I do it. Before I start to work on a sewing or a crochet project, I might think of a basic garment I want to make. This could be related to what season it is, what yarn and fabric I have to work with, or maybe what is currently inspiring me. Sometimes it might be all of those things at once or perhaps none of them at all. What’s important is that I have an idea. The next step is to choose my materials. I’ll look through the huge wardrobe I have in my sewing room and start putting together colors, textures and prints, to see if anything stands out. I really enjoy this step. Especially when I find a way to merge prints and solids. That makes me so aesthetically happy. If my fabric isn’t inspiring me, then I’ll paint some of it. After this, I’ll gather up my materials and start sewing. The idea I have might turn out exactly how I thought it would, or not. It could take some turns along the way and I might end up making something completely different. But, this is a rough draft. It’s ok if that happens. I tend to know if I’m headed in the right direction, even if I don’t know quite where it will end up.

When it comes to starting a crochet project, it’s basically the same idea. Although, I think with yarn I always like to have some variegated colors mixed with solids, with a bit of textured yarn here and there. I also really love to pair yarns of larger and smaller weights together. While this can get tricky in terms of gauge, the textural effect is great. If I’m feeling stuck about what colors to put together, I think in terms of how they will compliment each other. If I have a dull or dark color, I might put a color that has more light or brightness next to it. When I use variegated yarns, I’ll try to find solid colors that work well with some of the colors in the variegation. Then I start choosing my yarns and a lay them all out on my sewing table. This is when I really feel like I start to see things taking shape regarding where I’m going with a crochet project. This step alone could let me know not only what the colors will be, but also what I’m going to make, just based on the yarns. I’m not saying that this step is always easy, but I really love it, even if the process is sometimes more difficult than I want it to be.

With painting and clay I tend to be even more free with my process. I usually have no idea what I’m going to make. It just happens along the way. But the process is more or less the same as what I do for sewing and crochet. The only difference is, that I often don’t have an idea when I start. The work takes shape as I go along and evolves until it feels complete.

I work on many different projects in all of these mediums at a time pretty steadily until they’re finished. Doing it this way allows me to have a fresh perspective on everything I’m making because I’m not burned out by working on just one project. I don’t tend to abandon projects very often unless I’m really not happy with how the work is coming together. Because I prefer to work intuitively, it allows me to release any expectation about the outcome and I’m able to feel free in the creation process.

Writing and music

When I write, I like to dive right in with a rough draft as quickly as possible, even if it’s just a paragraph. I work better and more quickly when I see my ideas on the page. Although, only recently have I been able to start writing on the laptop. There was a time when I could only write on paper first. Specifically legal pads and only with a pencil. Something about the sound that pencils make when you write. When I play music, that’s something that’s completely emotionally based. I’m not composing the music I play. I’ve tried, and I really suck at writing songs. I play music when I completely want to get out of my head and have fun. It’s even more of an escape for me than my other art practices are.

What do I do if I get stuck or unmotivated?

I almost never get stuck, but I certainly can feel unmotivated from time to time. When that happens, I just let it. Yep, that’s it. I let it happen. I never force the creative process. Usually it doesn’t take that long until the motivation comes back, and then I’m off and running. Another thing I do is work on things that have no parameters. Rather than lament about the fact that I’m not into sewing anything, I’ll make some fabric collages. If I don’t keep these in their original form as wall art, I might cut them up and make patches, bags, or pouches.

Currently I’m not too motivated to crochet anything. That usually happens when the seasons are close to shifting. It’s like I’m not ready to move on to the next season yet, but I know that if I make anything for winter now, then I’ll be waiting until the fall to sell it. So, I’m stuck in limbo, because the weather is still cold, which makes me not want to make things for spring/summer yet. It’s quite a conundrum, isn’t it? I’ve learned not to force things and just wait until I have an idea. In this case, deadlines are a big motivator for me. My next show is in April, so I’m sure I’ll be crocheting sooner than I think.

So, dear reader, if you’ve always wanted to make some art, just do it. Dive right in like you did when you were a kid and release any expectations or preconceived notions. Don’t worry about how it looks when you start or how it will turn out when you’re finished. Let your imagination run wild and don’t overthink it. May you make something beautiful. Something that exists because you created it. How amazing is that?

I truly appreciate all of you who choose to be here and read my newsletter.

xo,

Christa

Last week at a glance

• I started reading three new books. Bird by Bird (as you know), Inside of a Dog, and Bread of Angels. They’re all very different books. I feel like when you read different types of books all at once it can accommodate any capricious moods. My favorite of the three is Bread of Angels, which is the most recent book by Patti Smith. I love it.

• My kids and I took a walk with friends downtown.

• I made some new paper clay functional sculptures.

• I started using different recycled materials as armatures for my work. Pretty soon there won’t be anything left in my recycling bin at the end of a week.

• I wanted to start tufting, but I haven’t gotten there yet. I think I’m getting in my own way with this, because the first time I tried it didn’t work out that great. The reason for this was because the yarn and the frame weren’t properly oriented. I just have to take the first step, right? Maybe I should follow my own advice. I’m going to do it this week.

• I finished watching the most recent season of The Artful Dodger.

• I wrote here in a previous newsletter about how you can borrow albums on Hoopla. Well, last week I borrowed Little Earthquakes, by Tori Amos. I don’t think I’ve listened to that album in about twenty years. I still remember the first time I saw the Silent All These Years video. I couldn’t move. She’s a musical genius. I didn’t realize how much I was missing albums until I started doing this. An album tells a story. I still think I might get a small CD player though.

• I made a skirt.

• I changed the intuitive crochet class offerings on my website. Now if folks want to learn I will have classes in my studio. You can sign up for individual classes or up to three students at a time. You can read more about it here.

• I made a fabric collage. Not sure if I’m going to cut it up and make other things out of it, or add to it and turn it into wall art.

• My family and I met up with my bff for brunch. When someone’s been your friend for more than half of your life, they’re your chosen family. I love you my friend.

  Links

  Email: wildchildfibers@gmail.com

  Website: https://www.wildchildfibers.com

  If you’re in Marietta, you can find my work at

  River Pearl Studio.

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