I type this post with hands lightly colored by indigo dye, reminding me of a wonderful few hours spent at The Lemon Collective this Sunday. The creative process renews, and it draws me back to center. I so, so recommend taking a class here, and trying something that sounds interesting to you.
This class was taught by Claire of Wax and Wane Fiber and I learned the art of shibori- a Japanese technique for dyeing fabric with indigo. I absolutely adore Japan and it was a dream of mine to learn shibori hands-on in a class setting such as this one. The process involves folding your fabric, using various clips and clamps to resist the dye which creates a beautiful pattern after the fabric has been dipped in the indigo dye. The class resonated with me, and I think you will see the wisdom in this ancient technique as well:
The mess brought the beauty. When folding the cloth Claire mentioned that the messier our pieces became before they were dipped, the more beautiful they would turn out. The more pins and clips, ties and bands, the better. Before the fabric is dipped in the dye it looks ridiculous and awkward, clumsy and twisted. But that is just one part of the process. The messy phase was necessary to bring out the beauty. In the short video in this post you will see exactly what I mean!
In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object's history, which adds to its beauty. Consider this when you feel broken.
Each piece is completely unique. Due to the techniques used, there is no way to make an exact replica of any shibori piece. Each of us has our own unique beauty and greatness to offer the world. There is a great sense of relief knowing that our lives do not need to replicate any one way of living- we have our own path, strengths, and struggles.
Efforts that lead to magical outcomes. A huge part of the process involves trust in your own abilities and perspective. You just never know how creativity will change you or impact someone else. Tuning into your creativity often brings about whatever you need- to relax, to heal, to reflect.
Doing something new and creative is just all around good. There is a real sense of accomplishment that comes from trying and trusting your own abilities to make something by hand. This empowerment spreads to many other aspects of living. It gives me a boost when I need to overcome feeling discouraged.
To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. - Pena Chodron
I swear there is never enough time in the day or the weekend to fully rest AND fully accomplish a to-do list. Thank you for reading along on this week's Sundays with Swann Street. Besides this class the day was spent climbing with hubs, making cherry popsicles, and cleaning up around our place (still not done, AH!) Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!
Kristen
Link Love
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