Staying 'Motivated'

 

shelves of hand woven textiles

My 'inventory' has grown over the past year plus, in no small part due to the pandemic and the closure of shops and other sales events.  My woven textile stock is now about four times this, and grows daily if I can manage my two towels per day goal.

It doesn't seem like much, but two towels a day?  Add up.  

Not every day, of course not.  When a warp runs out, I have to set up the next one, but each current warp produces 16 towels.  So every two weeks or so, another 16 towels hit the shelves.  Averaging 8 towels a week for 52 weeks of the year?  That's over 400 towels a year.

Sometimes people ask me how I can stay motivated.   Well, I have too much yarn.  I also find that getting to the loom daily helps my mental health.  If I can manage to do something in the studio, I feel as though I have accomplished something positive that day.  Even if that 'positive' is just emptying another tube or cone of yarn.

But I've never been too bothered about instant gratification.  I couldn't and be a weaver.  Because nothing about any hand craft is 'instant'.  Making things take time, effort and yes, a degree of skill.  

The other thing about weaving is that I'm moving, even if I am sitting while doing so.  I know I need to get up onto my feet more, but advancing age means my feet aren't terribly happy with me, for reasons.  Nor my hips, truth be told.  So far my knees aren't too bad.  But I also know that I need to keep my legs working because that will help reduce falls.  OTOH, the weather has been variable and the rest of this week rain is in the forecast.  And I'm still not a fan of walking in inclement weather.  Something I should work on getting over.

The Zoom meetings keep me occupied as well.  Currently finalizing the Power Point for lecture #7 on Colour.  Not a deep dive, but basic info.  Deep dives are provided by Tien Chiu and Janet Dawson as well as Jane Stafford.  Not everyone has time for a full blown class and sometimes all they need is a few pointers.  Sot that's the approach I'm taking.  Focusing on the principles.

Still wrestling with the technology, I have another Zoom practice booked for this afternoon.  In the end, it will be what it will be and people will accept or not.  Not every teacher is a good fit for every student.

Wayne Dyer used to talk about the stages of life and that elders needed to mentor younger folk.  A few years ago I decided to embrace my 'elder' status and try to help others who wanted it.  I stay motivated by trying to pass on my knowledge to others.  And weave down my stash.  And try to sell my completed weavings, in a desultory way.  But it is obvious that I need to do a push to find new homes for some of my cloth.  One benefit is that woven cloth takes up less space than tubes/cones of yarn.  But still.  There are now four shelving units cheek by jowl with handwoven towels, table runners and scarves.  Time to move some of them out of here and into other people's hands.  Check my ko-fi account for my 'shop' as I continue to list a new towel on Mondays.