A creative friend of ours said once about doing things you would like to do, “life gets in the way”. Perhaps not original but so true. We have to eat, sleep, live and breath and do all those things which enable that in our complex web of human life. So some of our creative projects take time, and sometimes don’t come to fruition, or take several iterations over years to do so.
So we find that some creative processes and media lend themselves to fitting in more easily to life so it doesn’t get in the way. Many hobby and craft processes do this, hence why so many people can fit them in and enjoy them in their life, crochet and knitting have a revival in this respect.
We’ve both been taking up embroidery partly for this reason. We have found embroidery can be very easy, with some inspiration for Mike discovering Resilient Stitch by the textile artist Claire Wellesley-Smith, “just start with a seed stitch”.
Some projects get held back because we have a finished idea about what we want to create and get stuck on something that holds that up. It can be, and mainly is, a very conscious thought driven process, where our ego drives the creative process. That in itself can be quite an exhausting process as it feels dependent on us getting it “right”.
We find embroidery can be a really spiritually relaxing and a therapeutic process if there is no vision to aim for. You just go where the stitch takes you. You can find yourself going with the flow and creating beautiful pieces. These may not be the carefully worked exacting craft pieces that exhibit masterly human control, patience and dexterity, but something freer, something deeper and expressive.
Embroidery is also just one of those things you can do while sitting – focused, absorbing, and freeing. It is actually incredibly easy, as long as you don’t turn it into a prize for your ego to show off with. A piece of colourful thread, a needle, a knot and a piece of fabric, offcuts, remains and recycles are good, and let your imagination and hands go free, simply going in and out of the fabric with your needle and thread. Forget what it looks like on the back, that really isn’t important; think of that random jumble behind the scenes as the mechanics of the process, similar to a clock-face. Mike has even found adding printed fabrics into the embroidery appliqué style is another way of helping your imagination to follow and extend patterns, and select a colour pallet.
And as we follow the stitch we can bitch. A social movement that resonates with us is called “Stitch ‘n Bitch” which morphed into Craftivism, a contemporary form of activism that uses craft as its primary mode for political and social engagement. Creating with your hands is a fantastic way to socialise, especially for marginalised and minority groups who may not feel at home in mainstream social settings. It can also be a powerful political act; the AIDS Memorial Quilt is a prime example. There are wonderful examples of women and LGBTQ+ making textiles that give political expression when other means are not available. Mike has been enjoying attending the LGBTQ+ “Crochet” sessions at The Higgins, Bedford, as part of their Craftivism work. This group is run in collaboration with Rainbow Bedfordshire.
Lance has also been trying his hand at the craft: “Working with digital media is what I do most of, but I felt a craving for a more tactile and material craft. I enjoy dabbling in painting and ceramics but these have an immediacy in their creation due to the nature of the medium. Embroidery however does not have these constraints. It requires time and patience, a focus that engenders mindfulness and grounding. I also like the organic nature of the process; when I first put needle to cloth I had no clear idea of a particular outcome. Once started, I found that instinct took over and the patterns grew naturally. I was amazed at what I could create, and look forward to taking this further”.
So when our other projects get stuck for the many reasons they do, we know that picking up a needle and stitching free is something we can just let go into, as women have known over the centuries, and also some historical “straight” men interestingly in WWI, see Museum of Cambridge amongst other stories. Now that’s yet another story.