TWO-PROCESS ARASHI YUKATA
Originally uploaded by narablog.com
Slow Cloth – Skill and Possible Mastery
The third principal of Slow Cloth is skill and the possibility of mastery.
I've chosen this beautiful piece of shibori that narablog posted at flickr to demonstrate it. Some of the pieces narablog posts truly boggle the mind. They show the results that are possible with mastery of a process.
Instant foods leave me hungry shortly after I eat them. The same is true of easy crafts. Oh sure if you follow the directions you get a predictable pretty result… but I can’t really say the result is what I’m in it for. I want to create something sublime and individual based in my experiences, not an off the shelf, easily duplicate able doo-dad. True I may be overreaching a bit at this point in my development but what is the point otherwise? If I want an easy fix its cheaper and easier to buy something at Mallmart made in a Chinese prison. Then I can just plunk my butt on the couch and watch Bad Reality TV with my time (and I won’t say I never fall prey to that easy fix). However this would leave me hungry for something more.
There is a definite high that comes with expanding my level of skill in my craft. It is rarely comfortable to get there but wow when I open one of my off the wall experiments, and it worked, that is awesome.
I’ve managed to achieve a certain level of skill in my chosen craft, sometimes a moment of mastery comes too…but it is a dynamic (often humbling) experience. There is always more to learn and that is the point.
Its more about how to experience the journey than the souvenirs you pick up along the way.
exactly........
ReplyDeletewe are of one mind on this.
when i read this post, i immediately thought of my kids in the 4th grade room and really, this is the reason i go there each week. -to expose them to a variety of processes so they too, can experience what you have expressed here- the high that comes with expanding their level of skill at something. something slower than fast food,fast craft,and pushbutton society (remote control, computer keyboard,video game controllers-take your pick)
i'd love to translate this post into a post on elementaryart and quote some of this over there (linking back to you of course) if you approve....
Absolutely I approve! I truly think that this is an important issue, especially
ReplyDeletefor kids. Our society has kind of lost sight of the value of this type of
activity
I look forward to reading your post!