Finding The Joy Of Making Things Again
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog here.
But recently me and Esma have done a couple of workshops that have been really inspiring and I wanted to share our experiences.
At the end of last year, when I was feeling a bit worn out by the amount of running around that every end of the year demands, I decided to create time to do something enjoyable and creative by taking time off from my daily schedule and routine of constantly trying to deliver.
So Esma and I somewhat hesitantly attended ‘The Well Being Day’ hosted by FFoto Gallery – I know the irony!
I have to say it was the most peaceful, fun and creative activity that we could have asked for. We got lost in cutting magazines and old books. It felt like we had all of these feelings that needed to be expressed. Collage happened to be a perfect fit for this need.
We had already seen the exhibition and fallen in love with Katrien De Blauwer’s work, so perhaps it felt more special to be practising collage after being so inspired by her work. If you haven’t heard of her already, please check her out. Her work is so simple yet powerful, so beautifully put together with such intentional, clever cuts…
It was also lovely meeting the artist herself who is beyond humble with how talented and amazing she is.
We also did a letterpress workshop last month, and even though time has passed we are still very very inspired by it.
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I’m guessing the reason being is the fact that it brings together two very graphic elements that I love, type and colour. It felt so good to have a day to play with type blocks, learn the process, learn to be patient with the process and mix our own colours…
We left wanting to do more, and new projects in mind, not to mention how great our teachers Nick and Ellie (The Letterpress Collective) have been to us. It helps when the atmosphere is welcoming and calming…
It’s incredible what time away from our desks and computers can bring into our creative minds. I feel like we get so caught up on working on our computers that we forget the processes that force us to use our 5 senses and therefore make us feel more alive. I truly believe that getting involved in something physically with our whole bodies, adds an element of excitement which can only be a positive thing…
One way or another we are now hungry to put our plans and ideas into action… And I guess first step in doing that is to make it public by writing about it…
