Creatively Organized Spaces
Some days I STRUGGLE with ideas to write about…SO I want to hear from you! What do you want me to blog about?
Or maybe NOT, I think I’m just stuck in my own head and don’t know what I know! The way I bring ideas together is just a bit different than someone else. How I say something might resonate with you in a way that it doesn’t with someone else. The same goes for how I work with clients to organize their spaces.
I’ll be spending a lot of my Saturday’s this summer in my new shared temporary studio, The Vat Shack. This project brings together 6 Indigo & textile artists for a summer of all things blue!
This project has been made possible by Charleston non profit, Enough Pie in partnership with Clemson’s architecture students (and others) who built this amazing temporary traveling “studio” for this specific purpose. The Den Mama’s and Enough Pie had regular meetings with the students and professors to share in the process of designing this space specifically for our needs. It was so fun to see it go from concept to reality, they did an amazing job and gave us just about everything on our “wish list”!
The Vat Shack set up
The Vat Shack storage
After the “shack” was delivered we came together to set up 3 types of Natural indigo vats, a Ferrous (Iron) vat, Fermentation vat and Hydrosulphate Vat. These three types of vats were selected to illustrate the evolution of this artform and craft throughout history (fermentation being the oldest type, Hydros the most “modern”). I was really in my element getting to set up the supplies and organize all the tools, shelving, space layout etc.
Den Mama’s setting up Indigo vats
Last Saturday this project was launched into the community with a public event Awakening:Indigo IV. All the Den Mama’s were there to share Indigo dyeing with the community. All afternoon we gave demonstrations of dyeing with indigo, shibori techniques and people added to the Community Rag Quilt (a Gullah Tradition being revived by the Gullah Lady).
Heather K Powers with Wire Hanger Mandala
Art installations (I created another one of my wire hanger mandala’s above) were onsite along with performances by story tellers (like my friend Sharon Cooper Murray-below) and a screening of the indigo documentary Blue Alchemy by Mary Lance who was in attendance and helped to create a lasting blue memories in Charleston!
Charleston community tries their had at Shibori
Mary Lance creates something blue to remember Charleston
Den mama’s will be spending time in the shack teaching workshops, camps and leading community dye days (first and third Saturday’s each month into October). This project is such an exciting way to bring together all different kinds of people in the Charleston community to learn about the art, craft, science and history of Indigo in the Lowcountry and around the world. I’m very proud to be a part of this and I hope to see you out there this summer!
All together in Blue! (L—>R Rachel Parris, Cathryn Zommer, Mary Lance, Arianne King Comer, Heather K Powers, Leigh Magar, Cara Earnst, Sharon Cooper Murrah and Kristy Bishop)
In today’s interview we will take another peek at In the studio with Tim Hussey. Last week we talked about his background, his new studio space and his creative legacy. This week we dive into organizing specifics and he shares some tips he’s learned through his years as an artist in various capacities. His new space is open to the public, and his latest show Listing, is his first in this new Studio. I dropped by while the show was hanging but he’s also shared a few shots of how he works in his space. These photos are not styled and are typical of what his working studio looks like on an average day. All the photo’s in this post were supplied by Tim too!
I find that a lot of people’s idea of list making is to just keep one big ongoing “To Do”. Do you think about every single thing on your list as a “problem”? This seems to be the normal mindset around items that need to be done. Lists are a way to keep track of all the Problems we need to solve, right?
That may be the case but trying to hold onto all that info in your head is just not a reasonable expectation to have. Your brain is not a storage device, or a warehouse to keep things in! Really! One way I help clients with their productivity is to break lists up by category, just like you would do when filing papers.
Within these categories you could list out the items you want or need to do. List making can be done on paper (post it notes are great because you can move them from place to place), in a notepad, a calendar-using color coding if you like (see photo above) or with a technology list tool like Evernote. However you make your lists, keep track of what you are doing by category and ask yourself if it’s important enough to put onto your calendar? If it’s not worth putting on your calendar is it worth doing?
How often are you asked to Give? Of your time, your expertise, advice, wisdom or money? When I left my corporate career and started my work as an organizer I discovered the gift of giving to others through the services that I offered. With each project I work on I am rewarded abundantly by seeing the joy that is created by sharing my gifts!
My grandparents greatly influenced me in their gifts of service and taught me the value of giving back to others. I give back to my community with regularity and frequency and have established what I think will be a lifelong dedication to giving back to my community. Yesterday here in the Lowcountry there was a huge “campaign” that many local non-profit organizations participated in to ask their supporters to give generously and have their funds matched.
Several weeks ago I decided, in the spirit of Lowcountry Giving day, to select one non-profit organization to give a gift of my services to. After speaking with individuals at several worthy non-profit’s I selected the one that I felt was not only appreciative but also really needed my services and was willing to work with me over the coming months to implement some (hopefully) positive changes!
The Preservation Society of Charleston is dedicated to recognizing, protecting and advocating for the Lowcountry’s historic places. I am excited to begin work with them this month and over the next several. It will be an opportunity for me to share my gift and to learn about the gift that they give back to our community.
I’d love to hear about how you give back to your community. Do you share your gifts and passions with groups and individuals that you feel personally connected with?
