Two new works that have been a long time coming.
My creative process is slow.
A large part of my art practice at the moment is collecting materials and reflecting on how best to use them.
This was the case for The Mental Load as well as my newest piece which began with documenting videos of removing clothing tags from my kidās clothing.
Those videos became this short film titled Meltdown Prevention.
This film is a documentation of sensory care. I am shown carefully removing clothing tags from my sonās clothes while he plays nearby in the studio. By recording the process I am making this invisible care visible.
Clothing tags are a sensory trigger for both myself and my son. Due to neurological differences in sensory modulation clothing tags can contribute to sensory overload. Removing tags is an act of care to prevent overstimulation and related meltdowns.
The tags collected were used to create a companion piece titled, Meltdown.
While documenting the removal process was part of the work I knew I wanted to display the tags themselves in some way. I considered many different things, but it was only after making my gleemanās cloak that my brain considered sewing the tags onto a garment.
It was a great reminder that following our curiosity and doing things we might consider a āwaste of timeā can feed into our art practice in surprising and unexpected ways.
In retrospect this form seems somewhat inevitable. Sewing the tag back onto a garment. But I had to come at the idea sideways because my previous ideas were overly complicated.
I do have a penchant for over complication.
Other bits and bobs Iād like to recommend this week. (Iāve been saving links all summer so I have more than usual.) š
Read
First off, love this piece about Zelda and neurodivergence by !
I also enjoyed this piece which resonated with my own tangled experience of perfectionism masquerading as professionalism. And the call to ādo it messyā from .
A reflection on permission from rooted in one of my favorite childhood films The Wizard of Oz,
āIf only I could go meet The Wizard!
But eventually I learned the only person who could authorize meā¦ was me.ā
And on daily rituals,
āSo, what makes these daily habits a ritual? For me, itās about slowing yourself and the process all the way down. Essentially, you want to do what my Grandma called āmaking it niceā. Making it nice means taking the time over something you enjoy but could easily rush through and noticing how you can elevate experiences youāre already having to make them more special.ā
Play
These new Ouisi cards are so fun! š„°
https://instagram.com/p/Cwlv353xiV9/
Watch
The true pace of art (versus timelapse):
https://instagram.com/p/CwkZmUMgs6x/
Illuminated manuscripts with embroidered mending! š¤©
https://instagram.com/p/Cv2XRInI6yY/
I love Adam Savageās YouTube channel and learning about his creative process. (You may remember Adam from Mythbusters.) He is also neurodivergent and I get so much inspiration from watching him work. This video is his reflection on (intentional) visual cacophony. Something I also find inspiring, but have been taught is āwrong.ā
A peek into what I was watching and reading last year:
Thatās all for this week. Iād love to hear from you.
Feel free to share a link to a post youād like to share or tell me about a project youāre working on in comments below.
Cheers,
P.S. I donāt seem to be sticking to my fortnightly schedule. š I have too much to share.
If youāve been around youāll notice this cycle between posting weekly, trying to pull back, and posting weekly again. I think allowing myself that space is helpful, but I am sometimes afraid I appear erratic. Nevertheless I want to be transparent about my process and this push and pull to manage energy levels is part of it.
It seems to happen when I try to write too many long form posts in a row. While I need to remember Substack posts can take many different shapes!
Last week I wanted to share my chat with .
This week Iāve finished two art works for my portfolio. Then I found this half drafted Rabbit Hole email which has been waiting to go out for some time.
Iām still going to be mindful of my energy levels, but I may pivot back to weekly because I just have too much to share for every other week. Iām musing on what this means for the paid tier and if I will go back to monthly bonus content. š§
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