This morning, I sat down for a live from the Nest to talk about making. I shared that I’ve been feeling a little off the past week, and how permission to rest, exercise, the gathering itself, and making helped me move through it.
Before I said much of anything, we took a moment to arrive. I led listeners through a portion of the Arrival Meditation we listened to. The full version is here if you’d like to listen.
What I’ve been making
I’ve been busy the past little while making, and it truly helped me move through feelings of fear, confusion, and worry. Let me take you on a tour.
A backdrop that replicates a barn wall for my virtual retreat center
An embroidered wildflower garden that will become a pocket for an apron my sister made me, which I hang on the barn wall.
Pressed Flower Coasters - samples for a crafternoon I’m hosting at my home this coming week.
A Story Bowl I just finished, made especially for our Kitchen Table gatherings. Story Bowl time is one of the favorites at The Kitchen Table. It’s how we connect and learn about one another through prompts that invite the most interesting stories. The Story Bowl idea isn’t mine. The practice of pulling a question from a bowl and going around the table belongs to Andrea Scher. I borrowed it and made it part of how we gather here, but the heart of it is hers. I’ll be sharing a creative invitation and tutorial soon so you can make your own bowl(s).
How Making Helps
The theme at last night’s Kitchen Table was Make Something, It Helps. I asked the room some questions, and what came back was so much wiser than anything I could have planned. On my live, I read you the stories just as they were told.
Making helps in more ways than we usually give it credit for. It slows a busy mind and lets the body settle. It carries us through grief and hard seasons, one stitch or one fold at a time. It connects us to the people we make for, sometimes more honestly than words could. It can even show us something about ourselves we couldn't see on our own, whether that's discovering you're creative after years of believing otherwise, or realizing a handmade card is really just proof that you were paying attention to someone. However it shows up, making rarely asks to be finished or perfect. It just asks for our hands, and in return, it helps.
Something to sit with
I want to leave you with a few questions. Not to answer right away, but to sit with in your own journal, whenever you get a quiet minute.
When has making helped you through a difficult time?
What do you notice happens inside you when your hands are busy?
Is there something handmade that you treasure because of who made it?
Is there something you used to make that you’d love to return to?
You don’t need all four. Pick the one that catches on something.
If you make something this week, however small, I’d love to hear about it.
Thank you for being here, with your hands and your attention.
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video and to everyone who paused to listen to this replay! Join me for my next live video in the app.
Warmly,
Kathy
