Lessons from a week of Dyeing (with an 'e')

Ahas from fibre arts: tension, beauty, ambition and having a beginner's mind

As I said on Monday in class intros, I have decades of experience dying, but zero of dyeing. A week of dyeing experience later, here’s what I’ve learned:

(1) Tension, judiciously applied, creates beauty.

The shibori tying technique relies on tightness, or pressure, to push out or ‘resist’ dyeing. No tension? No contrast. No contrast? A plain, single-coloured cloth is very serviceable and beautiful in its own way. Yet for more aliveness, apply tension.

(2) Applying tension is just another way to say no.

Boundaries create beauty in dyeing, and perhaps also in dying (aka learning to live.) Resists, whether they be in wax, rope, string or something else, define the no, and liberate the yes. (Yes is where the dye goes. No is where it doesn’t.)

(3) Learning is what happens when we don’t know what to do.

Not knowing is an incredible joy! What a blessing to be completely ignorant about something and bathe in the electricity of filling that in. Sudoku for the heart.

(4) Ambition is about dosage.

I laughed as I tried new skills and as I went along, the size of my plans got smaller and smaller. A powerful imagination is an awesome thing! Observing it intersect with the reality of time constraints, and skill limitations led to scaled down projects which were still very enjoyable. I don’t need to be less ambitious; I can make like a pharmacist. Like with dye powders, I can choose the time, timing and dose. e.g. TID AC = three times a day before meals.

(5) Learning injuries are a thing.

Upon sharing with my adopted Dad that after a week of bending over dye vats, stirring continuously for an hour several times a day, and stitching tiny 2 centimetre ‘legs’ on a silk scarf, they said:

“Sounds exciting on many fronts except for education injuries. Get well, and be careful. Learning injuries are common and can be devastating, especially when you’re a newbie. ❤️”

Ah! Makes sense. Learning is a formative, vulnerable, receptive and tender state; it’s my job to protect it.

(6) We are all colonisers, even more than we realize.

My study in Cochineal (a natural dye) was an easy decision. It is the colour of peonies, and on silk, undeniably peony-like. This colour though, comes from the life of a creature called the cochineal, which we farm and harvest in order to enjoy. And enjoy we do, in food, clothing and many of the things we use in everyday life. I will try sharing that the next time I ask someone not to kill a spider.

(7) Beauty is not without sacrifice.

And finally, I noticed: choosing to enjoy the beauty without noting the sacrifice is for me, an incomplete heart action.

The hundreds of stitches and careful pulling of shibori strings; the labour of harvesting natural dye materials, the cleaning of dye equipment after synthetic dye sessions. There are so many examples of sacrifices - payments, really - like patience, discomfort and even the lives of creatures and humans, all made in order for something beautiful to come into being.

Maybe dyeing is a lot like dying after all.

More ahas and reminders-to-self from Weeks 1 and 2*:

• 10 assignments, most with multiple steps in one week is a LOT, but in the end, doable - one foot in front of the other.

• “Fibre Artist Hands” - silly now that I think of it, but I didn’t anticipate this. Dry, scratched, rough, and covered in various shades of indigo and synthetic dye. F.A.H.! It’s a thing

• Being three times the age of some of your classmates can be hilarious! A LOT of fun. #heartilyrecommend

• A school strike in the middle of the week is sobering but not insurmountable - and a reminder that learning happens in community, not just classrooms. Reminder to self - keep visiting the picket line in support.

• New definition of disappointment: hours of dye and tie work on a piece only for it all to wash out when rinsing.

• If “Oooh, that’s so cool” is the lyric, “I’ll look forward to getting back to this new technique sometime soon, I want to try more things” is definitely the new chorus of this adventure. We will see if it comes true. 🤪

• In times of overwhelm, seek the rhythm, the routine, and double down (gym, movement, food, self care), especially when you think “skipping” is the answer. It’s not.

*I am enrolled in a fibre art certificate. :-) Follow here for occasional posts and lots more pix.

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You are Invited: Relaxed Making + Coaching = Capacity

Are you interested in guided ‘creativity/art/making’ via Zoom?

I’m considering hosting a new, relaxed gathering that combines hands-on art play (simple, no complex equipment or prior experience needed) with exploration and discussion about being human.

Think “making + coaching with the goal to increase our collective capacity to meet life and its challenges.” A group exhale, the better to inhale whatever comes next.

If you're curious and would like to join, just comment or hit reply - share a little of what interests you and why, and any timing that would make this easy on your end. Sessions would be free, with donations welcome.

#DoOneThing #DoingTheImpossible