Self Taught and Unruly Episode 1

2025 has been a year of intense learning and personal realisations. Triggered largely by going to Uni again after 25 years, and all the changes that have been happening in academia during that time.

But deep learning and healing have been occurring.

Paradoxically, the University of Tasmania has been the most extraordinary place of validation and recognition of my self taught learnings I could have hoped for. Even if unintentionally, what I gleaned from my studies was how magnificent and effective my divergent thinking, improvising, self organising, default mode network inducing lifestyle has been all these years, determined to do things in my own way and time. And how much neural goodness I crafted for myself along the way.

I also realised that I've been chasing around looking for a ladder to climb or a publisher/guild/festival/magazine/exhibition/external validation to help me share what I want to share with the world..........when I could just film what it is and do it myself on a podcast!

So here goes. I know it's full of flaws, but it's been a steep learning curve where I thought I was going crazy more than once. Fair warning, there's a bit in the middle where I get an unexpected visitor, and there's lot's of loud laughing that could hurt sensitive ears! I will try and make sure I work better with that in future.

This is my first attempt at a podcast covering all things self taught and unruly, starting off with spinning, as one of my first truly self taught skills. Venturing into origin stories and paradox along the way. Introducing some of my creations and using this as a learning experience, even after editing, I saw many mistakes that I made! In the future I'd really like to tell some yarns and share some quirky techniques improvised on my self taught path, along with a bit of show and tell with all the creations I have sitting in suitcases. I'd also love to read you blog posts from the past, as I believe I did some of my best writing when on fire with a birthing blog post. And people tell me I have a lovely reading voice. My family especially think so. Lovely and soothing. So soothing they all fall asleep when I read to them. Could be a hidden talent? And there's four or so books I've written I'd like to read you also, but more about them another time. I'm also up for challenges! I love the thrill of chasing a shape or a concept, especially when it tickles my imagination! Throw me a yarn, and I just might whip it up using a series of knots, into a fantastical and energetic creation. In this episode I talk (even though tremendously distracted by spinning) about Aileen Stace, a truly iconic woman of New Zealand. And going back to read again about her life on the page I'll link to below, I realised how perfect she really is to illustrate the wonders of teaching oneself, as she received no formal schooling, and taught herself a great deal. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to give me constructive criticism,....... at least I started instead of waiting for everything to be perfect :) Let me know what you think?

https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5s38/stace-aileen-mary

Reasessing my Reality

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So. I'm back at that point I always get to about the internet - that I'd far rather have a personal experience of meeting the next part of my creations yarns, than sell a 'product' over the world wide web to a person that I certainly can meet in many ways, but not in the ways that I prefer. I keep being reminded that the very best part of making the things I make that suprise me almost more than the average punter, is seeing where they end up, and who is attracted to the individual creation enough to part with money or energy to take it home, and begin to imprint themselves on the continuation of the 'yarn'.

I need to say again that the best bit about Tribal Fibres was that everyone who was there who had bought something from me in the past, brought their creation with them. At one point in the hall, there was a large amount of my 'yarns' from past and present sitting in the space. All those things coming together again with me - and what they'd become since leaving.

It's a trip.

And the best part about selling things to my immediate community is being able to see my yarns after they've gone as part of my everyday life. See how they're wearing, how the colour stays vibrant.... And I check on my creations, and the people who have bought them think I've forgotten them, but I've never forgotten anyone that I've sent a yarn away with. And I get to hear the stories about what's happened since the new yarn started. I loved hearing from that very suave woman that her and her family called her yarn 'the creature'. I love that people seem to really feel and honour the life in the creation.

And it seems that since trying to flog my wares on the internet, the thing I've managed to do best is to sell the stuff I listed on Etsy in person at the markets and festivals I've turned up at. I seem to have reached the critical mass point of having been heard about in Adelaide and it's surrounds, to be sending out lots of yarns everytime I go out.

Nothing quite like doing it in person....

Following (or preceeding - I'm never quite sure in this blog...) are some photo's of people who had really interesting yarns about coming together with one of my creations....that remind me to keep remembering that the personal yarns are very much one of the big reasons why I do what I do.

Tribal Fibres

So I didn't take many photos - 3 in fact were all I managed, because there were so many gorgeous people to talk to, women to help dress, and things I wanted to do all while holding Balthazar, who by the time the event finally came, was well and truly over the whole thing. He'd been there since about 11.30 in the morning helping me pfaff the hall though, so he's excused. I was thrilled to see Red Catherine, and Sandy Soul, and my fairy godmother Catherine Christie, as well as so many other folk I didn't expect and was glad to set eyes on. As well, the beautiful Sienna was taking photo's, as well as other folk, and some videos were being taken, so I figured Sienna's photos would be heaps better than mine so I let my trigger finger rest!

You wanna know the very best thing about Tribal Fibres?? When the people who've bought my wares in the past heard I was doing it, and it would be an exhibition kind of thing, every single one of them who came along brought thier wearable art with them, sure that if I was displaying my art I'd want thier particular artwork as well!! I got to see all my old friends again, brought in bags and baskets to revisit the creatrix..... I'm so glad that the folk who have bought my 'yarns' love them so much that they take them visiting!! And expect that they belong in my exhibitions.... Just wish I'd had more room! Ha! I could fill a couple of halls with the creations that have gone to other homes...

What can I say to truly describe what a wonder and joy it was, to finally see such a long held dream come true - to see my creations moving and swaying and being danced in! By such gorgeous women no less... With all the luscious tribal accoutrements to add to the overall visual splendour. I was buzzing the whole night...

And there was a sweet little ole lady who nearly everybody I've talked to had a story about. She sure got around. She was introduced to me as Alison's mother, and she was a hoot! Had a lot to say about a lot of things.

Grasshopper was spectacular as usual, and the guests just rounded out their general brilliance beautifully. I especially loved those flutes. The Faerie Queen and Lizard Queen were generally splendid, and it was wonderful to see them strut their stuff and their beautiful creations again. It struck me in the wee sleepy hours that the core of the event was the Maccy Market crew, and we are so bonded and committed and used to each other and working together, that the whole thing just slid along in the flow without a hitch. And we all did well!! Everyone had a great result in their particular passion....

I wonder if we could and would and should do it again...with a few different items and dancers and flavours added in.....

Stay tuned for more photo's when Sienna's come online.....