What I've discovered this week

Making the time to stay inspired and informed

When I first started this blog, I felt the desire to share resources to help others feel in control when confronted with the rather enormous problem of the excessive production and waste of textiles on this planet. At the time, I wasn't hearing a lot of discussion in my own circles about this particular category of environmental harm. Now, three years later, with increasing numbers of voices shining a light on our clothing consumption habits, I don't feel the need to advocate for awareness of the problem. At this point, I just want to follow my own curiosity to discover how people are responding to the effects of overproduction/consumption and where I fit into all this as an artist. How do I stay true to a creative journey which, for most of my life, has been fueled by using discarded things? I am so thankful for the people who are dedicated enough to push forward with innovative solutions even when no one else is watching.

I haven't written much in the past few years for many reasons. One of them is that there are only so many hours in the day, and I seem to fill those hours completely with family responsibilities and other voluntary obligations I have heaped upon myself. My biggest hurdle for staying on track to achieving my personal goals is that I am a helper - one of those individuals that steps forward (probably too quickly) when someone has a need. This particular personality trait is responsible for all sorts of personal procrastinations and delays, and I am constantly working on how to manage that cycle so I can keep to my own path. Tell me if that resonates!

Putting that aside for now, it is really nice to write again. Whether these words are read by many or read by few, I am excited to have a catalogue of the interesting tidbits that influence me on my artistic and intellectual journey. I'm a little nostalgic for the era before social media, before the spammy ad blogs, when you knew a real person wrote all the words on a website. I get the feeling sometimes that the internet is both so very loud and busy, and also, utterly devoid of life. I also get the feeling that there are so many beautiful wondrous things to discover by so many beautiful wondrous creators. Online life is treacherous and always has been. It's all about navigating your way through the rocky parts and sailing out of earshot from the insatiable sirens.

Here's one thing I watched this week that inspired me. This documentary from Business Insider begins describing the inner workings of the company Thred Up, and how they use AI to process the millions of pounds of clothing that it receives in its warehouses everyday. It's only 12 minutes long and fascinating to watch. Business insider always sucks me in with their short documentaries. As the documentary progresses you are educated on some pretty big issues with cheaply made American clothing, with great visuals of the scale of the clothing waste problem. The ending minutes were the most interesting, when they highlighted a company called Ambercycle (www.ambercycle.com), who has been working since 2015 to separate polyester from dyes and other fabrics to make new clothing instead of extracting raw materials. I love reading about circular material design.

I am renewing a commitment to writing more as part of my creative process. If you like what you've read, follow my journey by joining my mailing list. I will be posting twice a month and you'll have it delivered to your inbox - no spam. Thank you for joining me on this journey!