Friday, April 12, 2013

Hey, You're Okay.

Thursday is a good day. I get to work in the studio. There is much to be done.
Warping is underway (Harrisville done Tuesday, Mirrix done today).
New ideas are scattered on the design table.
I passed my fire inspection today and will have my business license momentarily.
There are boxes of stuff scattered about for me to constantly trip on. But some of the furniture has arrived and I am somewhat naively assuming that having a place to unpack the boxes into will decrease the tripping hazards.

Emily was in Denver this week and she was kind enough to stop at IKEA and pick up some of the furniture I needed for the studio (and "kind" doesn't actually begin to describe it. She managed to get an 80 pound box of wood that was 5.5 feet long into her Toyota Camry--no small feat). IKEA is one of those places you go into and before you know it, a whole day has disappeared. This is why I didn't go along. I'd still be there in one of those little mock-bedrooms wondering if I could make my bedroom create the same feeling in me and knowing that I can't do it. It was so much easier to send her with a shopping list. She has more self-control.
So we spent some of today putting that furniture together.

The IKEA guys... make sure you have a friend to help you!




At some point I had to go to the hardware store for a rubber mallet because my hands hurt too much from trying to get the parts to go together and the regular hammer chipped the white finish.



And finally I was able to unpack some yarn and figure out whether I have all the colors I need for my workshop in May (see details HERE). I have to dye a few more colors before May 4, but I think I can handle it.
And the challenge of starting an enterprise that has to succeed for several reasons can be really scary.

Fortunately I ran across this TED talk the other night while surfing Netflix.
This is Ze Frank talking about people and care and his Chillout song. I put the song on my iPhone and have been listening to it a lot. You can hear it HERE. Just push the little black triangle on the top of the page. He wrote the song for a woman who emailed him asking for help with her anxiety. He got people to sing along to his track while wearing headphones, record themselves, and then used those tracks to put the song together.
Hey.
You're Okay.
You'll be fine.
Just Breathe.

It helps.

9 comments:

  1. We have an Ikea nearby. Our family has come to refer to it as Hotel California...."as in you can check out any time you like but you can never leave..." (That old song by the Eagles.)

    Your space is looking great. I love the tulip photo...talk about color gradation.

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  2. When will the studio/gallery be open for visitors? Will you be posting regular hours, or...?

    BTW, IMHO, great choice of style and color for the furniture and walls --the white and simple lines are really gonna set-off your hand-dyed yarns gloriously!

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    1. The studio will be ready around the first of May! I am trying to get the last pieces of furniture and also need a hanging system for the tapestries. It is going to take me a few more weeks to get that in place. I will be posting some pretty regular hours (will be Tuesday and Thursday and most Saturdays to start) and also a phone number to call and check before you make the trip.

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  3. OK, Rebecca, now you've turned me into a Ze Frank addict, and I'm watching his videos on beginning, instead of getting into the studio and beginning! He's terrific.

    Good luck with your new space and new endeavors there. It will be fine (just breathe.) You are in the best place ever to do what you'll be doing! And your energy, creativity, and enthusiasm will make it work.

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  4. It looks great! Very exciting! Are you going to have a dye space in the studio? That's one of the things that holds me back when I think of a separate space.

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    1. Ah, the dye question. This has been a problem in every studio I have ever had--which until now have been in my home. And this studio is no exception. It is a beautiful space, but it is commercial and there is no space to dye. I will have the ability to do dye workshops with small amounts of yarn (usually dyed in mason jars), but doing large volumes isn't going to be possible (unless I have a vent hood installed!) So the volume dyeing is relegated to my home garage. This is not the most convenient because I can't watch dye pots and weave at the same time... but it will work out. I suspect there are space that could be had where dyeing was possible, but hard to find if you want your studio to look something like a gallery!

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  5. Maybe there is something close by to rent for a few days???? I have the ideal dyeing situation, but it's not a public place (my home).

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    1. Great idea for a class actually! And EVFAC does have a dye space for teaching. I will have to look around for other dye-workshop options though. Probably one of the art schools around here has a place with fume hoods. I'll probably keep dyeing the big quantities at my house though... the dyeing is continuous to keep up with the need, so it has to be somewhere where I can just keep it cycling.

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  6. Great post. I admire your tenacity. Listened and watched TED. Very neat. I told you that coming to take a class is in my bucket list or whatever. Meanwhile many congrats and good wishes. Your sunny disposition will prevail and know all your friends are behind you.

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