Red Thread Studio

Still Here. Still Slow Cloth. Still Not Caught Up. Still Not a Gadget. And If You're Still Here, Thank You.

Here's a nice piece on Slow Cloth and natural dyeing from Jeannine Roediger in Van Wert, Ohio. Thank you, Jeannine, for including me. Quite a few textile-related people and groups are attaching "slow" to their names now, and they're not all the same; I think in general this trend is good, though to be honest, I like my definition. It's probably due for a review and some streamlining but it is still more complete than anyone else's, and has stood up pretty well for the past four years. Time to do more with it - I know I've been threatening that for a while.

It's the end of August - oh my. I'm taking this week off from what has been an incredibly busy and challenging few months at work--mostly I came home exhausted and perhaps with a bad case of decision fatigue--and my list of things to do is long. It includes finally launching a new blog on Wordpress and moving my Slow Cloth Facebook group page to a regular community page, which only means anything if you're on Facebook. Facebook generates as much frustration as connection, unfortunately, with its constant changes, privacy issues, and propensity toward self-promotion, but there you have it.They "upgraded" the group format and in the process took away all of our lovely and thoughtful discussion threads; those all just disappeared, and damn, that's a shame. There were wonderful ideas and thoughts in those discussions.

Speaking of online communities, Jaron Lanier wrote You Are Not a Gadget a few years ago and I highly recommend it. It's not an easy book to read, but his concept of digital humanism is profoundly important, I think. He's in favor of the expert (the artist, author, editor, curator, writer) rather than the crowdsourced, lowest-common-denominator way of creating content and making creative decisions. He's in favor of names rather than anonymity, to limit the venom that's all too ubiquitous on the web. He's in favor of decisions that create options instead of limit them. I'm still reading it, but I do recommend it highly if you're online and looking for an understanding of how online communities operate, and even a code of ethics for your online work.

More update soon. Thank you for still being here! I'm trying to catch up, I really am.

 

 

 

 

Gifts of the Full Harvest Moon

I got so many lovely and unexpected gifts this week - including the very kind comments from everyone on my last post. I think I replied to all the comments made here and to the private e-mails, but if I missed anyone, forgive me and know that I am very grateful for your support and generosity.

I got this beautiful handmade journal and tea from one of my authors:

At my job, I might spend a year, sometimes more, working on a book in all its various stages, so I'm almost as invested as the author by the time it's published. It's truly wonderful when the author is as appreciative and classy as this one was. 

I also received a hilarious postcard and elegant needle case from also-very-classy Meg in New Zealand. Her talent is incredible and she's as nice and smart and lovely as her weavings are subtle and beautiful. 

I got a surprise box of intriguing watercolor paints from multitalented and very wonderful Deb.

A couple of weeks ago, I got this set of quotation-mark buttons from the one and only, brilliant and wonderful Anne: 

Last week, I even had the most excellent and friendly customer service from a great local company, Third Street Chai. I called to complain about a bad batch of chai and they couldn't have been nicer, and sent me a box full of delicious products.

I know none of this has to do with textiles or art or craft or any of that, but I just wanted to share the fun after the last discouraging post. The haters haven't gone away, but they've been outnumbered and FAR outclassed by truly wonderful people.

I wish the same for you on this equinox and full moon. It's a strange time we're living in, when people feel far more able to express hate than love, to destroy instead of creating whatever they want to create and respecting others' rights to do the same. The whole world seems way off balance. I know some people intent on keeping their heads in the sand, others feeling helpless and hopeless, others just confused. I don't know the best way. I try to just keep doing the right thing every day, whatever it is, hoping that whatever wisdom and integrity I have outweighs my mistakes and failures. And there are plenty of those.

I've started exploring bookmaking, finally picked up my current bead and shisha-mirror piece again, and am taking an encaustic class later this week. My Slow Cloth group on Facebook remains an incredible -- and large -- group of artists, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, interested observers, writers, and creative thinkers. I'm working on a website to replace the Facebook page eventually. I'm also in the process of moving this blog to a new location with a new name, so more on that to come. I may be attending the Textile Society conference next month; we'll see. There's a lot to do on this Harvest Moon. 

Oh, and speaking of Slow Cloth, the very lovely people at Ashford Handicrafts in New Zealand included an article from me about Slow Cloth in their annual magazine. It's beautiful. I'll make a PDF and post it here this weekend. Elizabeth Ashford also sent me another generous gift - some amazing silk and merino slivers that I shared with a friend who is a spinner:

I think I include the lyrics to this song every September at the full moon, so why not again?

Come a little bit closer

Hear what I have to say

Just like children sleeping

We could dream this night away

But there's a full moon rising

Let's go dancing in the light

We know where the music's playing

Let's go out and feel the night

Because I'm still in love with you

I want to see you dance again

Because I'm still in love with you

On this harvest moon.

    -- Neil Young, Harvest Moon

Be a Better Writer

The writing bar is set low in the blog world, and among craft blogs there's a weird culture where nobody is ever supposed to criticize. That leaves a lot of bloggers wanting to grow in their writing and wanting to make the most of opportunities to write, but unaccustomed to criticism and unsure of how to get professional results.  

Writing a blog doesn't make you a writer; it makes you a blogger. Being a writer, whether journalist or "creative," means developing a broader and deeper set of skills, and truthfully, many years of dedicated education and practice.

This post isn't about that kind of writing. It's a set of tips that will help you write a better blog, or artist's statement, or short article for your quilt guild, or biography for your press kit. If you happen to be writing a book, it will even help you with that to some degree. 

• Understand the difference between active and passive voice. Sometimes new writers will write in passive voice because they think it sounds more important or official. It doesn't. It drags down your writing. Choose the active voice. The difference? In active voice, you always know who is doing the verb, or the action. Examples:

Passive: The piece was quilted by hand with metallic thread.
Active: I quilted this piece by hand with metallic thread.
Passive: It was expected that this painting would be completed by November.
Active: The buyer expects me to finish this painting by November.

• Use correct punctuation and spelling. Not everyone agrees that it's important on the Internet, but I believe you should know and use correct punctuation. If you don't know the difference between it's and its, loose and lose, you're and your, or how to use a semi-colon, try to learn if you plan to be a self-edited blogger. You need to know the rules before you break them, and then break them with intention. The purpose of blogging is to communicate and connect, and bad punctuation and spelling inhibits that. Blogs are fast by nature  and everybody makes mistakes and typos, but they should be the exception. 
• Write like a grown-up. There's a kind of baby-talk that seems almost contagious in some art and craft blogs, even some that aim to be professional and serious. I'm not a fan, and I like to limit exclamation points and OMGs and LOLs. I understand that sometimes these are ironic or tongue-in-cheek, but if you're not sure if you're being ironic, avoid.
• But write simply. Big words and pretentious phrasing don't make you a better writer. That said, avoid saying that everything is "great." Words are wonderful, so try to expand your vocabulary.
• Write with authority. Instead of, "You maybe should think about trying gesso resist," say, "Try gesso resist." Instead of, "I suggest you consider sending your work to an agent," write "Send your work to an agent." All the qualifiers are unnecessary. They muddy up your writing and weaken your position. We know it's your blog, and therefore your suggestion; it's okay to be direct, and it makes for cleaner, more powerful writing.
• Don't imitate other bloggers. See above. Things travel fast in blogland, for better and worse; one person uses a phrase or style or writing tic and it goes viral, and then it quickly gets very, very tired and self-conscious. Avoid this.
• Know who you are and who your reader is. Many people do well by imagining one particular person that they're writing to. At least have a general idea of who you're writing for, their skill level, their age, their reason for coming to your site. Have a good idea of who you want to be writing for and why you're writing. Don't expect to please everyone.
• Read things other than blogs. If you want to be a good writer, be a voracious reader.
• My pet peeve: I'm turned off by diminutives like veggies and congrats. I realize many people are fine with these.
• My other pet peeve: Impact is not a verb. I don't care what your dictionary says.
• My other other pet peeve: Unless you're writing a blog about animals or children, a little information goes a long way. I once read a recommendation that a blog should be at least 80 percent on-topic; that sounds about right. A little bit of kids/pets in context is fine. If you want to post more than that about your darlings, say right up front that that's what your blog is about, or keep a separate blog for your family and friends.
• Finally, if your fabulous blog earns you interest from a magazine or book publisher, understand that writing a long-form article or a book for publication is universes away from writing a blog post. It's hard work. It goes on and on, with rewrites, corrections, instructions, and deadlines, and your writing will be edited, often heavily, by someone who has spent years writing diverse material, reading everything in sight, and learning to connect the dots and organize material in a logical and elegant way. They may have even written a few books themselves. Don't be angry or passive-aggressive. Appreciate what they do to make you look good.
• If you're planning to self-publish a book, you too need an editor and a proofreader, and possibly a technical editor.