Connective Tissue

When I left high school all eager to get out of the small town I grew up in and ready to be my own person I got into a University course in Sydney which, for its time was very progressive, this was 1992. The course was Social Ecology, there were very few lectures, it was more about experiential learning, group discussions and action research projects.

Quite a leap from high school where it was all about rote learning and exams. I was one of about 3 or 4 high school leavers and the rest of the students were mature age.

I definitely felt like a fish out of water and lost what little confidence I had as a learner. But, little by little and with the support of the facilitators and the other students I began to realise that this way of seeing the world, of discussing all points of view, of reflecting on my own learning through journal writing, or using poetry to express my learnings and frustrations, suited me.

One of the many things I took from this experience was the simple exercise of making mind maps, of jotting down words all over a page and seeing connections.

I use this technique 30 odd years later in my craft practice. Words seem to be my starting point, always, the visuals come later.

The words help me to see beyond the material matters and techniques, they help me solidify what I want to say. I’m not talking about making any particular statement with my work, or maybe I am, but more of the essence behind it, where its roots lie.

I can also be quite technique driven, especially when I am experimenting with an idea but the words are what help me get started.

I like writing, although I’m slightly self conscious about it, but I like the act of it. I used to write a blog for many years and because of my insecurities, I permanently deleted all its contents a couple of years back. I wish I hadn’t, so now I’m investing time in it, again. The more I write, the more comfortable I am with it. Writing helps me solidify why I do what I do and also find a way of expressing my creativity, peeling off the layers until I get to the core of why I choose the subject matter I choose.

My job as a creative or artist or whatever has always been to see the threads that connect an idea. The connective matrix of a light bulb moment, how do I translate that into making jewellery and objects?

I’m finding that the two main culprits are usually Nature and the human condition. I see parallels constantly, and this is what I would like to explore in the next twelve months and beyond.

This new body of exhibition work that has been brewing in my head is slowly finding its way on to the page.

So, I am now at a point where I will be mapping out jumbled words and phrases and seeing where they take me over the next few months.

I haven’t been feeling that excited about all that much throughout this year. To be frank, it’s been a shit show of emotional, financial and physical health rubbish I want to leave behind. But, that being said, I feel a tiny twinge of excitement, like maybe, just maybe I’ve got more to give and that makes me feel okay.