Last night we had the pleasure of hosting an Artist Talk at The Barn and hearing the perspectives of three local artists. These events, while seemingly simple in concept, have a big ripple effect on our greater community. Traditional craft will die out, it is almost inevitable if we don’t urgently pass these practices to the next generation.

Craft has always been a unifying force in my family. My mother taught me how to knit when I was 6 years old and my grandmother and sister have reinforced this love. We bonded over yarn, learning new techniques, and just sitting, knitting and passing the time together. My grandmother passed away in May and now this skill that we shared such a big love for will live in me. I will pass this skill on to as many people as I can. With the pursuit of craft there is always more to learn, and although I have been knitting for 23 years and doing ceramics for 11 years, I will spend the rest of my life chipping away at them knowing that I will never master it. Craft is generous if you are willing to be humble with it. 

In a time of instant gratification, production value, profit mindsets, and high stimulus distractions, there is an alternative. When was the last time you made something with your hands purely for the joy of it? For the purpose of quieting your mind, challenging yourself to slow down, to learn, to pass the time, to ponder how we’ve gotten to this age of seemingly unlimited resources?

I idolize those who restore hundred year old wooden ships, who knit with wool from the animals they raised on their land, who create furniture from wood they harvest themselves with only axes and sharp knives, who cut silver with handsaws, who dye textiles with colors made from ground plants, who generate sounds from hollow pieces of wood and steel cables paired with words strung together that push people to move their bodies, those who weave towels from cotton to use in their everyday lives, and those who grow vegetables and herbs and raise animals to sustain their communities. Have you ever roasted a whole chicken and shared it with friends just to celebrate the opportunity to be together? Have you ever planted a seed in March knowing you would not see, or taste, the fruit of your labor until August? Have you ever knit for 16 hours just to rip it out and start over again just because you could do it better? 

Craft is deeply rooted in our evolution as a species. This is how we can speak to our ancestors, to let them know they are not forgotten. Teach your kids how to mend their clothes, how to appreciate the beauty of a hand carved spoon, a mug made by hand. Mold making, 3D printing, power tools, fast fashion, digital everything. Everything can be made faster, but is that always better? We’ve worked so hard to make things more efficient to buy back our time, and then what do we do with this free time but dissociate on our phones and binge watch TV. In an age of chronic anxiety and depression- connection heals, community heals, craft heals. This sense of urgency is not about “what if one day our machines fail us”, it is about connecting with the past, looking to simplify, and finding solutions for healing our busy minds. Creativity opens the door to getting to know your true self. The action of learning a craft is so much deeper than the physical outcome. 

Please, find out what it is that your grandparents and great grandparents did, made, grew, or played. The doilies and quilts you find at the thrift store are more than clutter that someone no longer needed and donated. They are the relics of artists who were confined to the domestic home and still found ways to enrich their lives and environments they occupied.

The preservation of traditional craft is an honorable pursuit that we at The Barn are dedicated to supporting. In addition to our Art Talk Series we host a number of different workshops all year round. Our next Artist Talk will take place on August 31st from 5:30-7:30 in The Barn.

With love,
Annie & Sarah

SouthportGeneralStore.com