Eyes open now.

I have just read this through and it is not uplifting. But it is honest and so I am posting it. I know I will get a lot of flak for it, but is that because it might hit a nerve?

Come the 1st of May we will have been open a year. What a year.

When I look back it has been so good, but I have lost a little faith along the way.  I feel that I should apologies to some people who have been good enough to take time to give me there opinion as I know see why they were doing it and where it came from.

When we started out we did the obligatory market research, we listened to artists and makers for YEARS. We had our own experiences to draw from ( *I have learnt a whole heap about that too) and I have based my belief in artists and makers on that.

A take it as you find it kinda thing.

So what did I believe? I thought all artists/makers were hungry for success, looking for breaks, had a desire to create over everything. I thought that a teeny, tiny percentage were flaky or too free spirited to maintain a practice, but that the rest of us were just waiting, looking, hoping and making opportunities.

I thought that a creative path was often a catch 22….no money, no materials , no sales, no money, no materials …..

I am learning so much.

My partner would often talk about hippydippy makers, how un-organised they are, that they are not reliable etc and I would fly into an outrage. He would talk about dreamers who already had their lifestyle and were just going through the motions by complaining about lack of help, opportunity etc. through lazyness or fear. That they had opted out and it was easier to complain than to do. Note he is talking about some. He respects and admires many many more. I felt this was a huge exaggeration and defended my fellow makers/artist to the hilt.

You can see where this is going can’t you……a year on and I am feeling the same as him. A committed organised highland artist/maker is a treasure. A find. ( you know who you are xxxxx). I book them for events and they arrive late, unprepared, don’t turn up with a oh god life attitude. We all have ‘life’.

People have told us ( this is where the shared opinion bit comes in) that anyone with any get up and go in the Highlands has got up and gone.  I so didn’t want this to be true. (and its not completely true) I was angry at this and retorted that there was no opportunity. That we had to travel so far for fairs, galleries, blah blah. But today that isn’t true…the world is tiny now. The internet has set selling free.

A couple of gallery/retail owners said they admired our ‘local’ ethos but that in a years time we would be pulling our hair out and looking further afield. I, in my naivety, thought they just hadn’t given it a chance if they had tried it at all. I pressed one owner to explain and she said that for her first 8/9 months the local artist/makers had been really into it. But that the novelty of the new wore off and slowly they didn’t deliver or kept hiking their prices as they got sales. The quality would waver and they would promise things and never deliver. Eventually as her shelves became spars she had to climb down from her ‘local first’ and look further afield. She said those who were good were great…Thats what we are finding.

We have some truly AMAZING local artist/makers, but they are the exception and if you are reading this we really appreciate you.

We have makers from all over Scotland too, but much less. They generally deliver every time. But we looked them up or they approached us and so maybe they were already ‘in business mode’ so the comparison is different. We hear of many local people through W.O.M. and get in touch or they pop in. Much less formal.

There is something about the creative path that makes some people following it think they don’t have to be professional. I don’t mean smartly dressed and formal. I just mean treat it with respect. Don’t make excuses etc. Again this is not true of everyone. I promise to balance this post with a ‘when they get it right its so right’ post just so you know we don’t think everyone is the same.

You wouldn’t get a restaurateur opening 4 hours late and having only 2 things on the menu, then excusing it by saying that they had a bad week or car trouble etc. It just wouldn’t last very long. Yet we get this weekly. Now I know I sound harsh as life does throw spanners etc, but it seems to through them more at some artist/makers than any other profession. I am at a loss to know why.I also know that generally artists only have themselves and so when something goes wrong its all about them…that is hard. But some people manage just fine…why? what is the difference? How do some end up at collect and some at Exclusively highlands moaning that they don’t get the breaks. ( I should point out that LOADS of people are very happy selling at E. H. and it is really good for them. They are happy with a practice at this level).

I feel I have to eat some of my earlier words too. When starting out I said we weren’t going to be demanding due dates etc as we knew a lot of our makers had second jobs, families etc and that being creative in all this is hard. Pressure from an over bearing gallery doesn’t help. But that is a cop out. Its not all together untrue, but if you are serious about it being your career then you have to find a way or do it for the love until your other commitment subside. I now know lots of amazing people who juggle HEAPS and still get on with there practice.

I know one artisan who gets up VERY VERY early and claims 2 hour before her kids are up. If its want you want to do you find a way.

I know some off you will be reading this in OUTRAGE. 1 year ago I would have too. But hard facts have shown me that those that want something strive for it and there are those who hide behind it. All to often it is the latter that people meet (the others are too busy trying) and it forms this Hippydippy flaky artist opinion that goes around.

Highland Showcase

I am from Orkney. On Orkney they really appreciate craft and its impact on the local economy.

They are very organised at marketing what they design/make and at supporting each other. I often find Inverness really frustrating as the are very BAD at marketing anything. Often it is not until you read the review that you know anything was on. I know where to look as well!! so for the general public it must be so much worse. There is a ‘if we build it , they will come’ attitude.

We have makers in Hung every other day stating that they have to work to subsidise their practice because of the lack of opportunity here. You would actually think as we are the gateway to the highlands that there would be something eh?

So an opportunity came up and we grabbed it. I am now stretched to the point of crazy trying to pull it together.

We have let a shop unit in the Eastgate for 6 months which we are turning into a gallery. The six months are broken down into 10 areas of the Highlands Of Scotland each having 2 weeks focused on that area. 5 makers from each area will pay a fee to show their work and have someone there promoting/selling  their work and area.

If I was in the position to have time to be making it is an opportunity I would jump at.  to sell here and so I thought that I would easily fill all the spaces. 5 isn’t many. But it is proving a struggle.

I know these are hard times etc. But paying to have my work to be where 25,000 people A DAY visit to shop AND not having to take time out from my practice ( this comes up again and again – taking time out from making to attend fairs) AND an amazing website which remains active anon, with sales directly to me (no commission) and being on a map given out to locals and tourist alike….seems pretty good for £400.

We can’t make it any cheaper as there is not just the rent, but rates, service charge, staff, shopfit etc.  To take one of those ‘stalls’ it is over £500 p/w and you have to staff that yourself.

So far the response has been slow. Fingers crossed they are just waiting until the 11th hour.

Speed Crafting

What? I have posted about this before. But it is now becoming a bit of a movement!

Speed Crafting is so much fun and books out weeks before an event now. They are doing it in Shetland (with a slightly different format) in Orkney @ the lovely Kirsteen Stewart -Studios. I have read about  The Two Dolls on Cut Out and Keep doing something too.

We have been Speed Crafting for a couple of years now trying different formats until we settled on its current set up.

4 artists, 4 tables, 4 crafts. 24 crafters split into 4 tables of 6 with 1/2 hr at each table. Its manic fun.

We have our Double Date…. 2 artists teaching 2 crafts each. 12 Crafters split into two tables of 6. They do every table so make and take all 4 crafts being taught by each artist twice…does that make sense? This appeals to some as it is a lot less noisy and more relaxed. Even though the pace is still steady.

We have made dichroic glass ( micro kiln) felt, recycled necklaces, bags, etc, felt, nuno felt, bathbombs, knitting in every form, crochet, batik, machine and hand applique, cards, lono prints, fantasy film etc etc etc. Really diverse things.

I love that it gives an income to the artists ( tiny but regular) I love that so many people are trying new crafts and having a great time doing it. I love the social aspect and that people keep coming back.

I would love to hear about the workshops you run or attend…where, what, why, when etc.

Swishing. I love it.

Have you Swished?

I first Swished at The Greenhouse in Dingwall. I thought it was the best idea ever and came home with a couple of great new pieces of clothing new to me. Guilt free fashion. I then found out its a movement.

www.swishing.com

We have now had two Swishing events at Hung and they have been such a great success that I think they may become a regular feature there.

Last night we had around 25 ladies eager to Swish and some really beautiful clothes. It never ceases to amazing me how many people have clothes in their wardrobe that have never been worn never mind with the tags still on!!!!! Their were amazing shoes too.  I came home with some lovely tweed Ted Baker trousers…..whats not to love.

So what is Swishing? This is how we do it. You bring 3 as new items and hang them up. We get a drink, tea, coffee or maybe a small wine. Once everyone has arrived we get 15 mins to have a look through what everyone has brought and return to our drinks and wait for the bell. Its honestly very exciting. It gets a bit competitive ….really. Then there is 5 mins to try to get the 3 items you like. I know this might seem strange but your heart races and its very exciting.

This is people arriving.

As you can see its busy and fun.  We also had a raffle to raise money for a local charity and a make-up demo. At the last Swish we had a demo on how to put your hair up in a beehive.

Its free, fun and recycling. We get to meet loads of lovely people and get new clothes. Why not try it yourself?

Where does the time go?

I simply don’t know where the time goes. I am amazed at people who say they are bored…what the F*%$? How?

I can’t remember when I was ever bored. I need a daily extension, 2 hours would be just great. I have so much to do and even more that I want to.

Since opening HUNG I haven’t had time to think. So I think its time to take stock. I feel as though I am lurching from one thing to the other.

We had so many plans and so far done very few, so I need to take a couple of days to refocus.

I love to make and to share making. I love other people’s work and sharing it. I am passionate about artist/makers being able to sustain themselves being creative. Yet here I am basically full circle working in a shop, all be it my shop, with no time to create.

Have you ever been bored? I can’t imagine creative people being bored, but perhaps the can be.

Tutorial : Toast

Reblogged from Craft Candies:

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Hello my readers :3

I know I said I was going to post once a week, but that seems a bit too long o.o I’m always thinking of new tutorials, and yeah.. Today’s one will be extremely simple.

Materials:

• Pointed tool
• White clay ( and Translucent if you have some )
• Pastels
• Brush
• Toothbrush

Now, for toast, it is best if you have translucent AND white.

Read more… 173 more words

what a great new blog. I am learning already

Kev. No. Just no.

Having successfully cast my friends lips Kev was very Keen to cast his own.

As you can see there is a very obvious problem with this……but would he listen.

My friend Emma set about doing the deed. First kev lubed up with vaseline and then emma smoothed on the plaster.

  All good so far.

But the plaster set on to the hair as i thought it might…..

as plaster sets it goes through a reaction which heats it up. It needs to be removed from the face before this happens. The hair would not come out and it was very painful for him as it shrunk.

I was panic stricken. I had not wanted him to do it in the first place and it was covering his mouth getting hotter and hotter.

I was really worried and started to imagine we would be going to A&E. But how to explain it?

Kev was determined to get it off himself and broke it in two with pliers. This meant he could breath OK. But the plaster was now ROCK hard. He tried to chip at it with the pliers and I used tiny scissors to get under it and cut away his hair.

We were all laughing , but a nervous, lets keep things light kinda laughing interjected with fits of the kind of laugh that ‘only comes out at other peoples misfortune and you know its wrong’ laugh.

But once we knew he wasn’t going to die we just laughed and laughed.