Multipotentialites

I watched a fabulous Ted Talk the other day about how some of us just can't commit to one thing in life.  The speaker called us "multipotentialites"- people who dive into something, whole heartedly, and after learning all they can, move on to something, often totally different, new and exciting.

I've often thought of myself as encapsulating the phrase "jack of all trades and master of none", and I totally relate to the feeling of needing to explore new things.  Even though I know that the most successful artists and makers are those that brand themselves and really focus on one thing, the thought of that fills me with dread- oh the boredom of having to make the same thing over and over.  I want to learn, to explore, to make new connections between what I learn to do.  And so, people call me "clever" or "creative", but rarely "successful".

And I know I'm not alone here.  My memories of growing up are of my mother, in particular, flitting from one obsession to another- at one point it was mud brick houses, another time basket making (and she was quite a successful basket artist; selling her work in galleries).  When I was young, I didn't understand it (probably like my own children who roll their eyes in that knowing way and say "mum's latest thing), but NOW...now I get it.

And so....my latest obsession: WEAVING.  Now, I know that weaving is going through a bit of a revival right now- it's "on trend" (as is macrame weirdly), but in my defence I've been wanting to learn to weave for about as long as I first started spinning wool (around 1999).  As with spinning, it seems like such an extravagance to buy a loom (I only got my first spinning wheel after spindle spinning for years because my lovely sister in law sent me hers), and so I persevere an A4 page sized hand held loom that I picked up in Spotlight on sale.

But OH!  Oh....  I have been working with wool since I was about 8.  A pretty long time in the scheme of things.  I can knit, crochet, spin, felt etc, and the fabric/yarn made with all of those techniques is slightly different.  As is weaving.  I am just loving, right now, playing with wool in different ways; seeing what happens and how different colours, textures, patterns play off each other. Unlike trendy weaving right now which is chunky and tassel-ly, my weaves are subtle and understated and create nothing more than a simple wall hanging.  But they please me immensely.