#Remember Series: The Importance of Slowing Down

We’ve recently been posting the #Remember series on social media – which is a digital time travel of sorts, to the early times of Prickly. This reflection on our journey has humbled us with a beautiful reminder of how it felt starting out with the equipment we use. Yes, in the beginning it was challenging. The looms were almost a hundred years old – we saved them from being dumped - and all we had was a book to try and get them going. There certainly weren’t any online tutorials handy! It was a 2 year journey of struggles, feeling puzzled and having nightmares. With an immense amount of patience and hard work though, the day came when they started singing. Then there was the knotting in machine – so complex with all of it’s little parts that intricately work together. It took us such a long time to figure out, but now we are at one with it.

It's worth it to persevere with old machines. They are rooted in times where making things was done more in harmony with the environment than we see today. Contemporary minds have also been conditioned to throw things away when they seem ‘outdated’ – which is a concept often used to justify buying more ‘stuff’ exacerbated by corporate obsession with growth. Additionally, when things break people see replacing as a better option than reviving – it’s the plight of being identified as a ‘consumer’ instead of a human being with creativity and resourcefulness.

Yes, it was hard choosing to work with traditional equipment. It took time, but so does weaving! The age of instant gratification is so tiny and new compared to the span of human existence. It is in our nature to take time with things and connect with the process of making, not just the outcome. The means is just as valuable as the end, even more actually! We are inquisitive creatures who benefit from learning and it’s really healthy not just for us, but for the planet too! Slowing down really is the key to getting ourselves back in harmony with the natural world and away from the current climate crisis.

Love

Clare and the Team

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