Being creative - how did I get here?

How did I get here?

I suppose the answer is slowly… 

I was a child of the seventies with busy self-employed parents who offered a jar of brown pasta, some sugar paper and a pot of glue for entertainment. Taking my place in a long line of make-your-own-clothes-ers, I didn’t want to look the same as other people. Perhaps my creativity was always busting around inside me, but I had no need to rebel and nothing to prove so I just made clothes and loved a jumble sale rummage of a weekend.

I studied performing arts at university, and whilst I always think of myself as an introvert, I can be a pretty gregarious one. I did perform - probably rather badly - dance, physical theatre, circus even, for a few years. Until I realised that I was a bit lazy to train properly and I obviously didn’t want it enough to keep pushing on through that pain barrier.

I got a job in a West End wardrobe department - nepotism obviously - then another one, and another one, and spent years dressing Very Important Characters and listening to the same songs eight shows a week. I learnt so much about how important creativity is in all our lives - it’s everywhere.

Meanwhile we lived in big warehouse spaces, really hot in the summer and soooo cold in the winter - so I made us all-in-ones to wear to train and lounge in. These became boesuits, which then became onsies - I’m sure you’ve heard of them....

Costume designers I knew were looking for bespoke jumpsuits or catsuits and I turned out to be the go-to girl. Then they wanted a 10 metre long frock for a woman on a crane and a knitted astronaut costume so I turned my hand to them. The briefs got weirder and more exciting, the materials got stranger and more interesting - I’ve used remote controls on flower petals, sculpted cakes in plaster, made ginormous foam rubber genitals and three piece tail suits that fall apart. Plus of course beautiful dresses and amazing outfits for all different types of bodies.

I bought myself a little warehouse space, after years of wanting, and set about converting half of it into a house. I was still laying floorboards and tiling walls whilst pregnant, as well as stitching up a storm in my studio downstairs, but having my daughter did give me a chance to sit down. Those little people really change things. I spent a few years offering her scissors and watching her dexterity develop, sewing a few new seeds.

We moved back home to Bristol as my daughter was about to start school. Still lucky enough to have my own workshop I wondered whether I could open it up and offer other people’s children the scissors. My years of making and creating had given me so many methods and techniques. I had a whole library in my head of ways to join things, starting points for turning imaginings into realities, and the confidence to give anything a go - I really wanted to share.

So here I am. 

I share. By offering spaces for exploration and imagination, I create starting points and give the tools and techniques for development. I allow everyone their own creative journey, support them on it, and help them see that when things don’t go to plan it’s ok to change their mind. And I never say “oh that’s nice...”

I’ll explain about the words we use when we talk to each other about our creative endeavours next time. Words are important.