I first started Joy Fibre Art almost ten years ago. I fell in love with weaving after taking a class at a local studio and decided to enter a holiday craft show/sale for the first time and was asked to provide an artist statement and branding for my work. If you have ever experienced this moment, maybe you can relate.
Was I actually an artist?
Weaving and spinning did not feel any different than the fibre crafts I learned as a child. My Mom and my Grandma spent many hours teaching me how to harness my rambunctious energy into crafting. There has rarely been a time in my life when I do not have a creative project on the go, and that’s the way I like it!
So the branding part came easy… Joy was my Grandma and she inspired this journey. But adding the Fibre Art was my act of rebellion, against myself.
I spent many years building a professional career and had never, ever, considered myself an artist. It took a real shift in perspective to embrace the idea that what I was making for fun, was actually art. For some reason, weaving unlocked this for me.
Fibre arts are not just crafts and hobbies. That is what we (mostly women) were told to diminish the value that this work brings to our communities, the economy, and the lives of those around us. Yes, weaving, spinning, sewing, knitting, etc. are crafts but they are also labour and art.
So I entered my first show as Joy Fibre Art and spent the next ten years or so with a mix of production weaving, running a craft business, creating custom artwork, telling stories through my work, extroverting at craft shows, building a brand, teaching, and trying new tools and techniques. If I could afford to be a full time artist, trust me, I would be one.
There’s a kind of bravery in slowing down, especially in a world that measures worth in speed. I wonder what would happen if we treated making the same way we treat hustle.
Kristy, Joy Fibre Art
A couple years ago, I needed to take a break. I know this is a part of every artist’s journey, but it felt strange, and sad, and I think I needed the break. I tried other things and refocused energy back into my professional career. My loom, spinning wheel, and copious amounts of wool and cotton gathered dust. I deleted my Instagram and Facebook accounts and archived my photos of all the work I had done and felt like this might actually be the end of this part of my creative journey.
A few weeks ago, I realized I still had a YouTube channel and logged on to check on it and delete it. To my great surprise, it has had regular views and engagement, even without any new content posted for over a year. I could see that there is still a need for beginner tutorials and inspiration and I remembered how important videos, blog posts, Pinterest boards, photos, etc. were to me when I started my journey with weaving and spinning.
So, a sleepless night later, I dusted off my loom, set up a project, weaved constantly for hours, and finished the first project in over a year. It felt like coming home.
So, I’m saying hello again to Joy Fibre Art. Not as a business, but as my fibre artist journal. Welcome, or welcome back if you have been following along over the years. I have so much creativity to share again, and you can find it here.
~ Kristy