have you ever just wanted to take a break? earlier this week i went ‘on holiday.’ ok, so it was actually only 15 minutes from my house, but i was housesitting for a friend who was away for a few days. now i’m really thinking that i need a longer break, somewhere further away than just down the block.
over coffee yesterday morning, a friend of mine reminded me about WWOOF, or World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. it’s weird how you can completely forget about something so amazing.
i’m at a crossroads (not a la britney, mind you), and unsure of whether or not to stay in london or return home to north carolina. i’d like to start some sort of grassroots place where lessons in various crafty skills could be taught, sort of like MAKE workshop in NYC.
for awhile now it’s been my dream to start some sort of space where i can work and teach, my friends can play shows on the weekends at backyard veggie BBQs, people can come and share new skills and i can sell not only stuff that i make, but stuff that friends of mine make, too. there are so many amazing people making so many amazing things, that i want to help them do what they love. as opposed to having a place where only things are sold, i want to run a place where things are handmade as well.
i just want to be able to create my own life rather than just re-enter the rat race. i wouldn’t mind writing more or learning how to make real raspberry jam, i just need to focus more on the former and corral my friends with culinary skills for the latter. working a 40 hour work week in a cubicle doesn’t figure into the future that i have drafted in my head.
for awhile it’s been a dream, but lately i’ve been wondering about the possibilities of making this draft a reality. some of the WWOOF farms have their own sheep and teach spinning and dyeing workshops. some of my friends are making so many amazing things. why can’t i create a place where all of these things are celebrated?
currently the main hurdle is that i don’t want to start something on my own. ideally it would be a place fun with other like-minded individuals, because that enables things to be more diverse and not have the tendency to stagnate.
i’m also just not sure where i want to be. if you have an opinion, cast your vote now. or alternatively, get off the computer and go make something useful.
x
firstly, thank-you! love the site so much – found it only a couple of days ago and have worked my way through pretty much all the posts, and am slowly investigating more and more of the links. really great to find somewhere that brings together so many things which i care about and think about and then has introduced me to a whole new host of connected worlds. (and a fellow op ivy fan! :-))
so… recently, newly inspired, instead of just thinking about things, or planning things, i’ve got more and more determined to force theory into practice. and am getting there with little things. but i agree with you about going it alone being a hurdle to the big plans. it’s by the combination and interaction of different people’s ideas, skills, inputs and resources that things like your dream (which is so like so many of mine) turn into reality.
so, for now, just a message of moral support because i think what you are doing and what you are striving for is wonderful. but, also, if and when you start putting down solid foundations to build your dream i would love to be able to provide some kind of practical help. (am currently in London too – but on the where to go question i can only advise you to follow your instincts…).
will await further developments… (and in the meantime make something(s) useful)
m.x
thank you for your kind, kind words! it’s always inspiring to hear that there are people are there on the same track as me.
forcing theory into practice can hold great power, because once you get going, the big things seem a lot easier than they may have looked at first! yeehaw!
x