Careers Guidance Talk

Last week I was asked to give a talk in a school about careers and the world of fashion/crafting. It was a little surreal to walk into a room of 20 or so 15 year old girls and talk about what I do, and it was only about 10 minutes before I had to start that I realised I had no idea what I was going to say! After I got past the first daunting minute it was actually pretty enjoyable. There was lots of questions; some strange, some pretty informed. It was odd to see myself in them 12 years ago with all these strange ideas of what the real world is like. Especially if any of them intend on working the the creative field.

I tried to explain that I've worked in many diciplines over the past 6 years since leaving college and that how nearly accidently I started this business a couple of years ago. I got one hilarious question asking if I got bored waiting around for it all to happen, like one day I clicked my fingers and I became a designer. What do you even say to that...? I just tried not to laugh and say that I was learning lots of different skills by working in different creative areas. Even including some of the off the wall questions like that I was really surprised to see how attentive they could be to a talk like that. Especially considering I tried to be as realistic as possible saying that it was pretty much no glamour and 24/7 work in working for yourself.

To be honest there are many times that I feel like I'm only 16 on the inside and that all of this is one big crazy accident, but giving that talk made me see how much life has changes in years since college, and especially since I was 15!! It's funny the ideas that we have of what we want to do when we are older. I was really lucky in that I realised very young I wanted to go to art college, but I had no concept of where that would bring me. In some ways deciding your career at 15 is totally insane, but I'm not sure what system could replace it.

Anyway I hope I didn't terrify the lovely girls too much, and that maybe a couple of them will think of going into a creative workplace.

Happy Bunny

I had a great day today selling in the Art College in Limerick city. It was nice to be back and see a few familiar faces. I was totlly shocked at how many things I sold. Lots of people bought my pocket mirrors as Christmas gifts. I sell them at 5 euro each or 3 for 10 euro, so that went down well with the frugally challanged art students. It was lovely to be selling indoors for once, so I could wear normal clothes and not have to layer on half on my wardrobe to keep from freezing half to death.

All in all I'm a happy bunny this evening. I'm gonna treat myself by not working too hard tonight. A bit of leisurely sewing while watching a movie should do the trick.

New Markets

I'm gonna be a busy bee over the next few weeks. I just got confirmation today that I'll be doing the markets in UL over the Christmas. So any of you fine folk who are studying hard over December, pop into the courtyard between 11pm and 5pm every Tuesday. I'm also meant to be taking part in a market being held in the Art College in Claire St. That's meant to be 9th Dec, but I havn't heard much about it so I'm waiting to confirm that. I'll also be doing 'show your business' on Friday 11th December in Bank of Ireland on O Connell St, in Limerick. It sounds kinda odd to be honest, basically I stand about the bank all day trying to sell my lovely wares to customers. It could be good, it could be dire, hard to tell with something like that. On top of all that I'll still be doing the Sunday Market every week!! Hopefully this year we will get a permit extension and be able to sell every day on Bedford Row in the week coming up to Christmas, but I'll hear more about that tomorrow.
Somewhere in there I've to squeeze in time to go to 2 weddings, a birthday party, do all my Christmas shopping, oh and make things too!! To be honest I'm really glad things are busy, the way all the talk was going I was starting to think there would be no Christmas rush, and that Santa may have been killed by either swine flu or the recession.

New Painting, and Busy Season

I'm already starting to freak out that there isn't enough time between now and Christmas. Lots of new things have popped up and I came to the conclusion yesterday that I'm going to have to sprout 16 extra pairs of hands and never sleep, of get about 3 volunteers to help. The money isn't exactly rolling in yet so I can't afford to pay anyone.Over the past few years I've already pul;led in all the favours I could with friends and I think that gravey train has run out. On the up side my work is in demand which is something I feel very lucky to be able to say in todays climate.

In some other news myself and John have become the proud owners of a new beautiful painting by Limerick artist Emmet Kierns. His work has been exhibited throughout Europe, and America so I feel really honoured to have one of his pieces in my house.

Selling in LSAD

Today was my first day out in the big bad world selling my supplies. It was a bit of a scramble to get things together, as I had only rang the Art college yesterday to enquire about selling, and the Students Union President said 'Yeah sure, come in tomorrow'. They had organised a small fair thing, on campus, very stall indeed at there were only two other sellers. I'm not sure if this will catch on as a regular thing as I don't think the other people did very well. Considering I did not advertising and people weren't expecting to spend money I didn't do too badly. I had 50 different types of button there, plus a lot of ribbon, and my own pocket mirrors and badges. Not bad for about 15 hrs notice!

It was a weird feeling being back in the college that I spent 4 yrs in, but it's still a pretty cool place, although it's maybe a bit trendier than when I was there. Hopefully I can go back again, but a little more prepared next time.

Note: I will be listing my 15yrd rolls of ribbon in my etsy shop as soon as I get my hands on a decent camera. Also thanks to Cliare Ann for buying buttons today and saying these lovely things about me...aw shucks :)

(Other) Note: My 1000 moo cards were delivered on Monday, I'm using them as packaging on my bags of buttons. I thought they would last a little while but alas I'down to about 60 already, and I'm only at the tip of the iceburg with the bags of buttons...eek!

College Reminiscing

There have been lots of ads on tv as of late for college, and college choices, and it made me think back and get all dewy eyed about my college days. So I thought I'd take a little trip down memory lane for you guys...
Firstly I'm not from Limerick I'm a Dublin/Kildare hybrid who had aspirations of moving beyond The Pale(for my non-Irish readers that means outside Dublin),and away from my parents, it's not that I didn't love them they are just very strict. The choice was pretty easy, I always knew I wanted to do art, so I applied to everywhere in Ireland and made my decision after the interview stage. The Limerick School of Art and Design seemed like hard work, and that they would push me really hard, so I chose there( i cried in the interview). Now for the benifit of the non-Irish among you I will explain that Limerick has a very bad reputation for stabbing, murder and gangs. I deserves some of this reputation,in my time here an aquantance has been beaten to death, another stabbed, and my place of work was burnt down due to a gang fued , but a lot of the time it's over blown to sell newspapers. So my parents were more than a little nervous when I informed them of my new choice of residence. So at first I rented a room in a family house and, got food poisening from the landlady, and locked myself in my room for months drawing or texting on my phone. Not a good way to start college.
It took me a long time to make genuine friends, and found the first year very difficult, socially. When I look back I see someone who was very young, and wanted to be accepted but I was tired of pandering to a cool crowd. Somehow I thought these things would cease to exist in art college, and that all the bullshit of school would be left behind. Thankfully in my second year, I made some really great friends that suited my more bookish(less partying) sensibilities. We sat in old man pubs, drank guinness, talked art and philosophy, and were generally blissfuly pretentious. The friendships I made over those tasty pints have seen me through the past 9 years, and I'm sure will continue for a lifetime. I think being down here without family has enabled me to make really strong bonds with people, it forced me out of my comfort zone.
As for the actual art side of things, it was amazing, I learnt so much, and yet I could have done so much more. I was a pretty swotty student, but even now looking back I realised I squandered most of the facilities/time/information. I suppose hindsight and age are a great things. I took in as much as I could, but sometimes I wonder if it would not be better to be a mature student. I could see myself valuing it all a lot more if I did the course now. But I don't think I could would like to be in college in my late 20's, in a way there are somethings only life-not college-can teach you.
It's taken me 5 years to come close to figuring out how to make a living off my art/craft. When I finished college there was a huge anti-climax, especially after I had done so well. I felt cheated to go back to working a part time minimum wage job, and yet I couldn't see a way forward into doing what I wanted creatively. It's been a long meandering path, but at it's centre there has been the knowledge, that I am compelled/addicted/need to make things, be it digitally, photographically, painting,drawing or sewing. I'm really glad I made that random choice of coming to Limerick, I've found this crazy sense of home here, a city that feels like a village, with warts and all, but I love it.

A document of random memories before they disapear into the ether:
Popping giant bubble wrap with John for hours waiting on assessments results, sneaking into the haunted attic and finding loads of human hair all over the floor,doing all nighters and ordering pizza, living with a german ex hermit who thought he could time travel, flinging a packet of butter out my kitchen window that had been infected with slugs, climbing down 'that' cliffside, getting that wonderful surprise of The Lord of the Rings book smuggled into my luggage on the trip back to Limerick, hiding under a coffee table while my landlord busted in on a house party of 200 people, daytrips to the freezing seaside with Sharon, butter pasta with black pepper at 4am, no heating for 3 years relieved by the odd fire when we could afford coal...and so many more

Twitchy Fingers Syndrome

I was showing someone my website last night in work,and I realised with all the market and clothes stuff that I'm doing lots of people don't know that my background is actually in visual art. I studied fine art printmaking in Limerick School of Art and Design. I really loved it it there,it was like a warm safe bubble where all I had to do was think about myself and what I wanted to make:an artists dream. Even though I worked really hard I still look back now and think I didn't take full advantage of the resources; the library,the print studio, the endless tech skill of the tutors. But these insights come with a few years of experience out in the real world and I suppose I was very young at the time. I still don't think I would choose fashion as my discipline if I had the choice now, I'm glad that I happily landed in this, rather that fretting over technical issues. I think I'm freed somewhat by my ignorance, I just look at the clothes and fumble through until I get where I want-it makes for some experimental and interesting results.I'll definitely go back to doing fine art and graphic design, diffent projects always seem to pop up randomly. My boyfriend accuses me of being too scatty and that I should focus on one dicipline, but I think all the diffent creative threads feed each other. My graphics is not slick and cold like others because of my art background, and sometimes my clothes feel like drawings.I would be afraid to stick with one thing for a few years for fear it would get stale. On top of the fact that I don't think I could stop myself endlessly tinkering with different things. If I have a few projects on the go at all times it keeps my twitching fingers happy.

So here are a smattering of pictures I've created in various media over the past few years.