My thoughts about today have to do with creating. It's good for the soul, regardless of what you like to create. It can be photography, woodworking, knitting, sewing, beading, weaving, jewelry, writing, baking, metalsmithing, drawing, and yes, even coloring. The list goes on and on. There is something so basic about the need to "make" that is ingrained deeply in us as humans. It is part of what makes us human.
For me, I have an almost constant need to make, to create. I'm very fortunate in my line of work that there is a lot of creativity in my day to day business. I get to choose colors, and I get to work with different canvasses every day. Just having my hands on the different items - backpacks, shirts, jackets, hats, hoodies, etc. is fun, the possibilities endless. Somedays, though, it's just not enough, and doesn't fulfill that need to create the way I want, need.
Then comes the big question - what should I make? I think a lot of people get stuck here. If you don't know what you want to make, how are you going to make something, anything? My answer is to simply start. The intent is just to create. It doesn't have to be about the end result, but rather the journey. For me, it can be about color, it can be about texture, it can be about a fiber, thread, 
fabric or technique. Not having a specific direction can be intimidating, but liberating at the same time. I find that it is a great way to settle my mind when I am stressed, a great way to relax, and oftentimes it creates some wonderful headspace. It helps me to work through things, thoughts, ideas. I can process whatever is happening that I am struggling with, an idea I'm working on, or it can be as simple as providing some time where I can just be with myself, within myself.
So I urge all of you to just go create. Don't worry about what you are making, just go and feed your soul with creativity. I'd love to see what you are working on. Email me, post on my FaceBook, or connect with me on Instagram.
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Reggi Coles
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When I am asked to do a custom piece, sometimes they go together quickly, sometimes it takes a while. It seems cliché to say, but I really do wait for the inspiration to come. It may flow quietly, slowly, gently, or occasionally it comes through with such force and power that I have to answer it. Others are a happy medium and come at a pace that is easy to work with, and just moves a long a bit at a time.
I usually take some time to process what the piece is to be, and I try to get a feeling for the colors it wants to be, and also what kind of elements and embellishments I will incorporate into it. There are so many techniques that I work with it can be a challenge to narrow it down and find the right one. Finishing the piece also takes some serious consideration. I can make it into a wall hanging with a traditional quilt finish, or I can have it framed. If I’m framing it, I still have to decide how to finish the edges. Should it be a raw edge, an embellished finish, or something new, and whether that edge will be seen as part of the piece, or hidden behind the frame.
On this piece, I pondered for quite a while what I wanted to do. It sat in the back of my mind for a while just brewing, percolating. First the color scheme came. In fact, I used the first piece of fabric I pulled out. When I read the symbolism of dragonflies, and blue dragonflies in particular I knew I had it. I never even looked at a second piece of fabric. After that the rest flowed smooth and easy. This piece didn’t want a lot of extra embellishment, and it didn’t want to be framed. It wanted simplicity.
It takes a lot of thought to choose your word of the year, and when I create a piece for you with that word (or phrase), I really try to imbue it with my own energy and positivity for you. I hope you enjoy this most recent creation.
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Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning "humanity". It is often translated as "I am because we are," or "humanity towards others", but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity". It is a concept that resonates so deeply with me that I mention Ubuntu on my website, so when I was asked to do Ubuntu as a word of the year I was thrilled.
A small backstory on this piece. Sometimes when friends travel out of the country I will give them some money and ask them to bring me back some fabric or textiles, with the promise that I will love everything/anything they bring back. Last year, my friend Robyn went to South Africa. She brought back some lovely fabric, and I've been waiting for the right opportunity to incorporate it in a piece.
I’ve done Robyn’s word of the year for several years now. When she told me her word this year was Ubuntu, and she was hoping that I could use some of fabric she brought back with her, it was pretty easy. I only needed to look at the fabric before the ideas started happening. I hope you enjoy this piece, and if you are interested in an art piece of your own I’d love to hear from you.
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