An Absence of Disruption

Today I went to Juanita and Candace’s home in Santiago to learn embroidery. It was a perfectly lovely experience, marked by very little “noise.”

We don’t speak the same language [Candace knows some Spanish, but for the most part they both speak the local dialect], so we were sitting there in silence as I worked, and they watched me, and instructed me with their fingers. There was no music playing. There was nothing on the gray walls, except a hand-made sign that said “Happy Birthday Dad” in Spanish. There was no television. No pets. The only bit of print media in the room was the magazines that I brought for Candace. Even when their brother Santiago quietly came into the room, he stayed awhile, watching me tentatively as I worked.

The absence of disruption exposed quickly the sheer difficulty of what I was doing, and the discomfort and confusion I was feeling about learning something new from people that I couldn’t speak to. It also allowed me to fully be present and appreciate that after 6 hours I not only had a little birdie sitting in my lap, but I had also developed a special bond with these women without sharing words.

And in such synchronicity, I happened to read this right after my experience:
“Everything is usually so masked or perfumed or disguised in the world, and it’s so touching when you get to see something real and human.” P 215, Traveling Mercies, Thoughts on Faith, Anne Lamott

Gaining the Willingness to Cross Over the Learning Edge

Yesterday we went over Atun's house [Atun is a weaver that works at Cojolya], and we met his wife Juanita and his daughter Candace, who are both embroiders.

As I walked in the door, I saw the two sitting on the couch, and my eyes danced around their house ... looking for something more - more light, more music, ... But at the moment I saw her work, I knew that this was it - I was bearing witness to the work of a master embroiderer and fantastic artist. Her work was nothing short of unbelievable.

I felt connected to this woman's work. I wanted to work with her. But I couldn't. It was too far away from Antigua. Where was I going to stay? I already paid for my room in Antigua. It would cost too much. The transportation back to the lake would be annoying. A classmate suggested asking Atun if his wife would teach me, and I snapped at her. She obviously needed to mind her own business. This was my life, and I didn't need her stupid ideas.

My resistance and my discomfort started to become blatantly obvious at that moment. In speaking to my instructor about this later, she noted that it was having the willingness to break through the learning edge.

So I stopped listening to the "can't" voices, and started to embrace the "can" voices. I started asking simple questions about the possibility of working with Juanita ... and in a few short minutes [literally], I had transportation to Antigua, and a free place to stay for a few days. And a special embroiderer teacher.

Finding Passion: Ode to Embroidery

Have you always wanted to learn how to do something ... and finally when you do, it's like fireworks going off? It's like somehow, you're home.

I've always wanted to learn how to embroider. And today, when I learned how to embroider, it was like 4th of July.

Camilla from a village up North was my teacher. I think that I might be hooked. No really, you don't understand ... I already went to the market and bought 30 different colors of thread and some hoops. I want to embroider everything in site. My shih tzu Bunny. My breakfast [eggs]. An ice cream cone. Leaves. Flowers. I'm looking forward to our long ride to Lake Atitlan on Thursday so I can zone out and embroider and drool in delight.

Camilla:

And also learned how to make pom-poms. I mean, who doesn't like a good pom-pom every once in awhile?

Bridging Cultures Through Design: Guatemala

Up until about 3 years ago, I never liked the idea of traveling. I mean, I had traveled a lot ... but the concept didn't always sound that fun to me. I felt like I would miss something by leaving whichever city I was living in. So ridiculous, I know. But that's the truth.

Fast forward a couple of years ... and without a blink of an eye ... I found that everything was lining up to be a part of a design class in Guatemala. I mean, the the trip was practically planned for me. I didn't have to do much work. It just happened.

This trip is a dream for me. The vastness to the truth of that statement can not even be described in words ... dramatic interpretation ... or even a short skit.

The name of the course is "Bridging Cultures Through Design." The name of the course just makes me want to cry. There are 7 students, including me, an accomplished professor who works with 3rd world countries, and an assistant to her. We're all going to work with artisans in Antigua .... they'll teach us, and we'll teach them. Among the things I'm going to learn while there ... weaving, spinning, natural dyeing, felting, embroidery ... oh my.

There have been a lot of natural disasters recently in Guatemala - and it's ever-important that our class still go on our trip. The artisans get paid for teaching us these things - and this $$ is especially important to them right now.

This week, our class is in San Francisco together, designing rugs that we will be executing in Guatemala ... learning to felt and spin ... and doing research.

On Sunday July 4th, I leave for a total of 3 weeks - 2 weeks doing work with the artisans, and a week on my own doing God-knows-what.

I'll be blogging about my experience the whole time. I hope you enjoy! <3