back from craft-land

I spent the weekend in Minneapolis for the American Craft Council Conference and it was so intense that felt like a month but was really only 2 days. The luxury of just being able to think and talk (to anyone around you) about craft was really indulgent and amazing and so helpful in thinking about what direction and refine the focus of what it is I am most interested in Craft.

I am still unpacking alot of what was said and discussed. I knew that there could be some drama in the craft world and the drama was there in effect and really interesting, especially in the context of feeling a little like an outsider, not making a living via craft or coming from an institution. Above everything, the weekend reaffirmed the approach that I want to stay posited right where I am - one foot in the design world (where collaboration and commerce meet craft) and one foot in a DIY mode of learning and perfecting and making the work. The two spaces reinforce each other, and though its perhaps slower going than if I could devote all my time to it, with ready mentors, its already generating alot of interesting ideas and questions I want to explore.

I think that they will be posting podcasts of the lectures on the ACC website at some point in the future - for now I will be deciphering my notes and will write about my impressions in the next two weeks.