Catriona Pollard is a fibre artist, mentor, author, speaker and CEO of the PR agency CP Communications. You can learn more at catrionapollard.com.
A few years ago, I realised that the hectic lifestyle I was living and the intense pressure of running a business were beginning to take a toll on me. I was close to burning out and knew things needed to change.
Through some reassessing and realisation, I found that I had a deep desire to incorporate more creativity and artistry into my life. While I had to be creative at work every day as the CEO of a PR agency, I needed to tap into creativity that was not about being perfect but more about exploration as well as play.
I knew that, not only would this be something deeply satisfying and inspiring on a personal level, it would also help me to tap into new perspectives and an innovative mindset at work and in my life.
I have always been interested in many forms of craft, so I booked into a week-long basketry course. I picked up a vine to weave — and was hooked. It’s the combination of nature, imagination and beauty that attracted me to sculptural basketry.
We have seen a noticeable resurgence in creating traditional crafts in the past few years. I think it’s the combination of how virtual our lives have become and how busy we all seem to be, which have resulted in people looking for arts and crafts that reconnect them with slower, traditional creative experiences.
Weaving, like many types of craft and art forms, can be a type of meditation and it’s this that’s driving a renewed interest in traditional arts and craft. It allows you to slow down and connect with your inner wisdom. We live such hectic lives and I believe it’s important to explore different ways to help us slow down and quiet the mind. Art can do just that.
For me, art is simply about being still and letting the beauty emerge.
Art and craft practices highlight how differently we all see things. They help us appreciate that many different points of view expand our world view. They help us overcome business (and life) challenges and realise that different perspectives are essential in dealing with the complexities of everyday life.
What craft and art forms do is create an environment where we are combining right-brain imagination with left-brain logic, which increases the capacity for breakthrough ideas and insights.
I have found basketry is the perfect representation of this concept. You can give 10 people the same plant fibre and teach them the same technique and you will get 10 different baskets.
When I’m weaving, no two pieces are the same, even if I’m using the same material and technique — they will be different. That’s because we