Notes from talk on ideas
Class started again on the 23rd of January, and we had a great session reflecting on our practice in order to try find beginnings for the new term. I didn't necessarily take a break from making, so inspiration wasn't hard to find with my brain already fizzing creatively.
Questions to aid percolation...
“Do we need anything new?” How can something be made new from the old?
What happens to old processes when something new and ‘better’ comes along?
“Do we need to decide what we are before we talk to others?”
“Who is the team?” How does it operate together and individually?
What are the roles and how do they weave together?
Do you need a leader or a facilitator?
What are you contributing?
“Does the user already have a solution?”
“Everything modifies its environment.”
Design = information + imagination… ?
.jpg) |
| Ten Rules; “In the 1960s, artist, educator, and social justice advocate Corita Kent asked her students to collectively reimagine what a learning environment could be.” The contributions comprised to become the Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules. |
Current working manifesto...
Put your voice somewhere. Blog posts of wisdom.
Social media as exhibition space. Curate your own show.
Disrupt & reframe your output methods.
A blog is a choice. A choice made by the author and the reader.
It should be printed. Make it tangible. Create life.
If you have made something, it can be a zine.
Energy spent digitally costs the world.
People + Print = Power.
The feed is a force. Remain conscious.
Ephemera has lasting impact.
Keep it and then do something with it immediately.
Comment, interact, respond.
What you make matters, always dare to share it.
Use digital space as a DIY space.
Dedicate time for correspondence, avoid being constantly reachable.
Reach out and be proactive, only you can make things happen.
"I have wanted to make this work feel more tangible. Less like something you scroll past, more like something you sit with. Posting things online is easy, meaningful is harder. Something made slowly with my hands and scanned and shared with people who are genuinely curious about what we are making in the studio."
- Austin Augie
Quoted from YouTube video, Studio Log 1: An Ongoing Practice
Thought log from Phoebe:
24/01/2026
I suppose it's to say that things are falling apart. Heartbreak has entered once again. Third time's the charm, they say. I'm being dramatic because for me it is - it's a tragedy. To find your love, to be able to love, then having to let go.
Bookbinding has been my desire for years and I finally made it to a place of perfect opportunity. Kindly set out as a plan in perfect place; to be trained, allow for circumstances to align, then take on a full time role with confidence and sincerity. A bookbinding role that is with little involvement of machinery, one that is restorative and regenerative, and aligning with my belief in honouring the craft in its strongest and purist form, allowing passion to keep this spirit alive. It was all perfect, as long as all would be well.
Unfortunately, all is not well.
The woeful tale of being allergic to a love. (I'm sure I will laugh at all this in time.)
I have a dust allergy, which was found relatively early on in my life. This hasn't caused too much trouble and has been manageable. However, my first job in bookbinding ignited the start of a problem born from this ailment that would disrupt my journey to come. A skin condition has been a reoccurrence ever since I first started working in a bindery. It followed me to each workplace, which was ignored and payed little attention to. Alongside this is the multiple illnesses I have succumb to, and general feeling of being unwell, that sits with me throughout my working days. Being extremely fatigued, having problems with my throat and sight, and the brain struggling to comprehend, is not good for me but definitely not good for effective work. It's something I've noticed throughout my career, but never really paid much attention to. But in this job I've been hit harder, and it is impossible to ignore.
The bindery I currently work at I only visit part time, and recently having worked an extra day than usual, I encountered the impact it has to be there for longer periods. I felt fully the issue, that has been there ready to bite. With a trajectory of hours increasing to a full time job, I would be sacrificing my health and wellbeing, and living in illness in order to do so. It isn't sustainable, and certainly not very desirable, nor does it bode well for my success in the craft.
My heart suffers as I try to accept this realisation that perhaps I should be reconsidering my future. This bindery, as perfectly suited I am to it, and it to me, turns out not to be. This bindery, with its repairing of old pages and books that love so much, is far more riddled with dust than any other. This bindery may just be the last, as I come to understand that my body cannot withstand its conditions.
So now, the questions; where do I go from here?, Can I still practice this craft?, How can I still practice this craft? How can my passion, knowledge and skills continue?
It has been a big detrimental realisation, however I'm hoping that I am being dramatic and perhaps magnifying the problem. I have other health problems that are also present, so maybe it is a case of my health improving and things then becoming easier. By implementing defences of masks and gloves, and aids of fresh air breaks often and medication, I might be able to continue my work at the bindery.
With sincerity I will find ways to continue, and hopefully I can find an effective and somewhat healthy way of working.
Feedback from assessment and reflections
After the first module submission, I have received feedback that states how well I am doing and how I can improve. Part of the writing I received is of particular note; "Keep your focus and pare down the directions of your attention to really make a deep inroad into your ideas and practice of the craft of bookbinding."
Having this conveyed to me has been impactful as it is a reminder to stay on track and to not give up! I have been spending time researching bookbinders recently and thinking a lot about my practice. I really love the craft, and believe I will find a way to practice without my health being compromised. For now, I need to persevere, and hopefully things will get easier. I will be trying to research bookbinding topics as much as possible to further my understanding and strengthen my passion.