Mindful Mending – A Return to Being Useful.
For hundreds of years we felt deeply connected to the things we grew, cooked, ate, made, crafted, used and wore. We fixed and mended stuff. We used things until they fell apart. Hems on trousers were taken up, skirts let down, patches made and holes in socks darned. Buttons, without thought, were replaced and clothes handed down to others, re-modelled and re-loved. Resources were viewed as precious and waste was rare.
What happened?
Over the last few years, planned product obsolescence, the growing trend of hyper-consumerism and our increasingly disposable attitudes have led to a massive chasm between what we consume and our connection to it. Now, more than ever, we are removed from the consequences of our purchases, displaced from those who make the items we use or the garments we wear. We’ve become detached from processes of production and oblivious to the true cost of our consumer choices. This divide has slowly and surreptitiously created a cognitive dissonance between our core values and our purchasing habits.
So how do we come home?
How do we return to a more conscious and connected way of living?
The answer lies in recognition. When we begin to accept that something’s out of balance, we can then acknowledge the need for change. We come to understand the necessity for a greater social conscience. And so, we begin to make small decisions that over time, add up to significant changes. A button is sewn back on a jacket, a rip is patched on a pair of jeans. Handcraft skills are shared and the life of an item is transformed and treasured. There is a return to sustainability, renew-ability and responsibility. We feel connected, empowered and deeply authentic within ourselves – a truth or ‘realness’ that has a profound effect on our well-being.
At The Sound Temple over the next five weeks, we’ll be looking at sustainability, conscious product choices and teaching the skills we all need to become more independent consumers. We’ll be holding practical, hands on workshops to teach simple mending skills and strategies that connect us more deeply with the garments we wear. Join us for our fabulous free Mending Bootcamp workshops where we will reintroduce you to the very basic skills needed to stitch, hem and sew.
Common Threads – Woven through Community is a month long community engagement that includes topics of sustainability, creativity, and traditional hand-crafted wisdom of the ages. These events are designed for you to leave feeling deeply inspired to become part of a brand new impulse of considerable change.