Ep 148: Rochelle New
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Katie: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Knit a Spell, everyone! I'm your host, Katie Rempe, and today I'm so excited to introduce a first time guest, Rochelle New! Yay! Ro is an artist, stitch witch, and designer behind Home Ro Handcraft. She is also a vendor at the upcoming Fiber Witch Festival happening April, and beyond her beautiful craft, Ro has a unique perspective on creativity and adaptation, which is a word that apparently I am never going to be able to say right this season, she balances her work and manages a chronic illness. We'll be talking about how she's turned what many may see as a challenge into a creative superpower, and the magic of everyday making. Let's get started.
Light from Lantern Presents Knit a spell. I'm your host, Katie Rempe. Designer Knit Witch, and your companion in this magical making [00:01:00] podcast Together, let's explore the enchanted world where knitting meets the magic of the craft.
Ro's Beginnings
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Katie: When did home row handcraft start and what drew you to the textile arts?
Ro: I have always been obsessed with textiles for a multitude of reasons. I grew up in a home with a sewing machine. My mom was super into sewing when I was a kid. She made all of our Halloween costumes. And, I'm a very tactile person especially like I was born with a rare skin disorder.
And so the way textiles feel on me is different than what might be the case for folks with quote normal skin. So from a very young age, I was hyper aware of. textiles, like how they felt, how they breathe so I had an appreciation for textiles at a very young age, both from a creative [00:02:00] standpoint and from a functionality comfort standpoint as well.
Katie: you've
Ro: I was in ballet for a couple years when I was a kid and I loved, like, getting dressed up and wearing costumes. I still do. I've always been a very creative person. Like I had sketchbooks and things as a kid I used to get in trouble in elementary school all the time for like doodling and every single margin on all of my homework instead of doing the homework.
So naturally just like super drawn to all of those things for all of those reasons.
And as I got older, like trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life or a job I think millennials. I have it rough artistically. Like we grew up right in that awkward liminal space, like as the internet was like up and coming, but social media wasn't a thing. And so I kept hearing growing up all the time, like, don't go to school for art.
Like, I don't want you to be a starving artist. Like keep art as your hobby. Etsy didn't exist.
Like all of these things just didn't exist.
Katie: The
Ro: [00:03:00] so I appreciate. My mom for worrying about me in that way, you know and then also at the same time like I
Was gonna do whatever the fuck I wanted to do.
Anyways, like no, you know don't how dare you tell me like what to do
Katie: Ha
Ro: know, it's like. The, the fine arts, it's like, I understand that you have to learn the rules in order to break the rules, but like, one of our projects we had this assignment where we had to create an artwork.
With hands.
Katie: that
Ro: the time I hated drawing hands. So I submitted my artwork,
and we're like going, you know critiquing everyone's art as a class.
And my teacher like puts mine up on the easel and she's like, this is an automatic fail. Where are the hands? And I was like, well, I drew a clock, clocks have hands. And she [00:04:00] was like, You know,
Katie: Okay.
Ro: to teach you like how to be a good artist and you're like, deliberately just like being a brat.
So that didn't last long. That's funny now, because if you know my artwork and you recognize it through home row, I have hands in literally everything. I started doing that a, because of like being very into handcrafts and hands. being such a portal for creating magic.
Like I just wanted to capture that. And also like being born with a skin disorder and I have a hard time like keeping my skin clear on my hands. My hands were always the first thing that people would like make negative comments about. And so that was like a way for me to kind of like reclaim my hands as something beautiful instead of something that I was ashamed of [00:05:00] and would always try to hide when I was younger.
Katie: We know how you got to
Ro: Oh, home
Katie: arts,
Birth of Home Row Handcrafts
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Ro: Yes um, so I again, going back to, you know, being told not to be a starving artist dropped out of art school and eventually went back to be a veterinary technician because animals, Huge passion of mine. And I was like, all right, well, that seems practical.
And I love animals more than people. So I went to school for veterinary technology and. Very quickly, like, into that experience, the physical demands I realized, like, this is not sustainable for me.
I finished my degree. I'm so happy I did. Like, I basically have a degree in how to be a Absolutely incredible pet owner. I moved to Vermont after I graduated veterinary technology because I wanted this internship at a Raptor.
Rehab facility, like, where they rescue, like, eagles and hawks and owls and all sorts of things. Housing in Vermont. It's horrible, like notoriously it's only gotten worse. So [00:06:00] where I was able to live was like way too far away from where that internship was for it to ever work.
I was like, well, I'm here now. So like, what am I going to do in the meantime? And there was this fabric and yarn boutique in Burlington that I frequented and the owner was like, Oh, Hey, like I, you're in here all the time.
Like, are you looking for work? And I was like, actually, yes. So I got a job at a fabric and yarn boutique. And it was fantastic. I love it. It was like my dream job basically at the time. Because it's like, I get to stare at pretty fabric and textiles all day. And. I started blogging, like, for the shop and so then I had my own selling blog and doing local craft fairs in Vermont, and I was, like, I love this.
Oh, there's my trash baby, hi, Pumpkin.
So that was in like 2012 and my original business was called Lucky Lucille, and Lucille was my soulmate dog. There's been like a million different [00:07:00] iterations of Home Row, like even like a couple years ago, I was Home Row Fiber Co and then shifted to Home Row Handcraft.
So there's just been a constant evolution of recognizing
Katie: the
Ro: to sustain myself and then that has to shine through.
Katie: supposed
Ro: or you can't have a business.
Katie: doing.
Ro: hard.
Katie: Um, Grief involved with like building up this thing that you thought you had it nailed and then realizing halfway into it, what have I done? Like what I created this monster that I can no longer keep a grasp on. So I'm in actually kind of one of those evolutionary phases. Right now where I used to like I was dying yarn. I was sewing like project bags. And I found what felt like a lot of success, like getting started in that.
Ro: The first year where I sat down with an accountant and was like, Oh, hey, like, I think I might have something here. They're like, Oh, like, well, what, like, what part of [00:08:00] this do you do? And I was explaining like, you know, cause I'm a one woman show. And I was like, Oh, I do the sewing and I do the marketing and I do this and I do, and I built my own website and blah, blah, blah.
And he's like, Oh, but you're like, you're an artist though. And I was like, yeah, and I do that. And he's like, no, these products sell because your artwork is on it. And I was like, yeah, you know, and I just kind of like shrugged it off. He's like, this is what you need to focus on or. You're going to run into trouble like you're going to realize that you are being pulled in too many different directions and The thing that got you like started if you're not focusing on that then like what you're working against yourself And I was like, yeah, okay.
Yeah, I hear you but like historically, we know like you try to tell me what to do. It's not, it's not going to end well for anyone, most especially me.
There's like this ableist mindset within the disability community where when you know that you, Can't do something. No one wants to hear that. No one wants to hear that you can't do [00:09:00] something. It doesn't feel good. And so you overcompensate in every other area of life where you can do the thing.
So basically right now is I am trying to come up with a sustainable way. to share my art in a way that inspires people and, encourages people to feel empowered by making in the same ways that I feel encouraged and empowered.
Will say that the name home row it's the typist term. Your home row on your keyboard is like, when you are typing and you get, like, tripped up or you get lost, you reset at home row. And for me, that was always. Crafting, art, making, I'm also like a homebody through and through, like super hermit, hobbit to the extreme.
Ro: And then row, like rows of stitches, rows of knitting. Like my name is Rochelle. I like when my friends call me row. So like home row, like is also like row at home. So I knew. The name, like before I [00:10:00] fully knew the story behind like what that would be as a product to sell.
Sometimes you just gotta like drop the reins and trust your gut and like where things are naturally evolving and going, like you just gotta stop fighting it and just go there.
So that's the process I'm in right now.
Honoring Your Body with Creativity
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Katie: How do you balance honoring your body's needs while still feeling creatively fulfilled?
Ro: This was hard for me because like, I am the type of creative person that I like anything that I can do with my hands. Like I want to try it and I want to be good at it. Whether it's like.
Ceramics or like wood carving or you know what I mean like it all appeals to me But then sitting down with yourself and being honest and knowing so like I had tried ceramics like in school and like when you have a dry skin disorder like clay not your friend And it was like, okay, do I love this enough where I'm going to suffer through it and feel like it's worth it?
Or am I going to say, this is the thing that I tried. I appreciate it. [00:11:00] It's not for me, you know, and just find something else. And that's also hard when you like this is like kind of a funny like side story, but I was watching Riverdance on TV, 25th anniversary Riverdance.
You can't help, but watch that and be like, that looks so much fun.
Ro: And so I'm like watching this and I'm like feeling the energy of it. And I'm so inspired and I'm like, Oh, this is incredible. Like I, I feel moved to learn this. thing. So then it's like, you know, so like in a commercial break, I'm like picking up my phone and I'm like, Oh, I wonder if anyone in my area teaches like Irish step dance.
And then it's like, hold on a minute. Let's think about this realistically. The thing that I am watching and that I am feeling is that actually the reality of like, what it is to master that craft. And then so often, especially with a disability or chronic illness, you often feel like you're sitting on the sidelines and like experiencing things [00:12:00] vicariously through, someone else and that.
Sucks, but again, like then it's, it's training yourself to have the mindset shift of what is it about this experience? That I'm getting the most out of and can I simply experience something and that's enough. So for example, like with the Riverdance thing, like the reality of that is like everyone who is participating in Riverdance and like making it such an incredible production that's so emotionally moving and like energizing and like inspiring.
You don't know how many, like, all the blood, sweat, and tears, and bruises, and broken bones, and, like, those people probably don't get to spend any time with their families because they're on tour all the time, and they're exhausted, and they're sweating on stage, and under the lights, and the dress rehearsals, and whatever, and it's like, that's not the experience that I want, like, the production value of, like, the end product that seems super cool, but like, I [00:13:00] also can have that just by watching it on TV.
And arguably, that's the better experience because I can simply just watch it and feel emotional.
That's also kind of a very ableist mindset that I grew up watching other people do those things and thinking that I could not have a positive experience with it unless I was doing it, and that's not true.
I think all humans by default, like you have this competitive aspect, whether it's like the FOMO, or like being a little bit jealous, like when you see people that are really, really, really good at something that you want to be good at. And just having to like, again, like I can experience. Other people doing things very well, whether it's like woodworking or the ceramics and I can look at them and I can be like, wow, that's incredible.
Ro: And feeling that for them and being present in that feeling that I'm having for someone else, [00:14:00] I'm still feeling it.
Katie: People
Ro: Mm
Katie: to
Ro: hmm. Yeah.
Katie: they worked so hard for. hard on. Like,
Ro: hmm.
Katie: they spent 20 years learning how to river dance.
Ro: Right.
Katie: missing out on those 20 years of training as you're sitting there watching
Ro: Right. Yeah.
Katie: enjoy
Ro: just.
Katie: Appreciate that your
Ro: Yeah.
Katie: in much better condition. Like, your
Ro: Yeah.
Katie: awesome in comparison.
Ro: Yeah.
Katie: enjoy the art.
Ro: At the end of the day, like the skill that you should concentrate on the most is learning how to be present in everything.
Everyone experiences challenges and everyone has a different threshold for the challenges that they're able to handle in certain degrees. And so you are the only person who can control how you. Move through the challenges that you have. And so when you are faced with like things that are out of your control, abilities that were taken away from you or ability [00:15:00] that you never had, there are still infinite amounts of small things that you can control and that you can again just like be present in and have a positive mindset around, like focus on those things.
Katie: Oftentimes the only thing you can really control is how you react to whatever's
Ro: Yes. Mm-hmm
Katie: And so if you can't do the one thing that you loved for whatever reason, then examine what about that you loved. the feeling that it made you feel, and explore other avenues
Ro: Other ways to do.
Katie: happen for you again.
Ro: Yes. I love that you said that. 'cause that's exactly what it was for me. Like. With sewing and making my own clothes. Like I can still do that with knitting. It's just much slower, which is actually better for me.
Katie: Mm hmm.
Ro: and it's different, but I still feel the same thing.
Exactly, like what you said, what was it about sewing that I loved and can I find that in something else that's more [00:16:00] sustainable for me? And the answer is yes, like in lots of other ways .
There's an also like a natural evolution of like yeah. Okay.
Awesome. Like, yeah, what else? And so I'm just kind of tinkering with concentrating on artwork because that's the most sustainable thing for me to create. At the end of the day, if I have to pick one thing to focus on, it has to be my art and design and like, how can I package that in a way that either other people can enjoy, whether it's on a wall or I can send it to a company and they can do the sewing for me.
So I can have more time and energy to like keep making more art and also enjoy like knitting as a hobby. Like that's another thing is you have to be so protective. Like when you have a disability and chronic illness, you have to be very careful what you choose to monetize and to protect as your sacred hobby because You don't get both all the time.
Katie: No.
Ro: yeah.
Fiber Witch Festival
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Ro: Hopefully by Fiber Witch [00:17:00] Fest in April, I will have a display that's like cohesive enough that someone who stops at my booth will be like, okay, I see the vision.
Katie: Speaking of the Fiber Witch Festival, this is your second time vending. As I
Ro: Yeah.
Katie: only
Ro: Yeah. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Katie: to realize because it went over so well the first time that I was like, oh, this must be like the third or fifth time that this has been going on.
But, but no, of course not because Virgos are running it and thus it was very organized.
Ro: to Anna and Emily for Putting such like putting on such an incredible show that was so welcoming and so inclusive. And that's another perfect example of like taking a absolutely terrible experience, the show that shall not be named that we all experienced. And we're like, okay how can we take this collective trauma of like the worst of the worst that could happen and like turn it into something better?
And like, they did that and it was like Just [00:18:00] so incredibly inspiring to watch and experience. And I had like such a beautiful moment, like vending that show last year and just like, you know, like being super busy, but then like looking up and like having that moment of like, I'm going to take this in and I'm going to allow myself to be present here and just experience this and just let it wash over me and like, feel it and be in it.
I think everyone had that small moment where they looked up and was like, this is just such a cool experience.
Especially Ana, cause she is like constantly working through endless challenges just like working through it, and it's just like that's just one
Katie: any more challenges, Universe. We're just putting that out there
Ro: Stop give her a break, please Give her a break Shout out to circle of stitches everyone like circle of stitches my favorite online shop experience the flood in their brand new location really going through it right now and could [00:19:00] use like online support.
So if you are in the market for really amazing witchy supplies or knitting crochet fiber art supplies, check out circle of stitches.
Thriving Thru Illness
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Katie: So what are you looking forward to this year of the Fiber Festival?
Ro: So this year, like just this year in general I'm moving through a little differently. Because last year I was not officially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, even though I was experiencing all of the things, like was pretty sure. That's definitely what I had. It's like chronic fatigue is a diagnosis of elimination and so in it, Some of the symptoms are so subtle and they mimic so many other things that it like it took me five years to get diagnosed. And so last year like moving through it and like Having these symptoms, but then still having the mindset of like, I don't know what this is, like, I'm just going to push through it.
And then this year being like, no, like everything that I have been feeling for the last, like. Five, six, ten years that's been like piling [00:20:00] on and getting worse and worse and worse is not going to go away. This is my new baseline.
And so how can I still participate in the things that matter to me? The things that like give me life in a way that's sustainable. And so that was like reaching out to like other organizations that I worked with in the past. Like there's this really incredible not for profit organization out of India called Work Shelter.
for having me. And they are 100 percent owned and operated by women. They employ women who are facing challenges whether they're widows and they don't have employment opportunities and they don't have a way of making money because they lost their husbands or any, any kind of circumstance like that, that is very difficult for women to move through in India in a way that might not be the case here.
So those are the women that they employ. They empower them through dignified wages and education and childcare and all of that. They're incredible. Love that work shelter. So [00:21:00] I reached out to them and I. This was like the first time that I was, well, second time, I guess, where I was like, I'm going to design the fabric and design the product.
And I'm going to delegate, I'm going to share. This work with someone else who needs the work and I'm just gonna like, let that be enough. Because like,
Katie: Yes.
Ro: have to be the maker of my things for them to be important? And I'm also not only providing for them, I'm providing for myself by not doing that work. So so I,
So I told myself, like, for this show, it's probably going to be the first show where like, I will have designed everything on the table. I will not have physically made anything on that table.
And then also other small things like I like have I'm blanking on the terminology or like orthostatic intolerance. So like, if I'm standing for long periods of time debilitating, devastating effects, like, so, you know what I mean? Like, and I used to be [00:22:00] able to vend an entire show and be standing all day and be engaged with customers and like on my feet and I was energized by it and it was great.
And I cannot. do that anymore. . And then I was like, well, I don't, and this is also ableist thinking on my part, I was like, well, I don't want to sit the whole time because then I don't feel like I'm engaged.
So,
Katie: appreciate
Ro: with that and then also coming to terms with the fact that, like, okay, well, I have to be a person that sits now and, like, that is what it is and, like, stop telling myself not to put a negative tone on it.
That so I found like this really cute, like director's chair so I can sit up a little, and I can still be sitting it feels good to like. It's just it up above things, you know, like it just something about it.
And that was something that I wanted to like, be able to feel like I was engaged with, like closer to, to eye level, and so I found a director's chair and it was like. In my colors, and I was like, great, perfect.
Like, so I will have my little director's chair and this will be a show that I probably sit [00:23:00] the whole time. What a privilege, you know, that I am now for the first time experiencing a show where I have to sit. It's a journey for everyone. Like whether you were born with a disability or became disabled or born with a chronic illness.
Or like, was diagnosis one or both in my case, like you still, it's a constant battle against, recognizing like ableist language in yourself, you just have to be present in those thoughts and feelings and, and be like, no, actually that's not.
What's happening.
Katie: You flipped this into a fun positive.
Ro: Hmm.
Katie: now, instead of feeling like, well, I can't mingle around, well, now, you get to lord over the crowd, like, you are the queen of the
Ro: I get my throne. Yeah, I get my
Katie: right.
Ro: chair and my throne and then like so giving up. The ability to stand means that my voice will last longer I'll end up being more present and more engaged. I've read so many blog posts about like, [00:24:00] what's the right and wrong etiquette to have at craft fairs. And so many of those blog posts will say it's bad etiquette if you sit. But like, I know better now. And so I'm not going to think that way anymore.
Katie: And
Ro: know mm-hmm
Katie: subjective, I've worked a
Ro: Mm-hmm
Katie: shows in the past, if it's one that's really big and there's a lot of stuff out there and you need to get in people's faces, being out there barking at people is a good way to do it. But, if you're in a very curated space, like the,
Ro: Fiber Witch Festival. Yep.
Katie: people are seeking you out, so you don't
Ro: Yeah. Mm-hmm
Katie: that same mindset and approach. Plus, it can actually have the opposite effect quite often on people who don't want to be attacked as soon
Ro: Yeah. Who wants that? Yeah. Right.
Katie: As long as you're doing it authentically, like you're not just sitting there because you're lazy and you don't want to talk to people.
Ro: Yeah, that stigma is, is [00:25:00] very real. And it sucks for like people that are, a ambulatory mobility aid user cause yeah, like people like we equate sitting with.
All of these negative things when it's like, until that ability is diminished and you, you don't really think of it from the other side. But there's also like so many incredible, like beautiful things that happen from sitting positions, whether it's like yoga or spiritual practices you know what I mean?
It's like, what is capitalism?
I feel like if everyone just like sat down And just chilled out the world would be a better place.
Adapting to Creative Challenges
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Katie: So, here in the second half, I have five questions that I've been asking all of my guests this season that are all around adaptability. The first one of which is, do you adapt to creative challenges?
Ro: I think you just have to move through it. Not like not necessarily physical movement because adaptability is totally dependent on. ability [00:26:00] and so using that ability to move through challenges, whether it be a creative challenge or a creative block or trying to learn a new skill, like just how can you.
Just simply, and not even, telling yourself that I have to move through this, like, sometimes that feels like too much pressure. How about, like, how can you flow forward how can you, as gently as possible, have some forward momentum?
because a lot of the times, a creative block, and feeling like you're stagnant, That's very hard and that can feel very debilitating. And so sometimes
Katie: think
Ro: it's like my brain fog or I'm just so tired, like, and I just desperately like want to knit something, but I physically don't have it in me
Katie: I don't
Ro: myself to just like.
Okay, well instead I'm just gonna like
Katie: a good
Ro: knitting patterns and like that counts like that's part of my process Whereas like I used to think [00:27:00] My process like if I was gonna knit it only counted if I was physically knitting or it only counted if I was like knitting several inches at a time and like could see progress like
Katie: not
Ro: not a thing I do anymore, so I have to, it, it has to count that anything, whether it's like,
Katie: good
Ro: looked at my project bag and said, I feel like knitting, that counts, like, that's a creative moment that counts, so sometimes when you feel completely stuck, whether it is, like I said, like creating artwork, or You watching Doing some sort of creative project.
Acknowledging that you have the urge to be creative counts towards your creativity. This is like the hustle culture and like the hyper Productivity culture of like, Oh, like, well, it doesn't count unless you have something to show for it. what kind of receipts do you need? Like, because you get to decide like what that is.
Forward momentum of any kind, like, you have to count it.
Tips for Staying Flexible
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Katie: What tools, [00:28:00] rituals, or techniques help you stay flexible?
Ro: So like with my art, it's being able to work. digitally. I like to use, like, Procreate. I draw on an iPad, whereas I used to be, like, super, like, oh, it's cheating, like, if you're using an iPad, like,
Katie: It's a different
Ro: I do,
Katie: Mm
Ro: there are artists that are digital artists and they are incredibly talented digital artists. And then there are fine artists. And so for the longest time, I was like, well, if I'm not a fine artist. It doesn't count.
And again, that's the millennial thinking of like, if you didn't go to art school, and if you don't have a fine arts degree, like, you're not an artist,
and then learning like, nope, if I ever want to finish anything or get anything done, I need to start digitally because my artwork ends up digital. So [00:29:00] why wouldn't I just start? Working digitally. Cause I used to do a lot of block printing, love the look of block printing, and you can see that in my work.
And I used to do hand carved block prints. I would do the inking. I would like make the print. I would then scan that print in and then do the repeat digitally. it felt like I was making magic when I was drawing on.
A block that I then carved that I then printed and like smelling the ink and like the the sound of like lifting a print off of a piece of paper like all of that and so like coming to the terms of like, if I still want an end product that I'm proud of, what can I let go? Go of to allow myself to be more sustainable because the answer is I either don't make art anymore at all because I can't do those things anymore.
It would take me 900 years and like you can't, you know and then it's like, okay, well, I'm a digital artist now. And it's like, because that works best for me, that is the right answer. And I'll tell you what, I am more productive now as a digital [00:30:00] artist than I. Ever was as any other kind of artist.
So I can like have the worst day ever and I'm like sitting in bed and I look like a Victorian era plague victim. But I can still like make art on my iPad or I can like put together a color palette.
I can still feel empowered. through creating because I have chosen tools that are right for me.
Change for the Better
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Katie: Is there a time when an unexpected change in a project led to a better outcome than you originally planned?
Ro: It's gotta be, like, again, like just allowing myself to evolve the way in which I create things
Katie: Mm
Ro: in a way that's more sustainable for me. Like,
Katie: Mm
Ro: project bags and I was trying to, like, wholesale project bags and, like, doing it all myself and then Finding out that it's like, well, I could just like design the thing and someone else can sew it.
I'm not the only one on Earth who could do that. But like, I might be the only one on earth who makes [00:31:00] art in exactly the way that I do, you know what I mean? So it's like, if I had to let something go, what was the thing that like, I could let go? And so when I, what was originally this massive problem of like, having these wholesale orders that I can't fulfill,
it's like, how can I turn that problem and use it as an opportunity to find something that's better?
Katie: How does intuition play a role in your design and crafting?
Ro: So I've always been an intuitive person, and I think that's because I'm an overly emotional person. Very empathetic, actually one of my good friends was like, stop calling yourself overly emotional. Like, stop calling yourself overly empathetic. Like, you just have empathy, that's a gift.
So a lot of that, translates to Intuition because you're feeling things in a way that other people might not sign an emotion to I and this also could be like my scorpio sun scorpio moon You could, like, ask me, like, what I'm [00:32:00] doing, and without thinking, I'll tell you how I'm feeling. I have a very hard time experiencing things without feeling something behind it. And I used to think that was, like, Like that used to get me in trouble or people would like pick on me about it or like I or they would like downright shame me for it, like, why are you so emotional about this thing?
Like, I don't need you to be emotional. I just need you to like, whatever. And I was like, I don't understand what you're talking about. Like, what does that mean?
Also part of that was like mental illness, chemical imbalance and like having taking Prozac. Miraculous Wonder Drug, I wish I was on it like forever ago, allows me to pause in those moments and say, this is the thing I'm experiencing, this is the feeling I'm having about it, and I now have the time and space and peace of self to sit with those two things separately and I can experience it and feel it at the same time, but not in a way that overwhelms me to the [00:33:00] point where I am
completely debilitated and shutting down because I don't know how to separate those things. So what I have learned through a lifetime of trial and error is that your intuition comes in that small pause between having an experience and Feeling the feeling and like, what is it that joins those two things like that's the intuition and I had no control over that for the longest time and now I do and when you also have that pause, it like it gives you the confidence to trust it.
Overcoming Creative Burnout
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Katie: Final question before I let you out of our main episode here. What advice would you give to another maker who's experiencing creative burnout due to their health challenges?
Ro: It's a lot and it's going to be overwhelming and like the more that you acknowledge it and sit with it, the harder it will feel at first. Because your base instinct when you're faced with challenges is you're immediately like, Well, how can I overcome this?
I know I'm going to [00:34:00] overcome this. Like, I'm going to push through this. Like, I'm a positive person.
Rush through trying to solve the problem without fully recognizing what the problem is then you're going in the wrong direction, like you're, you're fighting against yourself.
And so, like, for me, with that intuition, like, starting to come to terms with that I was heading in a direction that was no longer sustainable, there's so much to unpack there and recognizing, okay, well, like, what is it about where I am now that's limiting?
And like having those thoughts with yourself is a little depressing, sitting with like all the things that you used to do that you can't do anymore, that's gonna be hard. But you, you have to acknowledge those things because that becomes your new foundation. to move forward.
And if you ignore that and you just keep stacking blocks then you have no foundation. , then you're just setting yourself up to crumble again. That's the cycle perpetual burnout.
Don't be [00:35:00] afraid to like, to share that with other people because that's part of your foundation in building the new thing more relatable,
Katie: know that it's okay to not have this perfect persona and it actually makes you more attractive to people because everyone is
Ro: real. Yeah.
Katie: yes, this is something everyone's dealing with to some degree for whatever reason.
Oh, well, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been so amazing to hear your story, so inspiring.
Follow Home Row Handcrafts
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Katie: Please tell everyone where they can follow you socially and find your beautiful products.
Ro: so I am home row handcraft on the internet home row handcraft. com is my website on social media. I'm still on Instagram because God dammit, I was on Instagram before Metta was on Instagram and I am standing my ground. So you can still find me on [00:36:00] Instagram at homerohandcraft. I am dabbling with blue sky at craft real magic, you know, allowing myself some space to like, do whatever I want there without any pressure.
My upcoming show is fiber, which festival in Salem, Massachusetts coming up in April. And I think that's it.
Katie: She'll be the one in the director's chair telling everyone
Ro: That's right.
Katie: everything's amazing. Laughing
thank you again, everyone, for tuning into this episode of Knit a Spell. Make sure to join us on the After Show, which will be on Patreon on Friday. And until next time, if you enjoyed this episode, feel free to subscribe here on YouTube, share this episode with a friend, and leave a comment because we want to hear what you thought about all of these wonderful reflections.
Ro: Absolutely. I love talking about this stuff. , you can be all up in my DMS and I won't be offended.
Katie: She's available on the internet because she's a
Ro: stalk me online. Yeah. All of my friends live online. [00:37:00] So,
Katie: Yeah.
Ro: yeah. No.
Katie: Awesome. Well, thank you again and we will see you all next week. Merry make.
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