Meet Buffie Diaz, local weaver, yogi, all around wonderful person! I am so excited to hang with her this weekend at the Maker's Mash!
What do you make?
weavings and natural fiber art
How did you get started making?
I was inspired by a sweet Fiber Artist named Natasha out of Hinckley, IL. She sheers her own sheep, dyes her own wool roving AND creates beautiful masterpieces. She offers workshops and classes. I started with wet felting, it felt so good to FEEL the art I was creating. Then, needle felting became serious art therapy for me. Then, my amazing wood-working hubby made me a loom so I could play with weaving and I fell in love! It feels so good to let the fibers flow from my fingertips into a beautiful piece of art.
What does your average day look like?
I have four kids (including 7 month old twins), so my days are pretty full and my days flow at a different pace than they used to when I was younger, childless and trotting around the globe. Most days I invest into my kids, my yoga students, and making yummy, healthy foods for my family (and me...I'm a foodie). I don't get to my fiber fun as often as I'd like, but I like to set small goals, like "today I am going to warp the loom" or "weave for 15 minutes."
What inspires you to keep making work? Where do you go / what do you do to shake out of a creative rut.
N A T U R E. If I feel like I don't know where to go next with a piece, I just go outside and look at bark or mushrooms or any other small, overlooked part of the forest and become amazed at the overwhelming intricacy and incredible life that is all around us. I usually grab a stick or something that speaks to me and weave it in. I like messy, free flowing, inspired art. So, it works.
What is the hardest lesson you learned through your business/creative process?
Sounds cliche, but the journey is the destination. Instead of seeking to finish a piece, I've learned to slow down, feel, and understand that presence is the goal, not the finished product.
What's the best part about making what you make?
Getting to feel the fibers in my fingertips, feeling the energy of the wool. Also, letting that creative spark (that we so often keep quite) flow freely - feels so great to be alive.
What are you working on now?
A giant weaving, my first circle loom weaving, two smaller frame weavings, and some felted natural soaps.