Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: community

  • Village Time

    IP - Village 1

    IP - Village 2

    IP - Village 3

    I've just come back from spending an amazing five days with my girls out bush at the Wild By Nature Village Camp run by Firekeepers.

    IP - Village 4

    IP - Village 5

    IP - Village 6

    You know it's village time when:

    There are so many people offering to help set up your tent that you have to turn some of them down.

    A five minute trip to the loo takes half an hour cause you stop and chat to everyone you see on the way.

    You find yourself being given a leg up a tree and then sit wondering how on earth you're going to get down.

    You hardly see your kids because they're off somewhere having the time of their lives with space to roam, friends to play with and freedom.

    Your kids go squishing in mud and proudly announce their first leech bite.

    You leave your phone in the tent most of the time and hardly have any photos for your blog.

    The kids race to dinner as soon as the dinner call goes out and they wolf down everything with no complaints.

    You gather around a fire to eat a delicious meal (prepared and cooked by someone else) and sing and tell stories.

    You stay up late singing songs around the camp fire.

    You're sitting around the campfire and it's dark and you think it's really late but it's only 7.15pm.

    You fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.

    You go home with a full and grateful heart and a head full of songs.

     

  • I’m Still Here!

     
    IP - TVC Leather Craft 1
     
    Hello?  …  Hello!
     
    Oh good.  You’re still there.  And I’m still here!  Although it may have looked like I was doing a disappearing act, I’m still here at the other end of this keyboard.  Being part of the crew organising the Village Continuum festival was huge and it kind of took over my whole life.  Actually, it did take over my whole life!  All my keyboard time was spent working on the festival.
     
    While there was still some crafting going on (there’s always some crafting going on!), I didn’t have any spare time to share it here.  I know, terrible isn’t it?  No time to write and share.  But the festival is over and I’m back!  Although for how long, who knows?  The warmer weather always gets me about and about more…
     
    I did manage to keep posting on Instagram so if you want to check out what I’ve been making for the last few months you can – @indraniperera.
     
    IP - TVC leather Craft 4
     
    As well as being part of the organising crew, I also ran a leather craft workshop at the festival.  I was so pleased and humbled at the number of people who turned up to do my workshop. Before the workshop I had cut out 20 pouches and I was thinking that I would be going home with some. Boy was I wrong. There were over thirty kids and adults crammed into the tiny tent, all eager to learn about leather craft and make their very own vegetable tanned kangaroo skin pouch!
     
    I'm grateful to the lovely Kate Horne for coming to help and cut out more pouches for all the people patiently waiting for their leather.  The time went by so quickly as they all sat and crafted.  Marking stitches, making holes and sewing leather.  Watching them teach other what they already knew or had just learnt was wonderful.  The synergy and energy of workshops and people creating together is always inspiring.  A community of crafters – that’s the world I want to live in.
     
    IP - TVC Leather Craft 3
     
    These are some of the pouches that were made. The others went off with their very excited owners before I could get a snap!
     
    I love giving people a template and the basic skills needed to complete a project and then sitting back and watching them unleash their creativity.   Options – it’s all about having different options and allowing people to have some choice.  It’s so empowering to be able to customise something and make it truly your own.  Looking at the pouches, you can see the owner’s personalities and style peeping though.  
     
    There were two choices of pouch – the round coin purse and the note & card wallet.  A few simple choices such as coloured cotton thread for embroidery, black or white waxed linen for sewing and some coconut shell buttons made 27 very unique pouches.
     
    It's so rewarding to be teaching people so hungry for traditional crafts and mindful making. I've still got a big grin from ear to ear and a bounce in my walk!