Crafters – better

Make … a list

26 March, 202024 September, 2022Posted in Artists, Better, Crafters, Freelancers, Small business, WritersTagged create, creative, creativity, Make, Making, planning

I use lists on most days. I have lists of work tasks and lists of home admin tasks and shopping lists. Last Saturday I decided to dispense with lists, and have a relaxed day.

My “listless” days in the past have been delightful meanders. I could wander into the kitchen and think of crumpets and spend some time making them. I’d notice that the cushions were dirty and put them in the washing machine. I would lie outside in the garden and read. I’d make tea. I’d remember that half-knitted blanket and do a few more rows. I might feel like some exercise and go for a walk, perhaps towards a spot where I could eat lunch. Listless, meandering days made a lot of sense once, as a break from my busy life.

But last Saturday turned out differently. My lack of a list left me lost. This small apartment did not present me with things to attend to. There are no bookshelves to tempt me with reading matter. No craft materials to keep me busy. Not being able to leave the apartment meant no walking, no distracting delights and certainly no lunch options at the other end of a walk.

I found myself feeling bored and listless, in an unpleasant way, somewhat dissatisfied with my circumstances, and with myself for not being able to think of something to do. I was not relaxed, but agitated, with my mind veering towards unpleasant thoughts.

For now, I’ve decided that every day needs a list. Listlessness is not helpful in abnormal times. Lists help to focus the mind and control anxiety.

So, I made a list for Sunday. It wasn’t like my usual lists. This one included drawing, meditating, practicing voice exercises, writing a letter. I listed what I wanted to read and things I wanted to learn about. I also listed ways to keep active – in this case, a pile of ironing. Making this list called for creativity, to identify nourishing and relaxing tasks that could be completed within the current constraints of life. It felt good to be creative.

Sunday was a better day. I had a list of things to do. When I felt lost, I could check my list and start the next thing. This list wasn’t so much about getting things done as it was about creating structure in my suddenly de-structured life. So, for now, with my maker urges curtailed, I will make lists and these lists will make life better.

Are all the Better people out there doing well, adjusting, and finding ways to create? Share how you are avoiding listlessness and staying creative in the comments below.

Crafting books in Guimarães

16 October, 201924 September, 2022Posted in Crafters, Judy, Small businessTagged book, craft, Crafters, Making, workshop

Hello better people. I know its been quiet here for a while. I’ve relocated to Portugal, to a little town called Guimarães which turns out to be a place where creativity of all kinds flourishes. (Lucky me!) So I thought I’d share some of my adventures here just to inspire you all. Look how pretty it is.

If you wander up this awesome street (Rua de Santa Maria) you will find a tiny shop on the left called Pedra Flor. It’s a short (and ridiculously picturesque) walk from my apartment.

This creative place is housed in a long narrow space that is shared by four small businesses. It sells a curious range of products that includes owner Helder Magalhães’ own hand-made (and sometimes even hand-written) books as well as eco-friendly brand Babu. You can check it out on Facebook.

Pedra Flor is situated right at the end of the space, furthest in from the street, which was a good move as it adjoins a tiny courtyard. This was the site of my latest adventure – a bookbinding workshop.

I spent a glorious Saturday morning learning how to construct a book. It’s a bit of a different perspective, focusing on the physical object, rather than the words. (Makes a change from writing.)

We learned how to make a three-quire book from scratch – folding the paper, making holes and stitching to create the inside of the book. The spine is glued and re-enforced with twine that runs across the three quires and is secured inside the cover. Attaching the cover was a challenge as that twine has to be teased out and “shaved” to get it to lie flat under the end pages of the book. We got to decorate our books with carefully pressed plants and wild flowers.

Helder’s hallmark seems to be “care”. Both in the attention he lavished on the book binding process, but also in his lovingly presented shop. My favourite part was when we got tea with an apple and cinnamon cake, made by Helder. (I actually miss having to bake for Better events.)

It was great to learn (at least a bit about) another craft. I’m inspired, in Guimarães, by how many crafts there are to learn and how many people here still make things. There are shoe-shops with actual cobblers making shoes, clothing stores where tailors make the clothes and I live above a pottery studio.

What about you? Have you attended any interesting craft workshops lately? Are you running one? Comment below to share your experiences with the Better community.

Soaring to new creative heights

23 June, 201824 September, 2022Posted in Artists, Crafters, JudyTagged art, Artists, birds, creativity, flying, Norwood

Yesterday I got to fly around the Spark Gallery in Orchards with a flock of the most beautiful birds.

The evening began in the gallery where we browsed some wonderful bird creations.

There was a short speech.

But then things took an interesting turn as a flock of birds appeared and flew among us, eventually leading us out into the garden on what turned out to be a wild adventure. The birds were fabulous with crazy costumes dreamed up from scraps. Blinds, plastic bags and blankets became wings. Beaks were fashioned out of bottles. Just as birds in their profusion of colour and shape, are a great indicator of the wild creative imagination of the universe, so these birds showed off the imaginations of the artists who dreamed them up.

Like all good adventures there was some confusion. The narrative was somewhat hard to follow. There were two men, one in search of “his” crow. They tried to get to the kingdom of the birds, but were blocked by a very scary wall.

Our protagonists got through the wall, apparently with the help of graffiti artists. It turns out that painted walls are less effective as barriers! But they found themselves captives of the king of the birds. After some debate, they (and all of us) were admitted to the kingdom of the birds.

Walking in to the kingdom of the birds, just as the sun set, really was magical!

It’s a land of well-feathered nests.

Here the king grants the two men the right to live as birds. We attend a meeting of the Ministry of Bird Affairs where a plot is hatched by the vultures, and the two men, to build more walls. But the king steps in to save the day and explain that love is all we need.

Well, love and the kind of creativity that this project has surfaced. I love that this is about everyday creativity, that it is not polished and refined, that it makes the point that creativity is for everyone with whatever materials you have to hand. What a refreshing way to spend a Friday evening. More of these kind of events will make a Better Joburg!

Birds of the Grove is a production by #ArtMyJozi and artists from Orange Grove as part of the Johannesburg Development Agency’s initiative to involve local artists in the development of the city. This particular initiative focuses on the development of Paterson Park which adjoins the gallery. A few weeks back I took a walk around the newly-refurbished Paterson Park. Some way to go still, but it’s looking good. If you haven’t visited yet, you should.

Know what you are worth

13 October, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Artists, Better, Crafters, Freelancers, Small business, WritersTagged calculation, charge, charges, freelancer, hourly rate, rate, rates, spreadsheet, worth

As a freelancer you need to develop a sense of what your time is worth. Knowing what an hour of your time is worth will help you to set rates for your work, to decide whether or not to take on a particular job, and to know when to walk away from work that is simply not paying enough.

Your base rate is the minimum that you need to earn in an hour in order to live at the level and pace that you want to.

It’s worth taking some time to work out your own base rate so that you have a number in your head that you can compare to when considering if a job is worth it.

Your base rate reflects the choices you make about your freelance life. These include:

How many hours a day do you want to work?
How mach leave time do you want each year?
How much time do you need to build your business?
How much do you want to or need to earn?

Part of the pleasure of freelancing is that you get to make choices about your work, like wanting more leave or a shorter working day. You may want three months off a year to climb mountains. That’s possible, but it means you will have to make enough money in the other nine months of each year to meet your expenses. As a freelancer you are not bound to an eight-hour day, but if you choose to work for four hours a day you need to charge more for each hour.

A freelance business also involves a number of tasks that are not productive and can’t be billed to a client, but which are important to get your business established and running smoothly. These include things like marketing and finding new clients, completing your tax returns and following up on outstanding invoices. You will also want to spend time improving yourself, taking a course or learning to use a new piece of software. Time spent on these tasks is time that can’t be spent working for a client and earning, but these tasks are important for the sustainability of your freelance business and can’t be ignored.

Our free spreadsheet works out how much you need to charge per hour to cover your salary, given the time you want to work, the leave you want to take and the percentage of your time that you will be able to spend on billable work. Download our free spreadsheet to calculate your freelancer base rate, based on your choices for your business.

Of course you have to be realistic. Deciding you want six months of holiday, working one hour a day and earning ten million a year will give you an hourly rate of R90000 and its unlikely that the kind of work you do is able to command that kind of rate.

What is realistic will depend on where you are in your career. If you are starting out you will have to work more and spend more time finding clients. Once you are well established you may find you spend less time finding clients, and are able to give yourself more leave. This is why, in the downloadable spreadsheet we give three example calculations, one for someone starting out, one for someone getting established and one for someone well established. These examples will give you some idea of what your calculation should look like.

Our downloadable spreadsheet includes a space (on the 3rd tab) for you to calculate your own rate. In fact it allows you to calculate three different rates for yourself, so that you can experiment with different scenarios. You might want to work out a realistic base rate for how you currently spend your time and an aspirational rate for where you want to be in 5 or 10 years time.

How to calculate your base freelance rate

Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear how this works for you, so please keep in touch below.

Inspiration for craft businesses

10 October, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Crafters, Small business, StartupTagged bead, beading, crochet, knit, quilt, sew, sewing

Crafts like sewing, knitting, crochet and quilting are great hobbies to turn into paying businesses. Better is a place for craftspeople to meet, share and learn from each other. If you are working on turning your craft hobby into a business, Better has a collection of books – for inspiration and to learn from. See some of the titles below.

Become a member to enjoy the support of other crafters who are creating businesses.

Join our regular craft mornings to work with other crafters and share insights into your business journey.

Craft Mornings at Better

10 October, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Co-working space, Crafters, Events, Freelancers, Small businessTagged craft, crochet, felt, knit, Make, paper craft, quilt, sew, wood carving, woodwork1 Comment

Creating is about joy; the satisfaction when you stand back and look at what you have made. Something exists where it did not exist before and you have made an impact (even a small one) on the world.

I’m not talking about great artists and architects. I’m talking about ordinary people who create because they don’t want to be consumers. They want to produce, to “make their own stuff”. They know that the home-baked pie with the slightly burned edge is better than store-bought perfection. These people cook and sew, knit and crochet, write and blog, draw and illustrate, code and tinker, perform and play, not professionally, but for themselves, for their families and friends and for each other.

Making with other makers multiplies the happiness. Sharing creative projects is an opportunity to forge links towards the common goal of a better world, rejecting mass-production for the individual, the hand-crafted, the expression of human ingenuity and capacity. We want to build a better, connected world.

Better is a gathering place for productive people. Come and meet your tribe here. Bring your thread and fabric, your needles and yarn, your pens and laptops, your brushes and ink or your dancing shoes. Come and share the joy with other makers.

Every Tuesday from 9am to midday is our Craft Morning at Better. Bring your latest project or just come and experiment with the tools and equipment we have on hand. Chat to others and find common ground. If you are new to crafting, you will find others who will show you the ropes. We provide basic art and craft materials, sewing machines, some tools and books for inspiration. Bring specialist materials with you or buy from our kiosk.

Tea, coffee, rusks and fruit are on the house, bring lunch along if you like and stay for the day. We have a great garden to picnic in.

Free for Better members
R100 for 3 hours
R150 for the day

Pay by EFT, cash or card at the door.

Craft Day – Puppet Making and Storytelling

28 July, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Crafters, Events, WritersTagged craft, create, Fun, Make, Making, Stories

We all love a good story and puppets are the perfect way to create characters for your stories. Join us for a day of puppet making and story-telling.

We will show you how to make hand-puppets, finger puppets, sock puppets, stick puppets and others. You get to experiment and make your own. Script your play, make the backdrops and share your stories.

Materials will be provided, but do bring along all your mismatched socks and anything else you want to turn into a puppet. Tea and coffee will be provided and lunches will be on sale, or bring your own picnic. Join us for an hour or two or stay for the day.

The Better studio and garden will be open from 10 am to 3 pm for a fun day of making. Make friends too.

When: Saturday 12th August, 10am – 3pm.
Where: The Studio at Better, 91 Oxford Street, Saxonwold
Cost: R250 per person through Quicket, R300 at the door. Children under 12 can attend for free with an adult.

Booking essential. Call 011 327 6098 or mail create@better.joburg.

Crafting

9 June, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Artists, Crafters, EventsTagged art, Artists, craft, Crafters, drink, social event

I’m not talking about great artists and architects. I’m talking about ordinary people who create because they don’t want to be consumers. They want to produce, to “make their own stuff”. They know that the homebaked pie with the slightly burned edge is better than store-bought perfection. These people cook and sew, knit and crochet, write and blog, draw and illustrate, code and tinker, perform and play, not professionally, but for themselves, for their families and friends and for each other.

The makers gather at Better every third Saturday of the month for a day of crafting (from 10am to 4pm). Bring your latest project or just come and experiment with the tools and equipment we have on hand. Chat to others and find common ground. We provide basic art and craft materials, sewing machines, some tools and inspiration (full list here). Bring specialist materials with you or buy from our kiosk (list of stock here).

Drinks (tea, coffee, wine, beer) are on the house, there will be rolls and sandwiches for sale or pack a lunch if you prefer. We have a great garden to picnic in.

R150 or a Better membership gets you in. Pay by EFT, cash or card at the door.

Booking essential.

Sewing lessons at Better

6 June, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Better, Crafters, EventsTagged class, classes, dressmaking, lessons, sew, sewing, stitch3 Comments

Itching to get creative? Wanting a totally original wardrobe? Trying to express yourself? Join the warm and wonderful women at Better for sewing lessons. (Men are welcome too!)

Come and learn

to use a basic sewing machine
different stitches and what they are for
sewing seams
making cushions, table cloths, aprons etc.
choosing a dressmaking pattern
to choose fabric and work out how much to buy
to use a dressmaking pattern from cut-out to made up
inserting a zipper
making buttonholes
and lots more…

Learn at your own pace with lots of guidance. We have ideas for easy projects for you to start with, before you move on to more complex ones. Choose what you want to make and take your time learning each step. Get help in choosing fabric and patterns and guidance on how difficult a particular pattern will be.

Better has two sewing machines and the tools you will need. We also provide practice fabric; you buy the fabric for any special projects once you start to get really creative.

Stephanie Buys is an experienced dressmaker and owns her own soft furnishings business, Certain Curtains. She will demonstrate techniques and be on hand to guide you through each step.

Enjoy the company of wonderful people and free tea and coffee while you work.

When: Every Tuesday morning 10am to 1pm in the Better studio (starts 20 June)

How much: R250 per lesson (R150 for members of Better). Pay cash or credit card at the door or make an EFT payment before you come.

Booking essential, so that we can plan effectively. Call 011 327 6098 or email create@better.joburg.

Better is a place for grown-ups to play. You must be 18 or older.

Play with shape and colour, make your own Mondrian

4 April, 201724 September, 2022Posted in Artists, Crafters, EventsTagged art, collage, colour, craft, Mondrian, paint, play, sew

If you would like to play with colour and paint, but you don’t know where to start, join us for a fun morning of bright colours and simple shapes as we explore the art of Piet Mondrian, the Dutch painter who lived from 1872 to 1944.

Mondrian is one of the most accessible “famous” painters. He simplified images into lines, shapes and colours.

The video below shows his transition from painting traditional landscapes of natural subjects toward cityscapes.

Many of his images are very familiar as the basic ideas have been used to decorate textiles and other products.

This is not an art lecture. It’s more fun than that. We will view some videos of his works (some serious, some frivolous) and then we will play with colours and shapes using paint, card, fabric and even food.

You will get to make your own Mondrian painting, collage, clothing and …. anything else you can imagine! No experience necessary.

Come and play!

When: Weekday morning, 9:30 – 12:30, enquire for the next dates

Where: Better, of course!

Cost: R250 each, all materials and refreshments included (FREE for members of Better)

Places limited to 12 people