Stitch Wish Radio

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Let's talk about how play and rest are integral to our sense of well being  - and our ability to adapt to stress and solve problems. Basically, they're the free at-home doctor available to us all, if we can figure out how to stop working long enough to let them happen. 

After a heavy month of work, I hit a wall... and PLAY and REST were there to save me! These unquantifiable acts that have no value in capitalism are two of the best things we can do for the health of our bodies and our souls. 

Mentioned in this episode:

My new book, Mystical Stitches

The Nap Ministry's Blog and Instagram

Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection

Stuart Brown's Play:  How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

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This episode is a little bit about re-use, in many different catagories - a little bit about textiles, a little bit about food, and a little bit about gardening... this is about how all of the choices we make within these arenas influence not only the environment but also the health and wellness of communities around the globe. I've provided some suggestions, some statistics, and even a little singing at the end :)

Mentioned in this episode:

Katrina Rodabaugh

Seamwork Magazine (and my Remnant Revival series for them)

My Soft Work intuitive garment design course (opens back up in August / September)

Vegetables Love Flowers - Lisa Mason Ziegler

Peggy Lee

100 companies responsible for 70% of emissions (and here's a deeper dive into those stats) 

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So excited for this weeks episode where I got to interview my good friend and roommate from college, Mekenzie Kay! Besides being a sparkling ball of delight and wisdom and sarcasm, Mekenzie is an artist and a children's art teacher.  In this episode, we talk about:

- learning new art forms
- fear of failure (and fear of sewing machines)
- stitching as a meditation
- dealing with others expectations as they show up in your own creative process
- working with recycled materials
- cool dogs named Shelby

Some topics mentioned in this episode:
Mekenzies GORGEOUS patchwork pieces
Mekenzie's Instagram
Lifetime Movie Network
Magic Threads Course (last day to sign up!) 

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One of my FAVORITE topics - talisman! I discuss what a talisman is, ways you can make a talisman and where in your life you can use your talisman - as well as some historical examples and my own personal favorites.

Mentioned in this episode:

Planetary Archetypes (cosmologist Richard Tarnas explains these wonderfully) 

Phsychologist Carl Jung 

My Embroidered Talisman course, Magic Threads

Turkmen talisman embroidery (scroll down about halfway for the description of a "Doga")

Japanese talisman embroidery, or "Semamori"

Order my book, Mystical Stitches (+ international option)

Thanks so much for listening, I look forward to next weeks episode when I interview one of my oldest bestest friends, Mekenzie Kay, an elementary school art teacher who has taken the past year to teach herself to make pillows out of recycled denim.

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I had the pleasure of speaking with Zak Foster, textile artist and memory quilt maker, about:

- the power of improvisation
- finding inspiration through repurposed materials
- building creative communities
- time management and organization (from a Virgo!)
- tiny quilts as talisman

Mentioned in this episode:
Zak's Patreon
Zak's Newsletter, "Motivation for the Maker"
Heidi Parks Hand Yoga series
Artist Paulo Arao
Our UNSTUCK: Zine Collaboration

More from me:
My website
Magic Threads Online Course
Mystical Stitches

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It occurred to me that some folks might have ended up here and not have any idea who I am... So this episode I introduce myself, Christi Johnson, and share a little about where I came from, what kind of work I do in the world, and why I started this podcast!

Mentioned in this episode:

Mixed Color website

Magic Threads course

Zak Foster is next week's interview! 

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How to move through a creative project (or learning process) when fear has you stuck. I'll share my tips for how to deal with the fear of starting something new, and how to deal with the fear of FINISHING something (which often looks like procrastination)!

Mentioned in this episode:

Mixed Color Journal

UNSTUCK Zine with Zak Foster

Sign up for The Embroidery Portal if you want to get started with the art of embroidery!