“Respect” doesn’t exist in words much. It exists in Actions. I have strong motivation for speaking up – I believe our voices can actually contribute to cultural preservation (change to the change). For that, I want to introduce 2 super stars in Mending who gave me hope in the last 5 years or so.
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I came across these 2 accounts in the early stages of my Sashiko Story Journey – @katrinarodabaugh (Author of “Mending Matter” and more) & @miniaturerhino (Author of Make + Mend). They are probably 2 powerful accounts that initially connected Sashiko & Visible Mending. As I often say, Sashiko isn’t the word for “Celebrating a (Visible) Mending” – but our voices weren’t much available when they became the super stars. I believe they have been reading some of what I share since. I believe I didn’t contradict them directly… but, they have been very careful in using the word “Sashiko”, and when they use the word, I can tell they do so mindfully. What they do is an action of respect – not just saying “I respect it”.
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I haven’t met them in person. Although no direct communication exists between us, I appreciate their approach to Sashiko. Initially, their words made me wiggle. Now, I consider what they do/teach is “more” than Sashiko – and one day, I want to learn Mending from them. Not only about them, I know SO MANY who changed their approach to Sashiko over the years with appreciation & respect. Some decided to jump into the challenge of learning it with me (while struggling with the fact they may not understand easily), and others balance what they do & approach to Sashiko carefully. I believe our “Sashiko Stories” contributed to this slight shift, and therefore I keep sharing.
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今週の配信もありがとうございました。愚痴に付き合って貰っている感じで恐縮なのですが、似たような苦しみを抱いている方の少しでもの応援にもなればと思っています。
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綺麗で楽しいことだけを情報発信していれば、それはそれで違う道が開けると思うのですが、そうじゃない道を選ぶことによって、違う角度から文化に貢献できることもあります。「人は変わらない」と諦めることは、自分すらも諦めることで、昔の私は諦めが早かったのですが、最近は相当意固地です。というのも、変化をみてきているから。上記に紹介したアカウントは、当初は苦々しく見つめながら、5年近く経った今は感謝の気持ちで時に拝見している方々です。私の物語を読み、刺し子への向き合い方を変えて下さった、影響力のある方々です。ま、お会いしたことも話したこともないんですけどね。
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2024-08-30 15:45:18
Thank you so much. I’m very honored my mending has resonated with you. Thank you. It’s been a long journey since publishing Mending Matters in 2018. There’s more to say than I can fit into an IG comment. But I want to thank you for your work. And sharing your voice and expertise. I would love to meet you, someday, but I’m certain I’d be the student. I’m not on IG as much as I once was but I am grateful for these textile connections. Thank you. 💙
❤️arigato gozaimasu
Hi Atsushi! Thank you so much for sharing this. I have much respect for you & the work you do sharing Sashiko & it’s cultural context. It would be so nice to meet someday & stitch together. I’d be excited to connect. Any upcoming NYC plans? That’s something I love about this space (although I’m not as active here recently), learning from others & celebrating their work & culture.
Curious why you used that photo for this post. I don’t find it to be terribly thoughtful or inspiring. I follow the hashtag for visible mending and have seen some outstanding work being done. And I adore the stitch design work of @lindzeanne who is very talented and respectful.
@sashikostory I’m sorry I miscommunicated. I’m very aware that Sashiko and Boro and visible mending are different things, and I don’t like when people doing visible mending claim to be doing Sashiko (usually westerners). Mostly have learned the differences from your posts. I do read your captions, often twice or more, and I understand that I don’t have a complete understanding of them. I’m not suggesting that by creating a post about visual mending that you are equating it with Sashiko. However, your usual images you use for your posts show great craftsmanship. My observation was not meant to criticize what you wrote, nor the accounts you tagged. I guess it’s better for me to ask you what in the photo you posted did you find particularly attractive to have chosen it to address the subject matter of visible mending. I never have issue with your post text. If I have other thoughts it’s usually because I haven’t grasped the entirety of your information. So, perhaps you would be kind enough to help me see what about the photo you used appealed to you?