Hello!
My arm is itching like crazy. I got stung by a yellow jacket Monday, out near the sawmill with my dad (I had it easy—he got stung three times, probably because I run faster).
Years ago, a friend of mine taught me a trick to deal with itchy bug bites: use a hair dryer to blow hot air on the itchy spot for as long as you can stand it. The intense burning sensation alleviates the itch. It hurts a little, but I like it.
So there’s a non-woodworking fast fact for you. May it lead you to brighter days of comfort and ease. Be sure to keep up a steady running practice, too—you never know when it’ll come in handy.
Below are a few thoughts and the quotes from the fourth section of my exhibition. You can find links to past essays in the series here:
I hope you have a terrific couple of weeks and don’t get hounded by any creatures with stingers 💜
Reverence
When someone buys something handmade, they want to buy something that’s a little slice of you, the maker. You should see the fingerprint of the maker in the work. —Megan McCarthy
Craft is . . .
the desire to use materials well, to know their attributes, to know their life cycles
real clarity on the economic value of your materials
appreciation for the work of one’s own hands, awe for the work of others’ hands, particularly teachers and mentors
the desire to do things the right way, to avoid shortcuts—lived experience of how that never works—no room for slop because you have to live with that outcome
The fourth major theme that stood out to me from my conversations with these four artisans was the reverence they each had for their materials, tools, and time.
Four is a special number (in my own Potawatomi culture and in other Indigenous cultures), owing to the seasons by which my ancestors lived their lives (and I have no doubt it goes deeper than that, but I’m still learning). So it feels fitting that reverence was the fourth section of the exhibition.
This section featured pieces that each of the artisans were most proud of producing, along with their thoughts on what getting to do these crafts means to them.
“I hold tight to things that have belonged to loved ones, treasure them. Making usable and wearable art feels important to me in this same way. These pieces hold their own stories, but also the stories of what I was going through while creating them. They hold state and world events, news of lost friends and loved ones, and also the joys I experience around me. Maybe that garment has nothing to do with current events, but current events are embedded into that garment.” —Lindsay Krage
“You can’t move forward as a craftsperson without a deep reverence for materials. There is a search for reverence in the end product.” —Megan McCarthy
“I do sell mistakes because I hate the waste of it. The print was not what I intended it to turn out like but doesn’t mean it’s bad. You do get better over time but even if you look back, it doesn’t mean your earlier work was bad, but you’re learning different things.” —Zak Fellman
“Touching the clay and feeling it respond is a constant in pottery. It’s a conversation that can lead to dissonance or sweet harmony. One has to be present with clay. Clay responds to the slightest touch. You can push its limits, but you have to do it with finesse or you end up with disaster. The need for presence creates a meditative state that I love.” —Teresa Schumaker
I closed the section with a quote from Peter Korn, who wrote one of the seminal books on woodworking.
“There is a deep centeredness in trusting one’s hands, mind, and imagination to work as a single, well-tuned instrument, a centeredness that touches upon the very essence of fulfillment.”
—Peter Korn, Why We Make Things and Why It Matters
That’s all for this week. Thank you for reading!
Taliesin Nyala is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
