Students dip and re-dip their cloth in indigo.  It’s an authentic, hands-on experience.

Sometimes I feel like teaching is genetic, as if it was handed down from my ancestors. I don’t know if it’s true, but certainly the profession has manifested in different family members, myself included. I don’t feel for one minute that they did it as a last resort, because they were dedicated to the profession, loved their subject matter and I’m sure they also loved their students.

So, I could say that’s why I teach, perhaps. If that’s the case, I feel fortunate to have come to it, in teaching Japanese language and now, indigo dyeing and shibori.  As much as I enjoy the isolation of the studio, I’m also grateful for the “interruptions” that workshops bring.

They bring me to community, meeting people with various surprising histories and working with the younger generation. It takes me “out of myself”, giving me an opportunity to see through other lenses – I learn. I also enjoy sharing the skills involved and aspects of an ancient art or craft.