Monday, May 21, 2007

Saori Conference

Saori Weaving is an amazing and wonderful weaving philosophy. The following paragraph is copied from their lovely website.

Saori is an art of weaving by hand that is dedicated to free expression and self-development for everyone, regardless of physical or mental ability, age, or artistic aptitude. Saori weaving is pure improvisation from the heart, with no premeditated pattern in mind. Colors unfold, designs emerge, and beauty blooms directly from the genius of each unique individual working in harmony with loom, thread, and the spark of the moment. Saori is a profound inner journey, yet we can enjoy it socially, working alongside others. We can also create clothing, bags, tapestries, and many useful items that can be appreciated by all. Saori is fun, and anyone can do it!

Q: Is all improvisational, freestyle weaving SAORI?

A: Good question! On the one hand, if you choose to call your improvisational weaving "SAORI", nobody will complain. On the other hand, SAORI is more than just a technique; it is ALSO:

  • A philosophy that all people are artists, that each of us has a latent intuitive power that SAORI can awaken
  • An aesthetic that embraces the natural beauty of unintended "mistakes" and encourages exploring the unknown.
  • A social movement towards bringing diverse people together to learn from one another. It is especially a movement to include within a larger community people who may be isolated or marginalized because of disability, age, income, overwork, care giving, ethnicity, or other reasons.
  • A unique way of meditation, therapy, rehabilitation, trauma recovery, stress reduction, identity-building, community-building, and holistic human development

AND I am going to the Conference in July on my way to NEWS! This will be my first trip to NYC since 1966. Yikes!

Here's a PDF of the registration flier in case you'll happen to be in New York in the middle of July.
http://www.saoriworcester.com/documents/flyerfinal.pdf

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