Humans are no different than guanacos or sheep or any other animal that finds comfort in the presence of others. We rely on each other for help and support, warmth and protection. But as humans, sometimes it’s difficult to ask for help and support.

In this episode, we dive into the question: “Why is it so hard to connect with others and create a sense of community?” I share the beginnings of what may become a vibrant fiber producers guild, and introduce you to my partner in this endeavor, Katie Whitlock. Our new friend, Brittany Bobbit, gets recruited to our Mud Support Group. And Greg and I talk about our very slow progress on a goal we set in 2020. So, if you wish for more connection and a sense of community, like we do, join us. Maybe something we say will inspire you to take some steps yourself. 

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

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Sometimes the best things in life are about the process, not the product. Working with your hands vs. working with your mind. In this episode, I sit down with several spinners to understand their motivation and love for the art. In this episode, I’m telling you about how I ditched a product-led, checklist kind of life, and learned to engage more with the everyday process of living. I talk with others living that life. Josefine Waltin is a Swedish fiber artist who teaches students to spin by teaching them her philosophy of connection with raw fiber. And Kim Biegler of Ewethful Fiber Farm and Mill tells us about the realization when she rescued a 400 lb bale of Suffolk wool from being burned by the shepherd who needed room in his barn. Greg and I share about the transformation that’s happened to our hands, and how going from using our brains, to using our hands has improved us for the better.

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve lost 6 animals in the last 3 years on our farm: five guanacos and one goat. Now, as a therapist, I’ve sat with so many dear clients in the grips of death and tragedy and the pain that floods in when we lose loved ones. And I’ve faced my fair share of grief personally. But when my goat Milo died, I was hit like a brick.  

You’d think that my familiarity with grief and loss would help me when Milo and our 5 guanacos died. But it didn’t. And after talking it through with Greg and some other special people, I’ve come to understand that this new loss experience was different than the others I’ve experienced in the past. It was different because it didn’t come with a ready-made ritual or a way to communicate what happened. There was no Shiva or Wake, or even a plan for what to do after we said ‘goodbye.’ There was no narrative or story to provide comfort. And I needed that. I needed a story and a ritual that soothed me. Because without that, I was just left with unresolved sadness and a nagging feeling of not knowing what to do if it happened again. Honestly, I was just ready to quit the whole thing because it was all too much.

So, I went on a mission to find the answer. To make a story. To create a ritual that provides comfort and solace. And I actually found one. 

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever thought about what you’ll leave behind when your time on this planet is up? An amazing accomplishment of mine had me recently experiencing an existential dilemma. Searching for answers about where all of my prized fiber and tools will go when I’m gone, I turned to my daughter Ruth, and good friend Ann. We also try to figure out if you can ever have too many crafting supplies. In the end, I get the feeling my concerns are the same concerns shared by creators everywhere. This is an episode for anyone with a million ideas and not enough time to do them all.

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

Get 15 % off your order with the code “AFIBERLIFE15” at checkout. You can use the link in our show notes. https://smallpackages.co?sca_ref=3459552.rhQIKNxovN

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

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Our goats, Daisy & Milo, taught us how to love better. In this episode, I tell you the story of how I  found them and share a little bit about their breed (Pygora) and why they are so special. My husband, Greg and I will delight in our love for them. And I will tell you how I intentionally engage with their open-heartedness for my own well-being–especially when dealing with one particularly difficult female guanaco. Finally, I will play you a delightful clip of my dear mother singing to these sweet babies. Because, really, who doesn’t want to hear a loving open-hearted mama who sings to her daughter’s open-hearted goats. 

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fear is a fickle thing. We all feel it. It's part of the human experience. Yet many of us are also told to "fake it till you make it." Therapist turned Fiber Farmer, Lisa Mitchell lived by this motto for years. But, once she started raising wild animals she realized "faking it 'til you make it" doesn't work with fear.
In episode one, of Season Two, Lisa and her husband, Greg, talk about nervous systems and survival instincts and the easiest trick to prevent adrenaline from taking over the situation. They talk with the one and only Marty McGee Bennett who taught them the invaluable lessons they needed in order to learn this new approach. Listen as Greg and Lisa give you a front-row seat to what it’s like to see the world through their guanacos’ eyes. 

Full Transcript can be found here: www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is part of the Bright Sighted Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the story behind the wrench in your junk drawer? It probably has a story. When was it purchased? Who used it first? What problems did it solve?
In this episode, host, Lisa Mitchell, shares her thoughts about handmade tools. Greg and Lisa share their favorite handcrafted tools. And Lisa talks with Ed Jenkins, a very popular spindle maker. He tells you the secret of why spinners line up to buy his beautiful spindles.  Linda York, one of his loyal customers verifies Ed's secret and talks about her collection of tools.
Handmade tools are more than just the things we use to make our work easier. They are works of art crafted by people who love to make just as much as we do. Join Lisa and Greg as they explore how tools help them feel more grounded and deeply connected to the bigger world of making.

The Full Transcript can be found at www.afiberlife.com

This podcast is a production of the Bright Sighted Network. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our second season of A Fiber Life, “Homegrown and Handcrafted,” we are going to transport you to a life of making from nature. We are going to introduce you to our baby goats, talk about the tools that we use,  and chat with many of the maker friends we’ve had the privilege of meeting along the way. From spinning guanaco fiber into yarn,  splitting and stacking wood, and growing our own food and botanical dyes, these stories provide life lessons that are powerful. I also think they can be helpful and healing.

If you are someone who loves to make things with your hands, or if you love animals and nature, or if you feel like you need some help reconnecting with that maker part of yourself, we’re glad you’re here.

Our hope is that this podcast will do for you what it has done for us: inspire you to live with every fiber of your being.

Join us at "www.afiberlife.com" 

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