Waulking

A collaborative post for International Women's Day.

When we decided on the theme of waulking for this international women’s day I immediately had this image pop into my mind of a photo I could create with my daughter. I knew what dress I wanted to wear, had this gorgeous handmade wool scarf I wanted to feature, and imagined our hands placed just so. A beautiful recreation of the act of waulking (which is the process of a group of women beating newly woven tweed, in community, often singing) that would highlight a multigenerational theme and, in a very light way, connect us back to our Scottish ancestors.

Have you ever tried to create art with children, though?
If you have, you will know that it never works out the way you imagined.
Whether it is as dramatic as them having a complete meltdown and you simply can’t create, or a tiny little quirk you never expected - I think back to when I was taking some self portraits and my son handed me a flower, the photo turned out beautiful. Of course this photo didn’t go to plan, and of course my daughter didn't want to do what I wanted her to do. Amazingly though, I think it turned out better, and with a real meaning behind it.

Waulking was women’s work, and naturally there would be mothers, grandmothers, and children around. Like with all work we do as mothers, there are children. This experience has me reflecting on all of the things I do, whether they be daily tasks of cooking a meal, or enjoyable ones like catching up for a warm drink and a chat with a close friend. Our children are there. Sometimes they don’t want to play, sometimes they are tired, sometimes they just want us. Everything we do, even down to the art that we create, our children are there. Wrapped up in our arms, under our feet, or running across the park. We are always aware, always listening, and always entwined. Even when I sat down to create art that included my daughter, it could never be the same as creating on my own. There can be a real magic in that though. Co-creating things with our children.

She didn’t want to put her hands in, she wanted a cuddle, with her bunny, and to use the scarf as a blankie.
And I think that’s ok.

It's ok because at the end of the day I am still her Mamma, and I can be grateful that instead of a posed photo of us both this International Women’s Day, she gifted me a real one.

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Thank you to the lovely women who I have collaborated with once again on another International Women’s Day theme. It’s always a pleasure!
Please be sure to have a look at what they all created, too…
Claire Venus ✨, Lauren Barber, Laura Durban, Laurita Gorman, Lyndsay Kaldor.

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