BETSY GREER
I guess, in essence, I find great inspiration in the everyday things that are always around us.
I’m passionate about sharing how people have used craft to better their lives.
I’ve been called a lot of things: a crafter, an activist, an unsung hero, the godmother of Craftivism, among others. At the end of the day, I don’t mind which title I hold, as long as people take my work and let it best help them in a way they see fit.
After getting my B.A. in English literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998, I received my M.A. in sociology from Goldsmiths College in 2004. My dissertation was on knitting, DIY culture and community development. The biggest takeaway now that so much time has passed since my graduation? That we can thrive when we find our people, even more so when we have a creative outlet that lets us learn, grow and communicate.
In 2008, my first book, Knitting For Good! was published by Roost Books. The book is a guide to how to use your knitting and creativity to improve your life, the lives of those in your community and the world at large. It’s also about life and its surprises.
In 2014, I edited and published an anthology called Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism with Arsenal Pulp Press. It includes the voices of 33 crafters, artists and makers about why and how they combine their creative skills to make the world a better place.
Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at a variety of institutions including the Corcoran School of the Arts + Design, Design Academy Eindhoven, Fabrica Gallery, The Women’s Library, University of Huddersfield, Unravel, the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, the Knitting and Stitching Show, V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media, UNC_BeAM, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Midwest Craft Con and the V&A among others.
My own current project, Dear Textiles - celebrates the resilience that craft can bring, and various other endeavours continue to spread the word on how creativity can help us connect with ourselves and others in profound and amazing ways.
Q1. Tell us a little about yourself: What is your background and what inspires you to create.
After moving around a lot, up and down the American eastern seaboard and to England and back several times, I finally ended up landing a few hundred miles south of Washington DC after several years in that area. I never thought I'd be the kind of person who landed somewhere and liked staying put, but I've found a new adventure in not packing up my whole life on the regular.
I'm inspired to create whenever I take a minute to stop and look around and take in shapes and colours and sounds vs. being on autopilot, the latter of which I find myself doing quite a lot during this pandemic! But I guess that deprogramming from feeling like you're always on the go and busy doing something takes time to undo, which has been a weird and sometimes fantastic welcome.
I'm intrigued by the moments where I find myself stopping and taking in the way a bird's nest is shaped high up in a tree and how that also looks like the back of cloth after I've stitched it. Or how I can sit outside on my porch and work, as I'm lucky to be able to work from home now and have some extra time to watch the birds that come play in my backyard. I guess, in essence, I find great inspiration in the everyday things that are always around us.
Q2. What kind of traveller are you?
I like to have one overall mission per day when I travel, like to see a historical site or meet a maker or try some coffee that was recommended and then let the rest of the day unravel as it will. I try not to pack too much in, so I have some time to just enjoy the culture wherever I may find myself. My favourite thing to do is to walk around with a camera with no agenda in some good sturdy shoes! I also love waking up early in the morning and watching wherever I am wake up as people start their day, or perhaps end their night; it always helps me feel what it might be like to live there.
Q3. Have you ever travelled solo? What tips would you give to a first-time solo traveller?
I haven't travelled solo as much as I'd like, but when I moved to New York City in my mid-20s I was terrified! It was so big, there were so many things to see, so many people, it was overwhelming. This was pre-GPS, so it would be easier now to not get lost, but in order to be able to explore at first while I was getting comfortable with it all, I drew a little map with some boundary streets on it: north, south, east and west. (Or maybe one was a river?!) Anyhoo, I let myself explore in just that little network of streets for a short time, which helped me venture further afield later. By concentrating on a small area until I felt more comfortable with the pace of things, I was able to develop the confidence to travel all over the city over time.
Q4. Where have you travelled to this past year? / Which travel destination has left you with the most memorable experience?
Thanks to COVID I haven't done much travelling in 2020, but I was able to go to a craft conference in February in Ohio knowing that we might be in lockdown soon after, given the news coming from other countries overseas. Although I knew people there, I went to the conference alone, with the knowledge that it may be my last trip for awhile.
I love being around people, but also like my alone time too, so for dinner after I gave a workshop, I ended up getting take-out from the hotel restaurant, eating dinner alone in my room, and watching a film. It was memorable because I did what felt right after having to be "on" for a few hours before the workshop, during it, and afterward.
Eating pizza alone in a hotel room may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but sometimes making the right decision for what you need to do isn't exciting. It helped me recharge my batteries before a panel discussion the next day. It was memorable because I was making a decision for what was best for me vs. making a decision being worried about what I might be missing out on.
Q5. The emphasis on working with women sends such a positive message. Who are the female figures whom you admire?
Hmm... There are so many inspiring women! But here are some women on the top of my admiration list: singer Kathleen Hanna; writer Roxane Gay; artist Lisa Congdon; writer and athlete Turia Pitt; chef Samin Nosrat and Social Justice Sewing Academy founder Sara Trail.
Q6. How is slow travel different from the usual way of travelling?
Travelling slowly allows you to make more decisions at the beginning, i.e., narrowing down where you go, but makes for fewer decisions later because where you end up is more deliberately chosen. I know at first when I plan a trip I want to see absolutely everything!! But then I have to hone it down to what experiences I don't want to miss. Then the trip becomes more about creating moments in time that are special for me and the people I'm travelling with vs. seeing the touristy thing that everyone wants to Instagram.
Q7. As an entrepreneur, how do you focus on wellness in your life?
I have a full-time job and freelance on the side, so I'm not really an entrepreneur! (I'm someone who needs some stability on that front, and I'm jealous of people braver than me that don't need that!) But, I do deal with depression and other issues, so prioritizing wellness is important to me.
I basically have a short list of things that I monitor regarding what I do daily, knowing that if I do those things, I can eat cake for breakfast sometimes or stay out later than I'm accustomed to, or whatever. Those things are: drink lots of water, aim for 8 hours of sleep, try to eat a big bowl of greens at least once a day, and wear sunscreen. I find once I make sure those things are done, making other decisions about wellness comes more easily.
Q8. Who do you think should come on this trip? And what would one hope to take away from this tour with TextileSeekers?
As someone who would like to travel on one of those trips eventually, I will say I'd like to learn about textile history and the stories of local women who make those same textile pieces now!
Q9. Do you have one or two all-time favourite fashion pieces? Do you have a favourite designer/artist?
I know this is controversial, and everyone loves to hate this dress, but I adore the dress Björk wore to the 2001 Academy Awards by Marjan Pejoski, which looks like a swan. I love that it brought a sense of play to a very over-the-top place. I also adore the House of Malakai headdress worn by Beyoncé at the 2017 Grammy Awards, which is pure glamour! Both pieces evoke the individual wearer and are iconic to me because they incorporate the sensibilities of the individuals wearing them.
My favourite designer is history, to be honest. The greatest inspiration and teacher of us all.
Q10. What are you reading now?
I just finished Tara Mohr's Playing Big, which I devoured in a few days and kept highlighting huge chunks of! Currently, I'm reading Octavia Butler's Kindred and Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig.
Read our feature on Craftivism