I often get asked what I do in a day. My days vary considerably and change throughout the year.
In January I spend my time harvesting the willow. We harvest everything by hand.
February is spent grading the willow and tidying up the willow beds.
Then I have a spring teaching block.
From early summer into autumn I have a long block of making time. This is where I concentrate on my own work. This can involve commissions, new work and experimental work still in development.
In autumn I have another teaching block.
I like to start my days off slow. I am not an early morning person. I need some time to potter around, get some small tasks done, before I head to the workshop. I usually give myself about an hour to work on some admin tasks. Then I get into making. I try to get 2 or 3 hours in before a lunch break. Then another 2 to 3 hours afterwards.
When I am in a good flow it is very hard for me to step away from it. I often feel irritated towards the fact that I have to do other things, like make food, clean and tidy, collect children etc. But as I grow older and have grown a little bit more of a perspective and am less hurried, I see the value in stepping away from the work too. It is also important for my body to do something different, stretch, etc. Looking at the work after a small break often also gives me a new perspective, new ideas about moving forward and a new momentum.
In the video below I show you a day in the workshop where I practise making frames and hoops, and strip willow bark for projects down the line.
Would you like to become a basket maker?
Check out my course BECOMING A BASKET MAKER, a full online program here: Becoming a basketmaker – Hanna Van Aelst
