During the past week, I interviewed sixteen women during the Fowlers Bay art camp titled ‘Artists from the edges of the world’ and an artist intervention with Fibrespace Incorporated at the Platform Gallery in Port Augusta, South Australia. All interviewed participants were makers. Some of the women identified as artists, while others identified as craftspeople or makers. The duration of the interviews ranged from ten to thirty-seven minutes.

During the semi-structured interviews with the women, it struck me that all of them commented on time constraints and the difficulties they experienced in managing their roles and schedules. Many interviewees commented on how they juggle their roles, saying they don’t know how they get through their days, but often seem to manage them seamlessly. ‘You just have to get on with it’ was how many women responded. Participants’ anecdotes reflected on their lives, how crafts helped them cope with difficult circumstances, and how making crafts and art made them happy and proud.

Another perspective on creative practices is that some women said they felt guilty when they used their time to practice the arts or make crafts, due to the many responsibilities and complex roles they have as breadwinners, mothers, and caregivers. Some women found it hard to find time for their creative activities, despite the positive role arts and crafts play in their lives, serving as a coping mechanism during challenging circumstances. Some women acknowledged arts and crafts practices enable them to solve all kinds of problems they face. The physical contact with, and holding onto, materials, the creativity and textures they evoke, and the ongoing planning and problem-solving during the making process seem intricately connected to real-life situations.

Mandala installation directed by Satu Miettinen with more than sixty women, Platform Gallery, Port Augusta, 2016.

Text and photography by Melanie Sarantou