Something to do with your hands is the monicker I settled on when trying to think of a name for my handmade jewellery ‘pursuits’. I arrived at this slightly unwieldy title when I was making jewellery during a prolonged period of ill-health. I was living in Cambridge at the time and working on a PhD in modernist poetry. (I’m hoping to start getting back into this work during 2013 – I’m starting to miss long-closed volumes and silent archives.) I studied Fine Art when I was younger so I had some familiarity with thinking visually, and, in taking a break from wordiness, making things seemed a comforting thing to do. So, something to do with your hands started there. I’m now living a fairly peaceful, if slightly hermetic, life in Frome, Somerset, where I share a flat with my dog, Dexy.
Jewellery:
www.somethingtodo.etsy.com
Beads:
www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com
A selection of my handmade beads are also available at: www.bigbeadlittlebead.com
Wow! Modernist poetry – how fascinating. Obviously, I don’t actually know what constitutes Modernist in this context, but I love poetry. When I did my masters (Mmus) in compostion, my particular area of interest was in writing for voices, particularly setting contemporary poetry to be performed in a dramatic fashion – nt necessarily staged, but heading that way. But I am very much an uneducated poetry enthusiast, I must concede. Would love to know more about this side of your work if you start up again this year. (I always wanted to do a phd. Mainly because I fancied being Dr Anderson. Which I don’t think is a good enough reason to do one, really….!!)
Hi – Just found this comment. I’m sure it can’t be worth it just for the ‘Dr’! I’m just pleased that I’m actually feeling interested in the prospect of resuming it and thinking about it all again. I’ve felt quite down on it for a long time. I could talk about voices for forever! I was looking at anxieties about writing and using language so it’s something that figures in things, definitely. Your MA sounds v. interesting. I have it in my mind that I’ll try to get my research stuff worked into the blog – in a gentle way! I definitely want to get some ‘text-stuff’ into the components. And as you might imagine, what constitutes ‘Modernist’ is a matter of eternal – and sometimes tiring! – debate. As I’ve been out of the loop for a year or so, I’d probably struggle to say exactly what is considered to be ‘Modernist’ right now!
Hello Claire! This site is brilliant, I’m well proud of you. Miss you in Cambridge, though.
Johnny X
Fancy seeing you here, Johnny Regan! Glad you like the site – Thanks. I’m planning to contact Pech, any day now, and schedule a Cam weekend – so, I’ll be back anon! x
Claire – these are completely amazing. I love them. Clever you. I hope all is well. Xx
Abigail! Hello!! Thank you – lovely to hear from you, and hope all is good with you too! xx
Claire, pure and simple, your work is glorious! Lee