My mother was a painter. She exhibited on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard for a few years. I grew up with palette knives, tubes of paint, and an easel always there. I was always enamored of my mother's alizarin crimson oil paint. Both my middle sister and I painted for awhile. My sister is an amazing painter, but chose a different path. (too bad for all of us). My other two mediums are photography and sculpture. I used to do all my own b&w work and worked in a number of formats. So I have always loved the flow of medium. Fibers are like paint, they flow and move together. Whatever they are doing in any preparation they are presenting an image and a texture. I used to quilt about 20 yrs ago. ;) I started spinning about 15 yrs ago. Since then it has truly been the creation of me. It has formed my life, my direction, and part of my soul. Fiber and textiles gives to me in ways I cannot express. Life without art and creativity is not an option for me.
I love to spin. I adore and ... hoard?.... collect spindles of all kinds. I weave in multiple ways (tablet, tapestry, harness loom). I tried to stay focused and stay away from dyeing... but I failed utterly and now well... I love that too. I love to teach, I love to learn, I love to study and synthesize what I take in. I am still in the process of growing up.
SOAR was for me a major turning point in my life and really helped me focus in --- in many directions (weird huh?). It is one of those things that is my life's blood. It allows me peace of a sort (because I'm so busy that 'peace' doesn't seem logical), but it gives me peace nonetheless. I often stop and there I am unencumbered, free, silly, happy. So Spin-Off, Interweave, the fiber world has created in me a better and more whole person. (but I still have a long way to go).
p.s. My Avatar is an Anglo Saxon spindle whorl approx 750 yrs old. I have a collection that I have made over the years.