Time can mean a point in time, a moment, a juncture or an hour.

And that meaning can change slightly when referencing ‘your time’.

‘Your Time’ is that special point when you’ve made the opportunity to be present and engaged in the work at hand, the work right in front of you now, creating an opening for moments that matter.

Now, isn’t that exactly what time is for?  Creating moments that matter, but only if you’re committed to working.

And having the confidence to commit to blocking out time is a gift to yourself and your work.

Now I’ll put my hand up to being selfish sometimes and wasting my time – sometimes I just need to kick back or have ‘me time’.  But that’s my choice. I also choose to refuse to waste my time on unsolicited calls or emails – both are simply time thieves.

I know I’ll never get that downtime back, but sometimes it’s therapeutic, allowing unsolved problems to bubble to the surface for solutions or simply allowing my body time to recover from the stress of working at a machine for long hours.

But rest assured, when I return to work, it’s with renewed verve and vigour.

Creating meaningful textile and fibre art is not a contest.  I do not have to enter every competition or exhibition opportunity on offer.  Rather, by using my time wisely, I create the opportunity for those moments that matter to fabricate significant and worthwhile artwork.

And that creation of new work is what connects and grounds me to what I love to do – and it all comes from moments that matter.

cathy jack coupland