Interview with Naomi creator of
‘These Two Hands’ (video interview below)
“I try a lot of things, and a lot of them I’m never going to do professionally, but it’s just the joy of making. And people who come to workshops I think often come with this ‘Oh I’m no good at this!’ and I used to do the same ‘I didn’t train in art, I’m no good at this..’ but actually... it’s not really about that. It’s about - do you enjoy doing it?”
Naomi grew up in the countryside, playing in meadows in the outdoors, always playing in the garden, making and creating things and felt she lost the connection with nature and the things that were rooted in her from childhood when she moved to London where she met her husband and lived for 13 yrs working as a consultant. For balance, she’d go to various craft workshops on her evenings, so she’s always kept her interest of making things by hand. Her job led her to meet some incredible makers who she interviewed. Later they moved to Bristol and she experienced a traumatic birth which nearly left her paralysed. As part of her recovery she was referred to a course of art therapy for about 6 months and found herself, along with other women who were recovering from trauma, being encouraged to try a range of different arts and crafts ‘My idea of Heaven’.
“I did my first lino printing course here and I was really nervous, I was like ‘How can I teach lino printing?’ Well I did it and six women came and it was brilliant and they created such amazing designs and they were all completely new to it, so I like to think I’ve made some new lino printing addicts in the country.”
Click, then scroll over the images to find out a little more!
Naomi said. She started making her own things which friends started asking to buy which further encouraged her. So she decided to turn her idea of a blog she’d had for a few years ‘These Two Hands’ – which she thought would entail her making posts about someone ‘giving it a go’ - into something more substantial, which meant she didn’t have to return to her consultancy work. ‘These Two Hands’ is a really successful family run business. Naomi’s attitude is that there is something inside of us that is about making things with our hands, and to be outdoors in nature. She’d like to help people to get back this connection with their hands and to the land as this helps people to be more grounded. Please do have a look at her website, it is really beautiful and interesting to browse. She is currently sending out her craft kits for families to make, such as pressed flower tea light holders, leaf printing and upcycled plant pots, and will be setting up workshops online to demonstrate making them to help people with the kit instructions and will include her little girl!
“It’s just about doing stuff with your hands. It’s very therapeutic, it’s very calming. You get lost in it for hours and I think that’s a sign of doing something you love, is when you look up and find that two hours have gone and you are like ‘Oh I didn’t realise the time had gone!’”
Her interview in the video below is very inspiring, as she discusses where it has all led and how she is adapting in ‘lockdown’. To be quite honest, I spent most of the interview being blown away by her energy, her passion and trying to work out how she manages to fit everything in! Not only does she have her business, she runs a music studio and music classes, is a piano tutor, studied lino printing, does some gardening volunteering, is trained in permaculture, is a ‘Grow Leader’, runs tea afternoons, bakes and promotes other makers! What a girl! What a recovery!
And I will make sure, when we are allowed out again, I will go along to her free ‘Crafternoon Tea Club’ and eat cake. I can’t wait!
