The Situation. I finally got my jeweler’s bench down into the bottom of my hut! The pot belly stove needs complete replacing. So no heating and we are at the start of winter and not to mention its extremely damp and wet living right in the NZ bush! The power has been a problem. But the good news is I finally got a working power inverter, which for the electrical geeks takes up to 350 watts. Basically only enough to charge my phone and run a small reading light. Definitely no machinery like tumblers, drill presses, pendant or polishing motors, or blenders even. With all thee above said thermals and blankets have been working a treat so far! And at least there is a bench to sit at and an entire tool box of hand tools to take advantage of.
I guess my biggest concern since moving is that I feel hugely disconnected to the concrete material I have been using in my work (even if I made it myself from scratch). I made this when I lived right in the central of Auckland city. The material to me was to partly portray the disconnect between the people and the land. Also the excess rubbish and materialism. The concrete jungle. Using the concrete as a material for me was very wasteful as well. Now it feels completely wrong to use this material where I am. So I feel I want to start completely over. In my first Skype session with Beatrice (who is amazing! We have connected so well and she is so intelligent!) she advised me to start to gather a fresh material library. So I have been gathering and hunting preciousness from our Mother Nature. Also I have been made more conscious of my waste efforts and am working on my waste output! the goal is to be 100% no waste. I have been learning so much! Some of the rubbish I have been saving to maybe use in my work. Also on my walks along the beach here I have been combing for materials as well and there has been so much rubbish! Some days I only find rubbish! This is something I have always had a passion about and deeply affects me. It hurts so much to find all this rubbish, especially plastics, where I know they have been floating out the waters where all the sea animals live and who of course dont know any better will ingest it and perish. All simply because of humans and the lack of care and laziness. I have been carrying a special little bag especially for the waste I have been finding! I want to encourage everyone who walks along in our nature to pick up the rubbish you come across and dispose of it properly! its feels good! I promise!
For now I an having so much fun learning a new primal way of life. And thinking about how I would adorn myself without the reliance’s of today’s conveniences. To use all these limitations to my advantage.
