I’m forgoing a typical blog post to show some recent scenes from the last few months working solo in my Saint Paul, MN studio. I’ve paused usual programing at Ethel Studio to focus on making face masks for over two full months now, and it has been a rollercoaster to say the least. Across the globe, we’ve all had to adapt and be flexible, and take every day as it comes. Changing how we live and work and interact, while trying to grieve, mourn, and make sense of it all. Yet with change comes opportunity for growth and building resiliency. As the enormity of the global pandemic and the continued injustices and acts of violence continue in our country and abroad, these images from my studio may seem trivial. But I’m sharing them with you because they serve as a bit of an update on what Ethel Studio has been up to, and also because this experience has been life changing for me. I’ve been confronting my own self-limiting beliefs while questioning my own values and purpose in this big mess we’re all living through. So for what it’s worth, enjoy these slices of quiet productivity!
Images above show the mask cutting process // elastic cutting, daily order fulfilling // scrap piles of scraps headed for recycling (left) and some headed to be reused (right), all in pursuit of zero-waste // creative liberties taken with my outfits // the rainbow that’s cast from my iron when the sun hits at just the right angle // a congregation of scissors // surgical fabric masks ready to be donated // fabric ties in the works // a mushroom cloud of cut threads // a view of the Mississippi River on my bike commute to the studio // and a quote of inspiration.
Take care everyone!
Maggie
You can purchase a zero-waste mask here.
We’re donating 10% of sales of all our designs (masks + usual meditation cushions) to rotating non-profits. Currently it’s Seeding Sovereignty’s Indigenous Impact Rapid Response Fund.