Why I do
what I do
Where
your talents and the needs of the world cross; there lies your vocation. Hark
at me, starting off a blog post with a quote from Aristotle. Don't worry, it's
not going to be all philosophical. I just think it sums up what Zebra Creations
is all about.
I have a
conditional called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3, which means my ligaments are
too stretchy. this causes me constant pain, sometimes my joints pop out a bit
and I am perpetually clumsy. It's a right pain in the neck. And the hip, the
wrist, the back...(see, told you it wasn't all philosophy. I also do dad jokes)
The
products I make are all the result of either me, or my friends who are also in
the bendy brigade, needing something. I have had microwaveable pillows in the
past but they never stay put and the rice always pooled at the end of the
pillow, so my sofa got all the benefit. I have had wrist supports, but hated
wearing them as they are so flipping ugly, but also they get really hot and
sticky as they are all made of nylon.
I knew my
way around a sewing machine, although hadn't really used it or years. When I
had to stop teaching because my EDS got worse, I needed to draw on all of the
skills I could use while sitting down in order to make a living. And so Zebra
Creations was born. I create items that I know do the job they are supposed to
but without looking hideous, sewing takes my mind off the various bits of me
that ache and - hopefully - I can sell them and pay the bills.
How I
create the items sounds pretty straightforward - I look at something I
have,decide what is wrong with it and then fix it. Or, I will find a particular
task tricky or uncomfortable and so I try to figure out what would make it
easier. Take, for example, the wrist splints. I need to use a splint whenever
my wrist hurts, which is pretty often. A friend suggested decorating it with
sequins and glitter, and at first I thought it was a great idea, but then I
realised it was totally impractical. You see, as well as looking grim, the
nylon base of the splint means that after three days straight wearing it smells
manky. They don't wash well as it is, so adding glitter certainly wouldn't
help. So, I decided to make my own. I replaced the man-made fibres with cotton
to make it breathable and used pretty patterned jersey on the surface to make
it pretty. This was certainly more involved than the earlier stuff I made like
the rice pillows, but I am growing in confidence and feel like I can start to
tackle the sort of projects that can really make a difference to people with
joint pain in any form.
But more
importantly than that, it makes me feel happy. I used to distract myself from pain
by playing stupid games on my phone. Now I get to make things and have
something to show for my time. It turns a negative into a positive, so if I get
to help other people in the process, even better.
Instagram: VixThe Zebra
Facebook: Zebra Creations
Etsy: zebracreationsuk
