Simple Pleasures: Crafting Our Daily Rituals

Oftentimes the simplest of gestures can have the biggest impact. How do you mark your days and give each one meaning? How do you slow down and think of others? How do you dwell in the basic joys of your daily life? Maybe it’s about starting your day with a cup—or two or three—of coffee or tea, and always reaching for that one mug that’s just… yours. Before your mind shuts down after long days, do you open a journal to jot down your thoughts and document your memories? When gifting, do you consider the presentation of that gift as part of the act of giving?

These are just a few of the quiet acts, the often overlooked aspects of our day that in the end bring us the greatest amount of satisfaction. Join bookbinder and journal-maker Megan Winn, wrapping artist Megumi Inouye, and The Clay Studio Curator and Director of Artistic Programs Jennifer Zwilling, who also collects mugs, for a conversation about the daily rituals that delight us and how adding a bit of craft to our everyday routines can elevate simple pleasures and create meaningful moments.

About the Moderator
Rachel Messerich oversees the American Craft Council’s legacy and editorial programs. As part of the editorial team, she is responsible for translating the remarkable content found in American Craft into engaging programs for our audience. In addition to her regular editorial work, Rachel also manages many of ACC’s awards programs, including the College of Fellows and marketplace Awards of Excellence. Prior to joining the Council in 2014, she was the gallery and administrative assistant for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Art and Katherine E. Nash Gallery. Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota–Duluth and a master’s degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, both in art history, concentrating on late 19th- and early 20th-century art.

About the Speakers
Jennifer Zwilling is the Curator and Director of Artistic Programs. She joined The Clay Studio in 2015 and administers the Resident Artist Program, Exhibitions, The Collection, and the Guest Artist in Residence Program. She earned her BA in History from Ursinus College and MA in Art History from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. Previously, she was Assistant Curator of American Decorative Arts and Contemporary Craft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jennifer developed and taught History of Modern Craft at Tyler School of Art for ten years, and has taught and lectured around the world.

https://www.theclaystudio.org/staff-a... | @jzwilling

Megumi Lorna Inouye is a gift wrapping and packaging artist. Known for her sustainable wrapping designs and creative innovations, she encourages repurposing, utilizing everyday things around us and using organic and recyclable items. She attributes her passion for gift wrapping to her Japanese heritage and the cultural values that underlie the meaning behind the art of giving.

https://www.giftwrapbymegumi.com/ | @giftwrapbymegumi

Megan Winn. A lifelong lover of books, reading, and keeping a journal, bookbinding was a natural fit for mixed-media artist Megan Winn. After receiving her B.A. from Anderson University in Studio and Fine Arts, Megan went on to pursue private tutelage from a Master Book Artist for a year and a half while starting her company, The Binding Bee. After launching Binding Bee, she spent over a decade exhibiting and selling her books at fine art fairs around the Midwest and in local galleries in Indiana. Her focus has been on creating uniquely handcrafted journals that are functional and beautiful. She deeply cares about her materials and uses things that are salvaged, or thoughtfully and ethically sourced. Currently, Megan is a full-time stay-at-home mom to three vivacious young kids, but she continues to feed her soul and creativity by making books in the margins of her carved-out time. She believes that the art of keeping and making journals can be an anchoring and life-giving ritual through all seasons of life. She takes great joy in making beautiful books for people to write their stories in.

https://www.bindingbee.com/ | @bindingbee_megan