Macramé, everyday – how macramé can help your wellbeing
With this month’s blog, I’ve handed the spotlight over to Eleanor, founder of Ellamé Designs, an independent macramé business and client of mine.
Eleanor set up her macramé business in late 2019. Initially macramé was purely for personal pleasure, a way to brighten up her new home and keep potentially poisonous plants out of reach of feline friends. But after posting her creations on social media things took off and Eleanor was able to leave her full-time employment (in the first lockdown in 2020) and focus on her business full time. From a hobby to a business - and it is all thanks to her cats!
We’ve heard a lot over lockdown about creativity having a positive effect on our mental health. I catch up with Eleanor to find out more about how she has managed to develop her business and what she does to look after her own wellbeing.
1. Firstly, for people that don’t know, what is macrame?
Macramé is simply the art of knotting. It’s a type of craft that usually uses rope to create small or large-scale fibre art for a range of purposes. The most common way people have got to know about macramé over the years is from having items such as plant hangers and wall hangings in their homes, but macramé can be used for all types of different designs and purposes. Once you have learnt the basic first few knots, you can create plenty of unique designs.
Macramé isn’t limited to knotting though, you can also create pieces using weaving techniques too, which are often called ‘macra-weaves’, I used a combination of both in my own work, there are so many possibilities!
2. How did you discover macrame?
I first discovered macramé when I looked up how to create a plant hanger on YouTube. I had seen them on homeware websites and thought it would be a nice addition to my living room after buying my first house two years ago. It was also a way of keeping my plants away from my cats. I quickly discovered that there was something about the rhythm of repetitively moving the rope through my hands that relaxed me. After looking up all the possibilities of where I could take these designs, I ended up creating wall hangings which I then sold online.
3. Tell me a bit more about your feline friends
Oh I love cats! I always have, my parents are very much cat people and I think their love for cats sort of fell down towards me as well! I have two very affectionate cats, one is a ragdoll called Avalon and the other is a European shorthair called Boot.
They are like Yin and Yang but have the most gorgeous personalities. Avi is very docile whilst Boot is a little scatterbrain with heaps of energy. They often feature on my Instagram... how could I not?
4. What does creativity mean to you?
Creativity is a very important part of my life, I think as I’ve got older, being creative has become more and more at the forefront of everything I do and I believe it really helps a lot of people feel at ease with themselves, it’s a unique thing that’s exclusive to you and you only. Creativity is expression. However, it is you’re being creative, you’re expressing yourself and who you are which is a very important link towards human identity and how you fit into the world.
It helps people understand themselves better.
5. Has being creative helped you deal with the uncertainties over the last year?
Being creative has always helped me keep on the straight and narrow. I think I rely on it to do just that job. Being creative is the one thing that I’ve always felt very natural at, I enjoy being creative - whether that’s on my own or as part of a team.
I’ve been working in the arts for many years, but mainly as a content creator at the BBC and for small/large arts organisations. However, I moved into a role in my previous job that ended up being a little different from content creation and it made me realise that I should dedicate my life to being creative to be happy. I felt very anxious around this time, and I feel that macramé helped relax me and give me an amazing sense of purpose other than drumming (which I do regularly).
Over the past year, I’ve been so engrossed in my business, its left me little time to dwell on what’s currently happening in the world, so in a way it has sort of been a godsend. I’m so glad I have something that I can escape in other than my music at this crazy time.
6. What would you say to people that say: “but I don’t have a creative bone in my body”?
Everyone is capable of being creative, I think for some people it just comes a little more naturally than others. Some people don’t take pleasure in thinking up musical ideas or painting for example, but that doesn’t mean that if you don’t put your mind to it you can’t do it.
I would probably also ask why that person has that mindset in the first place, are they judging themselves against other people? It might also be an issue with their own self-confidence and not wanting to expose themselves creatively.
7. What would you suggest to someone who is looking to start a new creative hobby or even try macramé?
I think if you are looking to try a new hobby, just go for it, don’t even waste time thinking about it or dwelling on it too much. Sometimes you can overthink situations and things don’t end up happening for whatever reason. Just get up, get what you need and go for it. Clear your mind and just see what comes out without feeling pressured, enjoy the moment.
If you are looking at starting out with macramé specifically, I actually have a beginner’s wall hanging kit and a small plant hanger kit which will give you everything you need to complete your first design. Other than that, I would highly recommend joining all the many macramé social media communities as the community is generally very helpful and respectful group that like to learn from each other. YouTube is also a fantastic way to learn if you are a visual learner.
8. What’s your top tips for anyone looking at starting their own business?
I think the two things you need more than anything is passion and being able to listen. I say you need to be passionate because of the constant need to develop your own ideas, and ensure you are doing something different. You don’t want to be someone who makes exactly the same art as everyone else. The second thing is being able to listen to your customers and their needs. I think one of the ways you grow as a business is to monitor what is selling well and just forgetting about the things you simply aren’t selling. Its better to accept that some things you create won’t sell because they may be so unique to you - let go of your ego a bit. Some of my bestsellers have been custom made orders because that’s what your customers are looking for and they are also fantastic ideas. But there are designs I’ve created from my imagination that sell well too! Its about creating a balance and doing what’s right for you and your business.
9. Sum up your day in three words
Musical, thoughtful and relaxing.
10. Favourite snacks when crafting?
I don’t often snack that much actually, but I am partial to the odd Cadbury’s crème egg after completing a large wall hanging.
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