Fiber farmer Lisa Mitchell encourages listeners to embrace a beginner’s mindset and connect to the earth through handwork and making as she tells us the story of her major life shift, from striving for success as an art therapist in the suburbs, to slow living on a guanaco farm in the Pacific Northwest. Guanacos, the undomesticated ancestors of the alpaca, produce a unique and high-quality wool, but are often challenging to work with, and are not commonly farmed in the United States. In the absence of mentors and educational resources, Lisa and her husband set about spending significant time learning how to care for these special animals through experience, trial, and error, resulting in a fiber farm producing the highest quality wool on the market. Lisa seeks to “live with her hands” as she creates, and to practice making as an act of love - for the animals she lives alongside, for other people, and for the earth.

Topics Covered:

Seeking a different life
Guanacos and Guanaco Wool
Learning to Work with Natural Fibers
Working with Natural Dye
Embracing Beginner’s Mind
Creating as an Act of Love
Connecting with Reality Through Hand Work

Resources Mentioned:

Black Sheep Gathering

Guest Info:

Lisa Mitchell's Website and Online Store, A Fiber Life
Instagram: @afiberlife
Podcast: https://afiberlife.com/podcast/

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Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well being.

91. The Slow Living Shift: From Striving to Savoring with Fiber Farmer Lisa Mitchell