Reader of the Week: Chelsea Gunn
Knitting it her way
By Molly Lynch
Published: September 29th, 2008 | 1:23pm
To say that Chelsea Gunn is a superstar at multi-tasking would be putting it lightly. The 23-year-old D.I.Y. gal and Venus Zine reader splits her time between knitting, sewing, running a zine out of her Providence, Rhode Island bedroom, and being a strong advocate of The Golden Girls. Venus Zine chats with the busy craftster about inspiration, location, and — of course — Bea Arthur.
What kind of crafts do you specialize in?
Knitting is my top priority these days. I like to knit D.I.Y. accessories that are fun and affordable for anyone. I’ve also been making zines for about a decade now.
What inspires you most when you make stuff?
Children’s books, bad movies, thrift stores, hand-packaged tapes or records, old advertisements, small town culture, and my friends and family — they are all so talented, crafty and amazing.
How does living in Providence influence your work?
I just recently moved from Pittsburgh to Providence. Living in western Pennsylvania was very much a part of my creative mentality while I was there — there’s a strong sense of community and a common aesthetic among a lot of the people that I knew, and that had a huge effect on me. Now that I’m living somewhere new, I feel like I’ve broken free from a set of expectations that I had set based on that environment. Moving around and exploring a new city has sort of enabled me to get brave and explore new crafts and concepts.
Any D.I.Y. gals you look up to?
So many! I’ve always loved Cristy Road’s zines and illustrations. Amber (of the zines Culture Slut and Fight Boredom) has an awesome work ethic and is always tackling new projects. The woman behind www.microrevolt.org is so amazing to me. She starts projects that are thoughtful, intelligent, and creative and change the way people look at traditional crafty activities.
What do you do with your free time when you’re not working on projects?
I’m really into listening to audio books right now — sometimes I do this while I’m knitting, and it’s the best. I love going to the library, it’s the best resource in any town. I’ve gotten into running and lifting weights and I like riding a bike. It’s nice to be physically active. I think it’s good for your brain sometimes to get out and burn some energy, especially for me since so many of my crafty projects involve sitting down or being inside.
I noticed you’re a fan of The Golden Girls. Who’s your favorite?
Agh, I love meeting other GG fans! My favorite is Dorothy. I can relate to her staying-inside-on-a-Saturday-night lifestyle. Also she gets to go on a date with Dick Van Dyke in the fifth season I think, and I think he’s ridiculously dreamy. I’ve been told by a few people that I remind them of Rose. I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not, but I choose to think that it is!
What tunes are you listening to now?
I love feel-good jams. The Annie soundtrack is always in regular rotation. Also the Magnetic Fields, the Sissies, Lovers, Smoosh, Grand Buffet, Defiance Ohio. Santogold was a favorite all summer. Admittedly, I sometimes just play my Golden Girls DVDs in the background.
What do you hope to be doing in five years?
Ideally I’ll be done with grad school by then and teaching writing at a college maybe. Moving to Germany is high on my lifetime list of things to do. For the most part I’m already doing what I want to be doing forever — making things that make myself and others happy, exploring, trying new things as often as possible. I’d like to be knitting bigger and better. Remember “sneeds” from the Lorax? Maybe I’ll make one of those.
www.chelseacreature.wordpress.com
Issue #20
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