For the Joy of It: Pride Wristbands!
Reflections on making art for art’s sake
Reading time: About 6 minutes
Since 2022 I have been reclaiming the creative freedom of my childhood by creating certain pieces of art for the joy of it alone. It’s been eight months since I shared my last For the Joy of It piece. This is because I let this practice slip a bit and had been focusing almost entirely on art commissions. That and my mental health, which has not been great for most of 2024.
My hope is that these reflections will inspire you to do things for the joy of it as well, as joy is a precious and unlimited feeling we could all use more of. Please leave a comment sharing anything you’ve been doing for the joy of it!
For the Joy of It, installation #6
I realized I wasn’t straight at fourteen and ever since, June has been a month I’ve looked forward to. At first, there was just the day of the Pride parade and festival, as I was under eighteen and there were few spaces for queer youth back in the nineties and early noughts. As I got older the month grew to encompass so many events. June meant attending film festival screenings, group picnics, float decorating parties, drag shows, queer youth camp, and even a gay rodeo! It was a time of year when I would feel the joy of being in a crowd of hundreds, if not thousands, of 2SLGBTQIA folks. It was a month of nourishing community connections.
But March 2020 changed that…
The lock-down was an expression of love and community care, and it was hard. June 2020 passed in the most surreal way, knowing even if I gathered with a few friends outdoors, it wasn’t safe. Not just because we were months away from a vaccine, but because a small group of queers is at greater risk of being targeted by bigots than a sizeable crowd.
In June 2021, I got to be around other queer folks for Pride month once again. My person and I hosted my queer writing group in the safety of our home and organized a get-together with friends at a local gay bar. Still, they were small gatherings and the oppressive heat of the (then) hottest summer on record led to the latter being cut short and having to cancel our plans to attend a larger event.
Then we moved. The city we live in now organizes all their pride activities for the autumn, when the weather is more predictable and the parade won’t be rained out. This means there are very few Pride events happening throughout June, or at least not a lot that I can find. But this month brings me this deep longing to be surrounded by my 2SLGBTQIA kin.
“So what does this have to do with Pride cuffs?” you may be wondering.
I took up embroidery during the lock-down. Shannon Downey of Badass Cross Stitch1 offered classes and created online spaces where I could get the community connection I needed.2 Also, stabbing things over and over is therapeutic.
A lot of my For the Joy of it stuff has involved embroidery. It’s the art form I turn to when I want to not have deadlines. It’s also something that can occupy my hands during a phone or video call, or specifically in the last three months, when I have needed a distraction from the effects of the medication rollercoaster.
I have several cuffs from denim jackets I cut the sleeves from to make vests. My original plan with these cuffs had been to silkscreen disability justice slogans on them, but after I took silkscreening lessons, I learned their unevenness wouldn’t work for that. They sat unused for a long time, until my brain got extra spicy and I needed something low-effort but mindful to do; something I could do for the joy of it when joy was not so easy for my brain to see.
When my person noticed me chain stitching a rainbow onto a cuff, they asked if I would make one for them, and I told them, of course! In fact, they could have that very one.
My Joy for It pieces have all been for someone, which is a significant part of what makes them joyful. I show my appreciation for others by making them things—either art or crafted words. I enjoy having someone in mind when I am creating a piece.
In late May, I posted the first completed cuff to social media and the response was incredible. People loved it! Like my partner, many said they wanted to have one, including Shannon Downey. Wouldn’t you know, her birthday is in June! I offered to send her one and had a great time packaging it up with stickers designed by fellow queer artists.
As I completed more of cuffs, I posted more photos and got more compliments. An artist local to me, Teigan, who makes amazing chain-mail pride bracelets, said he would love to attach chain-mail to one. I made and hand delivered one to him, taking time to hang out and work on another while we bonded over living a Creative Life.
My posts also inspired another fibre artist, @rusty_staples. They offered to stitch any pride colours to cuffs or collars for any folks who make donations to LYRIC, a non-profit in San Fran that supports queer youth.
This thing I started for my joy has created joy for others. Now, as I work on these cuffs, I think of who I might gift the next one to. I think of different flag colours to use and who will feel seen when I post about them. I think of other artists adding chain-stitched pride flags to jackets and vests for friends or for themselves.
Strength and solidarity can come from making art and sharing it. Community and belonging can too. It may not be the same as gathering in a crowd of thousands, but with each post I share, and each cuff I gift, I am reminded of just how many of us there are and how easily we can share our joy.
What are some projects you’ve been doing For the Joy of it? What are some spontaneous requests you’ve turned into creative gifts for someone you love?
Shannon wrote a book! You can pre-order it now, or request your local library to get a copy!
I also had the aforementioned queer writing group, The Queer Ducks. Thank you for our Thursdays on Discord, ya’ll gave me so much.
How can this post possibly NOT be of benefit?! You are an amazing human, this story of interaction is amazing, and I'm so glad you shared it. Thank you for reminding me that sometimes it's okay to just be human. Other humans will human back.
Congrats on being close to finished with the commission, and on returning to an art project that brings you joy! This was a wonderful update to read.