Eames Institute - Ranch Studios Artist Residency

Last fall I had the honor of being part of the very first Eames Institute Residency. It was an incredible, wonderful experience. I went in with almost no plan, just one guiding idea from the Eameses that I’ve always loved: Serious Play. So what is serious play? To Charles and Ray Eames, serious play meant undertaking an activity simply for the value of the activity itself. It meant following interests and information without a predetermined or immediate payoff, but instead developing connections and seeing where they might lead. It meant engaging in a process of trial and error, and letting the *real* learning unfold from the doing. That idea really became my compass while I was there. So I played. I made things I’d been carrying around in my head for years but never took the time to try. I spelled out the words Serious Play using the wonderfully nerdy Alphabend knot alphabet. I learned to weave on a traditional floor loom... which I’m now completely obsessed with.I built a massive chain out of soft, fiber-covered links. I followed interests. I tried things. I let the work lead me somewhere unexpected. And I got to do all of this alongside four incredible artists — Masako, Chris, Yvonne, and Lena — and the endlessly curious Eames team.