Why do I make paper?

THERE IS POETRY in the papermaking process and a spiritual attraction to paper itself. To form a sheet of paper by hand stirs and preserves ancient connections with our past. Handmade paper strikes a delicate balance between strength and fragility, purpose and beauty. Plant fibers can be molded and transformed by a moment's gesture. That gesture lives beyond the present and holds meaning beyond the obvious. Making paper means holding the earth closer. The papermaker works with plant fibers, reforming them into paper, touching gardens, fields, oceans, and beaches. But the petals, leaves, and seeds, too, have their say. They contribute their texture, their seasonal palette, even their scent. Hand papermaking is a conversation between the human hand and the botanicals of land and water. We civilize each other. Why do I make paper? It is the best way I have found to enter the timeless dialogue with the natural world, with tradition, and with craft.