Staff Spotlight: Blessing Taclobao
Each month, we highlight one of our dedicated ACR staff members so you can get to know the folks behind your favorite reuse center! This month, it’s Reuse Specialist Blessing Taclobao. Blessing has been with ACR since 2019 and has helped us run open volunteer events, move centers, and grow from the inside out. Get to know Blessing a little more and follow their Mini Sensory Board Tutorial made from ACR scraps!
How did you find Austin Creative Reuse?I just graduated from acc and I was looking for things to do immediately afterwards. I started looking for career opportunities and found ACR. What’s your favorite part about working at ACR?I would say simply being able to look at the huge variety of things that get donated to us. It’s never a dull day when you go through the processing bins. I also really enjoy being able to help customers with their craft projects. During my time at ACR, I’ve learned a lot about a wide variety of craft projects. Even stuff that I wouldn’t originally have had a lot of interest in, had I not started working here. Are you an artist, crafter, or maker? What mediums do you work with?I would say that, truly, there isn’t a lot of distinction between those labels. I would probably call myself a maker. I do a lot of jewelry and beadwork. I do assemblage. I’m teaching myself how to weave and paint as well. Not sure if this counts, but I also do minor clothing repairs as well. What do you do when you’re not working at ACR?I’m trying to think of an answer that isn’t running errands or surviving. Surviving, I guess. I’m always juggling a handful of projects at once. What’s the craziest thing you found in donation mountain?Cremains.
Here are some jewelry pieces that Blessing contributed to our recent Reuse Gallery:
About Blessing:
After moving to Austin from Brownsville, TX in 2012, Blessing found this city an ideal space to grow their creative skills and meet fantastic people along the way. Outside of ACR, they can be found making jewelry, modifying clothes, thrifting, hunting for fossils, and standing RIGHT BEHIND YOU.