Repetition is part of our everyday lives: it is all around us, in patterns, art, and habits like having a cup of tea or getting dressed each morning. Repetition, recurrence, and return are also fundamental in nature – there are shifts in the seasons and regular, rhythmic elements, such as the weather, that occur over and over again. In order to repeat you have to remember what you did last time, and memories are intimate and can be associated with personal relationships with objects or clothes; they are not written down but preserved in memories of lived events, which over time become mythologised. In fashion, repetition is linked to imitation: we see how our friends, partners, and people on social media are dressed, and we want to look the same. This has created endless loops of trends, wherein we constantly strive for the new. When we consciously repeat or return there is the possibility to pay attention to our behaviour in relation to consumption and how we spend our time, wear our clothes, and relate to the natural world. This thesis has taken me on a journey which started with the world of repetition, where memories, habits, and nature are visited and revisited. The journey progressed through five destinations/projects at a slow pace: at each, textile art, craft and fashion were explored. Repetition, recurrence, and return were used as methods to explore time and timing in textile making with a focus on the tension and duality between the making and the made.

This study aims to generate a deeper understanding of the revival of analog photography by examining intentionally slow artistic processes. In this study, the link between the analog photographic process and creativity is examined, as well as what influence pace in the process has on the experience of creativity. The method of the study consists of undertaking two versions of the analog photographic process in its entirety. An autoethnographic methodology is used to gather data from personal experience, which in turn is analyzed using Flow Theory to understand the connection between the process and creativity from a larger perspective. The results show that the analog photographic process contains demanding aspects which contribute to the possibility of achieving a state of optimal experience. The results also indicate that the challenging nature of the process generates an increase in the perceived value of the product. These results contribute to further understanding in the resurgence of the analog technique, along with increased knowledge within the field of purposely slow processes in artistic practice.

In my master's project, "Knots of Narratives," I aim to investigate and explore my professional identity and how I position myself within the diverse world of design practices and contexts. Identity is multifaceted, and through this project, I seek to understand and articulate the various elements that contribute to my unique perspective as a designer. Our identity consists of many different components, and I've explored mine through my cultural backgrounds in Gambia and Sweden. I believe valuable knowledge is embedded in us, often subconscious and tacit, influencing our everyday practice. In this project, I sought to unpack and understand these sources within my history. By delving into historical creation methods in Sweden and Gambia, I drew inspiration from the practitioners and their valuable mindsets, recognizing the parallels between historical methods and contemporary sustainable design practices. The project culminated in a bench designed for two people, a conversational piece inspired by Swedish allmoge culture, incorporating attributes significant to Sweden and Dalarna, where I grew up. Gambia is represented in a cushion inspired by various handcraft methods, reflecting time-intensive processes that hold significant cultural value and tell a story. My cushion narrates my experience of having two cultures, the strength in that, and the feeling of not being entirely rooted in either. Together, the bench and cushion symbolize the collaboration and complementarity of my two cultures. This is my interpretation of my cultural heritage, which is crucial to remember.