There is a soft spot in my soul for old and worn items, especially textiles. I find great pleasure in recycling abandoned articles of clothing into new works of art.
My household motto, passed down from my grandmother, through my mother, and now from me to my daughter, is "waste not, want not." I find it very difficult to throw anything away because I can imagine a potential use for almost any object.
My studio overflows with textiles and all manner of interesting objects; it can be overwhelming at times to have so much in the way of raw materials. Nonetheless, when I am in my messy studio, I am quite happily in my element.