Motorcycle Rims
- Nancy Peel
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
Updated: May 7
Why this matters
This story matters because it shows how one small, unlikely object—a used motorcycle rim—can become a lifelong symbol of growth. Jack’s challenge taught me that real change often starts with a single, repeated action: one knot, one risk, one new way of seeing. Those lessons followed me into leadership, creativity, and every season of my life. Motorcycle rims remind me that when we keep showing up to the work, even the most ordinary materials can carry us into something new.
A Symbol of Resilience and Change
Would I ever have imagined that motorcycle rims would become a symbol of my life's resilience and hunger of change?
When I was sixteen, Jack Martin—my art teacher, mentor, and original Knot Guru—opened the door to the infinite world of macramé. Instead of starting with a simple plant hanger, he set a motorcycle wheel rim on the table and said, “Let’s see what you can do with this.” That challenge didn’t just launch a project; it changed how I saw fiber, form, and possibility. It became the first of many full‑circle moments, including a recent series, Seasons, where I returned to two more motorcycle rims as my starting point.
Jack invited me into an independent study where the destination was unknown but the work was intense. Rather than the familiar 1970s macramé, he taught me to build with a single knot—the double half hitch—layered with intricate wrapping techniques. I’d never seen anything like it, but I trusted his guidance. The piece we created was submitted to the Scholastic Art Awards, won a Gold Key, and went on to the National Competition in New York, where it received an Honorable Mention.
Jack’s influence stretched far beyond the classroom. He taught me the quiet joy of teaching and the necessity of creativity in every part of life. Over my 45‑year career in hospitality leadership, his lessons in patience, curiosity, and imagination became my hidden tools. He modeled the kind of care and attention that made me a better leader—someone who could see and nurture another person’s growth. Because of him, I am “knot” afraid to experiment or to believe in my own work. Most of all, he taught me to trust the making itself, even when the path ahead isn’t perfectly clear.
This story is one of my first Yarns About Life—a reminder that a single knot, repeated with care, can even turn a repurposed used motorcycle rim into something layered, unexpected, and alive. In my Gallery, you’ll see echoes of Jack’s lessons in the pieces that grow from circles, seasons, and simple yarns. Each artwork holds its own yarn about life, and this one begins with a teacher who handed me a wheel and trusted me to knot my way forward. Thanks Jack!
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