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life. Her spiritual practice helps reduce the occasional nerve- wracking results of working as a craftsperson on the show circuit, and that peace of mind brings more easily the creative flow state. "Buddhism was introduced to me by my father," Nguyen explains. "He is a retired Presbyterian minister who went to Princeton Seminary and is a thinker and avid reader of all religions—a very open-minded man. He has introduced me to the ideas of Alan Watts, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chödrön to name a few and to Zen Buddhism." The idea of meditation was particularly intriguing to Nguyen. In the highly stimulated life of the modern American world, being able to calm oneself and find a place of stability and quiet from which to work on her art is invaluable. Nguyen's work days can go for at least fourteen hours, and keeping limber through yoga, as well as recentering the mind help make the artistic process less physically stressful. Having grown up with Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes has made Nguyen mindful of her own health and body. "I notice that when I'm physically feeling my best, I'm able to create my strongest work. Similarly, I've learned not to work on a piece when I'm angry or upset—inevitably, something will go terribly wrong with the cloth. Instead, I go for a walk, or find another way to clear my mind. I believe the mind has to be still and at peace when creating." The shibori artist's relationship to Asian aesthetics and concepts extends to family. Her husband Ky is Vietnamese, and he will often assist Nguyen at the craft shows, as well as in the studio. His family practices Buddhism, and as in most East Asian cultures the religion has deep roots. "There is great respect for ancestry," Nguyen explains. "I think of how much I respect the age-old textile traditions and techniques and yet I create my work with a modern aesthetic. The roots are most important, though: blending the old and new." LINEN COAT of hand-dyed itajime; pieced, stitched, 2011. Nguyen credits innumerable influences as having impacted both her life and her work. Japanese fashion designers certainly have their due, such as Yoshiki Hishinuma, Akihiko Izukura, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo, as well as Hilferty's beloved Issey Miyake. Nguyen was very appreciative of Alexander McQueen's exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Vionnet's bias, Dior's details, Yeohlee's minimalism, Worth's silk draping, Delaunay's geometry— they all inspire me in different ways. It's so hard to list only a few." Nguyen is not only an artist, but a fervent thinker who considers craft as a form of social activism. Matter-of-factly, it can be pointed out that not so long ago, all clothing was made by hand, often using local materials. "I feel a responsibility to continue and grow craft in my community. I feel it's important to keep future generations making and collecting textiles," she states. "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber, gives us a sense of how important cloth is to society. Clothing made locally, with great care and the attention on the sourcing of materials, should be of utmost importance in our society. Made-by-hand items, requiring years of studying and refinement of craft, should be collected, treasured and pursued." Nguyen's goals for the future are as