How a Textile Artist Used a Challenge in her Life to Pay it Forward

Claire Sparling has always felt a need to learn how things are put together. Throughout her life, she has followed this instinct by developing skills in everything relating to textiles. From a very young age, Claire has been sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving, never missing a chance to add new skills to her repertoire.But it’s not just the sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving that keeps Claire busy. In addition to designing and creating costumes for professional actors, both in the theatre and in movies, Claire is also a puppy raiser for the CNIB. Claire was given her puppy, Yuki when she was ten weeks old. Claire will be “socializing” Yuki for the next 12 to 18 months. The art of “socializing” means that Yuki is presented with numerous everyday events. Taking the bus to work, going into a busy coffee shop are but just two examples of how Claire and Yuki send their time together, socializing. Once Yuki has achieved her basic training, she will then graduate to be trained professionally as a CNIB guide dog for someone who has visibility issues. Claire admits it means the world to her knowing the life changing ability a guide dog brings to a human being.Claire is somewhat reluctant to talk about her dyslexia. As she explained in our conversation, she dealt with it at an early age and rather than dwell on her diagnosis, she would rather use it as way to pay it forward. Which is why, on a sunny day in Winnipeg, as I was waiting to order my coffee, I met this CNIB puppy trainer who takes great pride knowing that through her training Yuki, she is positively changing the lives of another human being.A Transcription of this episode is available here.