Thinking Thursday - Part Two

Google Images

 

Most of us have more ideas than we do time . . .

For me, the most nagging issue is capturing my ideas before they disappear.

* * * 

Three journal covers by Wanda and one by Mrs. Goodneedle (far right)

I keep a journal by my computer at home,

at my office desk, in the car, and in the studio

to write down those fleeting thoughts, sketch an idea,  

write down a quotation or fragment of song lyric,

or even list items for the next grocery store run.

* * * 

I also use my homegrown system of three-ring binders.

Google Images

The Gestation notebook is for items saved from many sources,

including a wide variety of magazines.

[After nearly having to move out of my studio due to saved magazines,

I started saving only the projects and articles that made me smile.

Some end up in the notebook.  Others are scanned and stored on my laptop.]

* * *

Google Images

The second notebook is named Work In Progress.

I developed my own tracking sheet using Microsoft Word 

that runs from the point of inspiration

through documentation of the finished project.

Is it overly-detailed?  Probably.

But it works well for me.

 

I also use a system of clear plastic storage boxes for pending projects – 

the ones that have moved beyond gestation but have not yet been started.

Looking back over the past couple of years, 

I can honestly say that some of the projects

pulled and put into these boxes never happened.

So why do it?

I’ve found this system allows me to work through my process

while keeping pending project items together and in plain sight.

If and when plans change, it is easy to empty that box

and re-allocate fabrics to other projects

or return them to the stash drawers.

* * *

 

The final part of my process is documenting each finished quilt.

This involves the photo shoot, sharing the quilt on my blog,

and creating an entry in my Quilt Album software.

The third notebook contains my record of 

all quilts completed during the calendar year.

* * * 

Google Images

Is all this a lot of work?  

Yes and no . . . 

Mostly I appreciate my system because 

it keeps my head from exploding

and gives me a central source for future reference.

For me, keeping the mental clutter and noise under control

makes my studio time a lot more fun.

I'm guessing the same is true for many others.

* * *

Google Images

In the end, it is all about creating space

(physical and mental)

so you can

PLAY WITH COLORS!

Have fun!

Quiltdivajulie

Thinking Thursday - Part One

One of the questions posed during my recent trunk show presentation –

 “so how do you go about being liberated?” 

I suspect the underlying question wasn’t so much about

“if it is too long, cut it off or if it is too short, add on”

as much as it was about how to shift gears away from
the onslaught of daily real world dealings 

(work, home, volunteering, etc.),
and the ever-lurking Quilt Police.

I’ve continued to think about that question – a lot.

* * *

Liberated is not sloppy or careless or shoddy –

it is original and unique and deeply personal.

Liberated is not copying –

it is more like expanding upon an idea

or creating individual variations on a theme.

Liberated is an ongoing open-ended process
that engages mind, body and soul.

* * *

Here is a glimpse of the essential dilemma as shared by Sarah.

Take a minute or so and click over to read her post and the comments ...

* * *

Ready to continue? 

(Breathe in ... breathe out ...)

* * *

So, how does one achieve a liberated mindset?

Here are three making-the-transition questions to consider:

1.  Am I doing this because it makes me happy? 

(if not – why am I doing this instead of something else?)

2.  Am I doing this because the colors make my heart sing?

(if not – why am I working on this  - now or later?)

3.  Am I doing this because I “need” or “want” to?

(most, if not all the time, the answer should be “want”)

* * *

The very best suggestion I have to share is to liberate your studio –

take the time to make your workspace inviting and encouraging.

Deal with the clutter and the dust bunnies.

Deal with the things you do not want to deal with.

(i.e., start, use, finish, store, step over, work around, etc.)

Deal with whatever nags at you and steals your mo-jo.

Next, develop a method to prioritize your projects
(download those thoughts!)

so you can clear your mind and enjoy your studio time.

(more on my approach next Thursday)

* * *

In the meantime –

here’s a link to one of the better books

I’ve seen for organizing and personalizing your studio.
(I had a two-page list before I finished flipping through my copy!) 

And, in case you missed it,

Mrs. Goodneedle over at the Strawberry Patch

is posting a series on how to

use time more wisely and be more organized.

* * *

Most of all,

walking into your studio should make you smile.

If it doesn’t –

sit down, look around, be honest with yourself, and figure out why.

After all, if you aren’t smiling,

it’s pretty hard to find that liberated mindset.

Quiltdivajulie

Photos courtesy of Google Images

Thoughtful Thursday

I headed out to Shelby Farms

during Wednesday's lunch hour.

These turtles definitely had the right idea!

* * * 

Sitting in the glorious sunshine,

ideas for naming my Folk School class flimsies finally appeared.

Flimsy No. 1 shall now be known as Sunny Day.

(Name inspired by Mac MacAnally's "Nothing Like A Sunny Day" lyrics.)

Flimsy No. 2 is now Border Town.

(Lyrics from Jimmy Buffet's "follow your intuition into that border town"

kept running through my head as I inserted the bias strips ~

and the idea has persisted.  So be it.)

Flimsy No. 3 has become Curvy Rail Fence.

* * *

A name for the flimsy just off the design wall 

(the one in yesterday's post) 

remains to be discovered.

Perhaps by the time the back is pieced . . .

Quiltdivajulie

Thinking Thursday

There's lots of stitching going on ~

I just can't show you what I'm working on!

Magic Happens! has returned

from its quilting adventure with Chris

and is now in the binding process.

As soon as our weather improves

(three days now of gray, wet, windy conditions),

the quilty photo shoot will happen.

Then the quilt will take a trip through the washer/dryer,

be folded into a box, and travel off to its new home

with Lynne and Millie in New Hampshire!

Once Lynne has MH in her hands,

I'll be able to share my photo album with ya'll.

But ~ there are no sneak peaks until then.

*  *  *

So

while we wait,

I found a link to this

on Anna's blog

Quiltmom's Journey.

Interesting, informative reading about fabric,

a subject near and dear to all our hearts.

Quiltdivajulie

Thinking Thursday

The Mistress of Leehaven posted an intriguing question the other day. Rather that post a hasty comment, I have been pondering and considering. As usual, when I “think” on a topic, I do research to provide framework for my process.

First, I looked up a definition of discipline: “In its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline thus means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct "order." Usually, the phrase 'to discipline' carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order - that is, ensuring instructions are carried out - is often regulated through punishment.” [Wikipedia]

Then I looked for other words that mean (or don’t mean) the same thing:

Synonyms for discipline: conduct, control, cultivation, curb, development, domestication, drill, drilling, education, exercise, inculcation, indoctrination, limitation, method, orderliness, practice, preparation, regulation, restraint, self-command, self-control, self-government, self-mastery, self-restraint, strictness, subordination, will, willpower [thesaurus.com]

Antonyms for discipline: chaos, confusion, disorder, disorganization, neglect, negligence, permissiveness [thesaurus.com]

Next, while searching online, I found this thought-provoking essay:

Essay on Creativity: Discipline or Willingness?
by Barbara Bowen

As a creativity coach and artist, I encounter the creative process close up. When it comes to keeping our creative goals on track, the word "discipline" can present problems. Webster defines the word in these terms: a systematic method to obtain obedience; submission to rules and authority; punishment intended to train or correct. For many of us, whether we are artists, in related art careers, or in other ways deeply involved with the creative process, discipline is like taking a dose of castor oil. Admonishing ourselves into action, we "force it down" in the attempt to fuel our creative power and reach our goals. But this approach is problematic.

Discipline is born of resistance. In itself, resistance is not negative, and is certainly not a character flaw. In fact, it is an inherent link in the cyclical chain of one's creative process. In life, we all must move through varying degrees of resistance in order to make space for the kind of creative inspiration leading to that delicious natural high we call "flow." As we learn to move through resistances effectively, we find ourselves reaching creative momentum, an important ingredient for reaching career goals successfully.

Why then, does discipline so often fail us? Why does it bring on a tangle of inner conflict, stress and guilt that hinders momentum and flow, or even stops our creativity in its tracks? I believe the answer is that discipline is often applied in opposition to resistance. When we oppose our resistance, we compound tension and perfectionism. We get mired in expectations and focused on outcomes, and thus, we miss the joy of creating in the moment. The discipline that was intended to bring mastery and success in our creative process, in fact, brings discontent and fatigue.

Since the word "discipline" is highly charged in regards to the creative process, I prefer to use the word "willingness" to help describe a new approach. Willingness can be cultivated, with patience. It takes a little time, but the rewards are great, indeed. In a state of willingness, our tensions loosen and our creative joy increases.

Here's how it works: When resistance sets in, we choose to call upon the "awareness mind." The inner eye simply observes the resistance: non-judgmentally, creating a soft "container" for it. Like a meditation in motion, the awareness mind accepts resistance with no struggle. Ironically, acceptance of the resistance will loosen and melt it. We push nothing away. We gently shift our focus back to the task at hand, while allowing the resistance to dissolve. We waste no time pushing it away, and we avoid a draining struggle. The resistance is allowed to simply float off and dissolve on its own.

As we practice this shifting process, we notice resistance floating off more easily and more often. It no longer devolves into a pesky demon that gains control over our creative endeavors. Conflict, life stress and guilt begin to fade. Starting our creative process becomes easier. Resistance is replaced by more and more calm, and more flow. We begin to recover long lost pangs of creative inspiration when we wake in the morning. We define the word "success" on our own terms, we become empowered to take action, focus, and let go of outcomes. We surrender and engage with our creativity, moment by moment. If we stay loyal to this practice, one day we will notice that the discipline associated with the creative process has become our willingness.

(C) 2003 Barbara Bowen of http://www.GatewaysToCreativity.com - the definitive source for Art Career Coaching.

And finally, I ran across an essay titled “The First Rule Of The Quilting Society Is You Don't Talk About The Quilting Society” by Helen Verdon that includes this paragraph:

“You are here because, deep down, you want to quilt. You think you have what it takes to be one of us, but quilting takes discipline. And it demands perseverance. You have to possess, from the gut, the willingness to commit to a long-term project, one that may well last months in the case of such larger projects as multiple-charm or friendship quilts. You will need all of these things, as well as numerous quality craft and sewing supplies, if you expect to survive here.”

Thus, in keeping with the traditional January rituals of re-evaluation and goal-setting, I have considered where I am and how I want to proceed; which can, amazingly, be summed up in only three words ~

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

I need my “discipline of quilting” to fill the voids created by the demands of day to day living.

I need a variety of colors and processes, learning curves and the inspiration of others, the sounds of my Bernina, and my evolving thoughts to nurture the deeper, creative parts of me.

I need the freedom to explore and create, with or without an agenda, depending on how I feel that day.

I need to feel that what I do makes a difference ~ for me and for others.

I do not need more rules, schedules, deadlines, reasons to doubt, nagging guilt, I’s to dot, or T’s to cross.


So, in the end, here’s to the possibilities (seen and unseen) that lie ahead . . .

Quiltdivajulie
-------------------------
Quilts shown above:

Afternoon Tea (gifted 12/2006)
All About Soul (donated 12/2008)
Dandelion Detour (completed 2008)
Sunbonnet Susie (rescue of my sister's childhood quilt, gifted 12/2005)
Colors of Joy (completed 2005)

Thinking Thursday

What if . . .

Hope you make time to savor and enjoy each very special moment during these "countdown" days approaching Christmas 2009 . . .

Quiltdivajulie
-------------------------
"When we were children, we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?" (G.K. Chesterton)

Thinking Thursday

In our newspaper yesterday, we found an announcement article about a new Medic Alert program for those diagnosed with bipolar disorder. (As many of you already know, our younger son was diagnosed just weeks before he started college.)

What a difference this program demonstrates between the attitudes of just ten short years ago and today . . .

Quiltdivajulie
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"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed but in what is still possible for you to do." (Pope John XXIII)

Thinking Thursday

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." (Alan Alda)


"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." (Albert Einstein)


"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there." (Monica Baldwin)


"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he [she] grows up." (Pablo Picasso)


Quiltdivajulie