Quilting Thought for the Day

Several years ago, I had a student in my Start Quilting class that wanted to quit because she just couldn’t get it right. I talked her out of quitting that first class. She came the second week and was in tears (literally!) because she wasn’t “getting it”. I talked her out of quitting again.

I worried she’d throw in the “quilted towel” in the next class. That week, I came across a thought provoking quote on Pinterest. So for Week Three’s class, I wrote the quote on the write-on/wipe-off board and we briefly talked about implementing the quote as we quilted. My student finally stopped worrying about her results.LiveCreativeLife“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” Joseph Chilton Pearce. I don’t know who he is, nor what he has done to be worthy of quoting, but his words gave me a lot to think about. I’ve thought over his quote for over a year now.

  1. Live a Creative Life – just that portion of the quote can make you think. What have you done to live a creative life lately? Sewn, gardened, painted, drawn, written, sang…? To me, these things are the ability to play. Don’t let life rob you of playing and limiting your creative time.
  2. Lose our fear – What are we afraid of if we’re wrong? Being criticized? Scorned? Rejected? Embarrassed? Want to know what my new acronym for FEAR is? Face Everything And Rise.
  3. Being wrong – Being morally wrong isn’t what the quote is referring to. Let’s talk about the “being wrong in our creative life”. Playing that sour note, planting a garden only to have it die, or sewing a block only to have it turn out not as anticipated. Sew what? Comparison will quickly kill the joy of leading a creative life. Who defines, “wrong”? Not me. You do. Check out Freddy Moran. I’m glad she learn not to fear being wrong. She has more wonky blocks: star points that disappear, colors that clash, yet her quilts are gorgeous!

Here is my challenge: stop comparing your efforts with someone else’. Lean on your own uniqueness and take risks. For example, if you’re working on a Block of the Month pattern and there are fabric choices made for you in the instructions and kit, change something. If one of those prints just isn’t what you want, pull something from your stash or buy something new and lose that fear of being wrong. Make what is right for YOU.

For me, Living a Creative Life is more about enjoying the creative process, not just the results.

Visit my Pinterest page if you pin and check out my Words to Live By board for more brain itching quotes. And don’t forget to play today. “All work and no play, leads to very little quilting.” – Lisa Norton. Okay, maybe I’m not so quotable.

Absewlutely,

Lisa