Do you ever get quilter’s block?
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| Two pieces of musical notes fabric fused together with two heats cut out… |
Much as I love joining bees and swaps and challenges, it is an extraordinarily rare thing for me ever to make something for someone else or to link up with a challenge without being beset, sometimes immobilised, by doubt at some stage during the making process.
Just to clarify, this isn’t particularly about technical ability or the difficulty of physically constructing a piece – that would probably make more sense! I mean the whole ‘will they like it, won’t they like?’, ‘maybe this isn’t the exact colour someone asked for..’, ‘supposing everyone thinks it’s rubbish?’…
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| …and the hearts made into a butterfly. |
So when I chanced upon the 5″ x 7″ Challenge hosted by Christina Fairley Erickson at Fibre Artist Journey I decided to join as a way of pushing myself to work more on fibre art pieces, which was my
main reason for starting quilting. I mentioned to Christina that the main obstacle I have is the idea that what I create won’t be good enough so, when I decided to join the challenge, I immediately thought one piece a week sounds like a big commitment. But actually literally making one piece a week isn’t really a problem – it’s making one piece a week that’s ‘good enough’! I always spend too much time thinking about what to make even though I know my best work evolves after I’ve plunged in and got started. So I’m committing to one piece a week however bad.
In response, Christina directed me to this post where she speaks about her design teacher who told the story of some students who were told to either:
1) make one piece of art for the semester, but have the quality be their focus
or
2) don’t worry about quality, the grade the second group was going to be based on quantity… make as much art as they can and show the result at the end of the semester.
Guess which group produced the best art and visit Christina’s post to check the answer!
Rationally, I know this makes sense and that, in any case, there is not a lot riding on this. If I make something that is truly horrible, my family will still eat tonight – and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. If I make something everyone hates or thinks is rubbish it really doesn’t matter.
But, despite all that rationality, it matters to me!
If you ever find yourself in the same boat, I’d really recommend this Ted Talk on genius by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of ‘Eat. Pray. Love.’ She discusses the pressure on modern writers/artists around feeling solely responsible for what they create and contrasts that with pre-renaissance conceptions where the daemon or genius was recognised as part of the creative process. My very favourite part of the talk is where she describes how she felt like abandoning the project and said aloud:
“Listen you, thing, you and I both know that if this book isn’t brilliant that is not entirely my fault, right? Because you can see that I am putting everything I have into this, I don’t have any more than this. So if you want it to be better, then you’ve got to show up and do your part of the deal. O.K. But if you don’t do that, you know what, the hell with it. I’m going to keep writing anyway because that’s my job. And I would please like the record to reflect today that I showed up for my part of the job.”
http://embed.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
For the 5″ x 7″ Challenge this week, I made a wall hanging using fused fabric.
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| fused fabric valentines wall hanging |
I didn’t have a lot of time and it’s by no means amazing but I agreed to make a piece a week. I turned up for my part of the deal and this is the result.
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| butterfly detail |
For the rest of the year I’ll be turning up once a week and we’ll have to see what happens. Hopefully, it will sometimes be good. No doubt it sometimes won’t be.
RAINBOW HARE 
nerospost
Hi Janine! That is so beautiful – I love your idea, the butterfly, hearts and notes! I have just made a small curtain with notes and birds. Your thoughts are so true. I haven't joined any swap or bee because I just couldn't know what to make good enough. x Teje
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Scrapatches
Your 3-D valentine wallhanging is beautiful! Sew creative. Thanks for sharing … :) Pat
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Catherine
Good for you! I am always interested to see what you are up to!
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Jess
I definitely get quilters block. Loved this post, lots of food for thought. And I really look forward to seeing what you come up with each week.
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Patti
I think you are so creative Janine! I certainly am paralyzed by self doubt most of the time, and only deadlines keep me (almost) moving on. So many times I wish I hadn't joined bees that require imagination!
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Annabella
This is a really interesting post Janine and thanks for the links…yes lots of food for thought. Your wall hanging is really beautiful.
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Nat at Made in Home
Very interesting post about the creative process. Love the butterfly!
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Becca
Hmmmm, interesting. And a good excuse for lots of WIPs. :)
Lovely wall hanging!
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Nicole_boldgoods
Really lovely wall hanging! Good for you for trying new things, and pushing through the quilters block.
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Celtic Thistle
In answer to your question Janine -yes! I think it is a rare quilter who doesn't question her/himself when participating in a Bee or a swap. Having just had an email conversation with another quilter who has yet to receive blocks from 7 Bee members, and thinks she never will, I think your attitude of just diving in and making something is definitely the way to go. Worse than getting a block or swap item that isn't to your taste is not getting anything at all!
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LynCC
Oh, this is super cool! I really love how you mounted the butterfly on the fabric piece its hearts were cut out of – seriously enhances the illusion of real fluttery flight. :D
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mammafairy
Love that butterfly! I think the whole concept of this is very good indeed, and the challenge is also going to increase creativity! I await further items with interest!
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P.
This is so very cool! Rock on!
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