Artquiltmaker Blog

The book talks about an old man who planted an orchard after he retired from his job. He was undaunted even though the people around him said he wouldn’t live long enough to see it bear fruit.

I think that starting projects that are daunting is the epitomy of optimism and it shows optimism and joy in the process and not just in the end product.

In my opinion, there are two kinds of work: work where you make money and your life’s work. Some people are fortunate enough to have both in one. For me, the work I do for money is interesting (mostly) and challenging (often), but my life’s work is creativity. At the moment I create quilts and tote bags, occasionally ornaments or other little things. In the past I have made leaded glass windows, painted, knitted, crocheted, done mixed media collages and sculpted. Creativity is my life. It feeds my soul and comforts my psyche.

The book talks, today, about a woodcutter needing to cut wood regardless of the weather, but that planning ahead can make the work easier. The book calls this working in “concert with the seasons” or “according to seasonal circumstances.”

This means that you do some of the heavy work when there is no snow and leave the chopping of kindling for snowy days. It means planning ahead and planning your work.

By “concert with the seasons,”a person is conserving effort. The woodcutter can conserve effort, not only by working in “concert with the seasons,” but also by cutting with the grain, chopping with the right force, etc.

I do this in quiltmaking all the time. I may cut all the pieces of a block before sitting down at the machine to sew. This allows me to see what the block will look like. It helps me conserve effort, as well, because I can sit and sew the whole block without having to jump up and cut another piece each time I sew two together. I prepare the pieces of my Cross (Flowering Snowball) blocks in advance so I can sit and sew in peace when I have a few moments. This kind of planning ahead makes sense. “Whether it is the time or the method, the labor is half initiative and half knowing how to let things proceed on their own.”

endurance
bearing their fortune*

“We may have great fortune or bad, but we should patiently bear both.” Trees bear what comes: the weather, development, etc. We may receive criticism on our work – fair and unfair, correct and incorrect, astute and not. We must bear it, but not let it change us. It should inform us, but not change us. “No matter what, we must always be true to our inner selves” and the direction we want our work to take.

I think it is important for me to consider that I don’t have to only bear things that happen to me; that I can also direct new things to happen. I think what the book is saying is that things happen and we have to take them (absorb them??) and that we shouldn’t fret and worry and rend our garments as a result. We should learn from them, too.

*I may, on certain days, post words related to the word of the day, or even only brief thoughts. Some words are harder than others!

The book suggests that something destructive or shocking happens before new life emerges. Spiritual Literacy by the Brussatts talks about the bricks used to build houses in Hiroshima or Nagasaki we made from clay from the mountains. In the bricks were dormant seedpods. After the houses were destroyed and the bricks crumbled, the seedpods were free to become flowers in the midst of the rubble.

It seems to me that, after doing a big clean up or tidy (ablution-Jan 2) at the beginning of the year, the way is cleared for new projects or ideas. These ideas emerge because there is space for them emerge.

Sound is something that I know affects me in different ways. Things that are too loud or jarring make me want to get away from them. In my quiltmaking routine, I have certain radio shows that become background for the creative process. Other sounds and noise, even other, less familar shows can interrupt, or take time to adjust to their rhythm. My house is, usually, very quiet as is my neighborhood. I find this helps the creative process. Strangely, I appreciate the quiet, but like a little background noise.

“True stillness comes naturally from moments of solitude where we allow our minds to settle” is one of the lines in the reading on reflection for today. This is the feeling I find in my workroom: solitude, peace, positive ideas, possibilities. It does not come easily and having only bits of time to work is not conducive to finding that state of stillness where I can “listen” (??) to my creativity. Also, if I have not engaged in some kind of tidying (ablution??) before leaving my workroom the last time or before starting this newest session, and the place is a wreck, that stillness does not want to join me. Frankly, I don’t blame it!

I find that my mind leaves the dustballs and junk behind when I touch fabric, cut and sew. My mind begins to shake off the cobwebs of everyday life and bureaucracy and finds the space to see new ideas the longer I work.

The book also says “neither water nor the moon make any effort to achieve a reflection. In the same way, meditation will be natural and immediate.” For me, stillness takes time. I have found over the past couple of weeks of being free work and freeing myself from the must-dos has allowed me to work better. I didn’t ask it to come, it just came after a certain period of time. I was able to see quickly that the Hop, Skip & Jump pattern was not achieving my goal. I think it was, partially, because I had so much time to think about my colors and their relationship; to engage in the creative process. That is worthwhile.

The book says “if we have devotion – total faith and commitment to our spiritual [substitute craft for spiritual here!] path – our determination will naturally build momentum. Fewer and fewer obstructions will come before us. Our path becomes like a crooked one made straight. No matter what tries to keep us from our purpose we will not be deferred.”

I looked at this and thought creativity is totally about devotion, but had a hard time getting past the spiritual part until I realized that devotion means everything to me in terms of quiltmaking. There are different kinds of creative people who can all be said to be devoted to their craft or art. I think that the devotion truly comes when the person works on their creativity every day. The person devotes time every day to working on their creativity, art or craft.

Creativity is in all of us, but comes to the surface much easier with practice. It doesn’t mean, necessarily, that you get in front of the machine every day. It does mean engaging in some creative effort each day: reading quilt magazines, doodling, drawing, planning a new project, looking out the window of the bus at the world in terms of line, shape and color, ironing fabric, and, of course, cutting and piecing as well. The more one practices in some manner, the more easily the practice of creativity becomes.

Some regular activity keeps up the continuity of creativity.