Tag: Creativity

“Eventually, someone has to be at the top. And who will that person turn to? Let us invoke not deities but pragmatism. It is experience that is the ultimate teacher. That is why wise people travel constantly and test themselves against the flux of circumstance. It is only in this way that they can truly conform their thoughts and compensate for their shortcomings.”

I think that the jist of this passage and word of the day is that being a leader means that you have to guide people through uncharted territory and not let your ego lead. It is easy for me to let power go to my head, but is definitely not best for most situations. I think that quiltmakers who have achieved some success forget what it is to lead. In quiltmaking, participants need leaders to guide through the creative process while allowing participants to head off on their own as well. Participants need to respect their accountability as well and not suck the leaders dry.

When I saw this word, it conjured up a bunch of knights in shining armor around a big table covered with food having a grand time eating and toasting some victory.

“In the past, feasting was a way to bind. Whether they are cultural gatherings, times of group worship, or even special dinners with friends, we all need moments where we come together and reaffirm the importance of our group.”

On the CQFA quilt retreat we had a big dinner at Ma Maison in Aptos. the table was set up like a big square donut so we could all see each and talk together. It was a celebration of our group, the retreat and our creativity, in my mind.

The ‘feast’ part is so simple, too. Everyone has to eat, so celebrating while eating makes sense.

The book talks about adoration in terms of imagery and icons in religion. The author says “external worship is merely a means to point within the true source of salvation.” When I saw this word and read the associated piece I immediately got an image of sitting at the sewing machine ripping out a bit of stitching and then sewing it again. For me, stitching is a meditative process that allows my mind to swirl around touching on parts of my life that need attention.

“Useful trees are cut down. Useless ones survive.

The same is true of people. The strong are conscripted. The beautiful are exploited. those who are too plain to be noticed are the ones who survive. They are left alone and safe.”

This gives those of us whose specialness has not been validated by the media the opportunity to do great things. As a blogging-quiltmaker I can share what I know so others can enjoy this creative process.

This is a great word for today, because we need more laughter in our lives. I have been noting how I feel when I laugh and smile and am trying to do both more. Got any good jokes? 😉

“…just find a little quiet time each day to withdraw into yourself…none of us can maintain the fertility of our beings without renewal.”

I recently started a course of career counseling, not so much to find a career, but to find my place within my skills and career. One discussion we had was about how I get energy. I think this is about renewal. How do you renew yourself in order to infuse energy into your quiltmaking. I think that this is an important question and is what helps us move on or ahead in our quiltmaking.

“We cannot communicate directly from mind to mind, and so misinterpretation is a perennial problem.”

“….we know no absolute truth in the world, only varying forms of ambiguity.” There is a lot of ambiguity in the quiltmaking world. Every quiltmaker thinks s/he knows best and is the best judge of good and bad quilts. It is easy to judge, but because communication leads to ambiguity, perhaps it is better if the works speak for themselves?

Cultivating skill in quiltmaking is often for the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake. I generally try to learn new things so I can improve my quiltmaking, make better quilts and express my ideas more truly to the picture in my mind.

I am glad that today’s word is not something awful like disaster funeral or death. Another post will fill you in on why.

Each entry starts with a little poem. Today’s poem clearly defines the word of the day:

“Let us not follow vulgar leaders
Who exploit the fear of death,
And promise the bliss of salvation.
If we are truly happy,
They will have nothing to offer.”

This applies to many things in our lives: work, politics, etc.

“If we attain freedom from the fear of death, a sound way of health, and a path of understanding through life, there is happiness and no need for false leaders.”

I think this poem and saying applies to the Quilt Police type of attitude surrounding our quilt work. Some people demand perfection by following their rules. We can turn away from this kind of attitude by having knowledge about different techniques, by educating ourselves. If we know “the rules,” we can reject them and not have a quilt that falls apart. Happiness comes, in one respect, from education. We don’t need “vulgar” leaders if we are happy.

“Action must be guided by both intellect and experience.”

“Only when wisdom, courage, timing, and perseverance are combined can one have a sound basis for initiative.”

I don’t think it takes initiative to start a project, but it does take initiative to finish a project.

My first thought when I saw this word was of color. We have a multitude of colored fabrics we can use in our quilts to evoke feelings, record memories or just play with.

Today’s word is all about quilt guilds and quilt groups. Today’s word is all about leadership, teamwork and support, which are the hallmarks of quilt guilds and quilt groups everywhere.

“True leadership is a combination of initiative and humility. The best leader remains obscure, leading but drawing no personal attention…Credit is not to be taken, it will be awarded when people realize that it was the subtle influence of the leader that brought them success.”

Hard to imagine in this day and age, but a worthy goal.

“The sacred lies in the ordinary.”

“But once you know it, it is yours and part of your daily life.”

Once I acknowledge all the things around me as having special qualities, then I see more of them.