When I’m not cleaning my house or caring for my family and fur babies, all my endeavors are creative. Well, online shopping isn’t creative, but it does fill me with inspiration for future projects. While I love my creative endeavors, I had gotten into the habit of doing my tasks in an almost wooden manner … all technical skills and little artistry. Then last night I had a dream.
If it had been a dream of a wondrous new quilt block or fabulous new technique for creating perfect machine embroidery designs, it would be a great dream. Instead, this dream just reminded me of a couple of bits, important bits, that I had not included in my monthly quilt lessons. While these bits are on the technical side, they are also what make the artistry of machine quilting so easy! I had been so proud of the early completion of my lesson, but this morning, I got right to work changing it.
While editing, I also recognized a couple other areas where I had let the artistry slide in order to increase efficiency or to allow my brain to concentrate on something else while my hands did the technical work. The enjoyment was there, but it was strongly muted. That’s no way to create art!
Why do most of us still do hand-crafts in this age where everything is available locally or online? Some still do it as a more economical way to obtain both necessary and luxury items. Some do it in order to create one-of-a-kind items. Still others do it for the sheer creative joy of it.
So, why do so many of us get so bogged down by the technical aspects, which include time-management, easy or quick results, and constant research for new tools to make things easier, without first having learned the time-tested techniques that work wonderfully?
It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve called my hand-crafts art or myself artistic. Before, I described what I did as crafts and myself as creative. My sewing just didn’t seem as important or awe-inspiring as a painting by one of the great masters or as beautiful as the dance of a prima ballerina or arias from that lovely soprano voice. In other words, I was insecure about my creative efforts no matter how many people complimented me and were in awe of what I had created. When I added machine embroidery to my daily routine of quilting, fashion and décor sewing, and other hand-crafts, it got too complicated to tell others what I do.
Three years ago, I figured out that what I do is create art with fibers. I am now a fiber artist. Not a quilter, not a seamstress, not a designer. Fiber artist. Two words and they describe who and what I am.
Wow, that sounds like all of my insecurities are gone, doesn’t it? Well, they aren’t. I don’t have an artist’s soul. I trained as an accountant. So, no matter what I do, the art isn’t the only thing I think about. I also think about the project when completed … what’s the purpose, where will it go, how much did it cost, is it worth the time and money? All of that really takes away from the artistry and enjoyment!
I can’t be the only one like this that then compensates by looking for that new great free embroidery design or a new source for inexpensive quilting supplies! Today, I have decided that I will concentrate more on the art and less on the fiscal aspects of it.
Writers are told to write for enjoyment, not for sale, for the best books. Painters are told to see their subject, inside and out. Dancers and musicians are instructed to feel it.
I think that’s good advice for us hand-crafters, fiber artists, or whatever we call ourselves. We should craft for enjoyment, see the world around us for project inspiration, and just feel the creativity pouring out as we create.
When we accept that what we do is from the heart and soul, and let go of the insecurities, we can let our artistry reach new heights!
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