Friday, May 21, 2010

The Process Pledge

I'm taking the pledge! QUILTERS: Read it. Do it. Live it!

"I pledge to talk more about my processes, even when I can’t quite put them in the in words or be sure I’m being totally clear. I’m going to put my thinking and my gut feelings out there."


Reading Rossie's thoughts about the need to share the process resounded with the social worker me, who has had to take up a practice of journalling emotional processes in order to bring to consciousness my own processes, and thereby learn how other's might be processing their STUFF on a preconscious level.  (Thank you Dr. Freud)


I've also been reading quite a bit about moving closer to your creative self as a way of improving ...well, lots of technical brain stuff... and getting an understanding of the hows and whys of one's personal experience of the creative self, rather than focusing on the output, the externalized representation of the creative self.  Interesting, interesting stuff.

The first thing I'm going to do, fresh from taking the pledge is to stop stiffling the urge to jump into new projects.  Why should I starve my creative self? Consciously, I think that I don't deserve to embark on a new creative experience because I have so many projects that are in an unfinished state.  The only one judging my pile of UFO's is me.  But not any more.  I'm not going to appologize for starting new projects, and yet at the same time, I'm not going to rob myself of the satisfaction of completing things either.  Balance!  I believe there is Tao in Quilting.


Here are some questions Rossie posted to get us in a plege state of mnd.
  • Do you have any new sketches to show?
  • Is this design inspired by a past quilt or someone else's quilt you saw (link, please)?
  • Does the color palette come from somewhere specific?
  • Are you trying to evoke a specific feeling?
  • Is this quilt intended for a specific person? How did that inform your choices?
  • Are you following a pattern, emulating a block you saw somewhere, using a liberated process, or totally winging it?
  • What are you hating about this quilt at this stage? What do you love?
  • Did you push yourself to try something new?
  • In working on the quilt, are you getting ideas about what you might want to try next? What? Did you sketch it?

1 comment:

  1. Oh very interesting post.......
    I have to tell you even when I am busily working on a project another is percolating in my mind. And now with so much inspiration on the computer I just want to try everything! You really struck a note with finding the balance....like life its all about find what is too much and what is just right huh?
    Mean time I do love creating new projects and giving them away :0).

    Happy Sewing

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