Author: Nanette Zeller

Daily creativity

I feel like my head is deep in the sand. I’m working with focus to produce new and updated online courses! Yay!! This feels intense, my body aches in different, but familiar ways. I’m being productive.

I’ve been feeling resistant about this process. I’ve thought “I’m giving up on my art!” But, I sincerely want to share my knowledge. So this is important to me too. Why have the skills and not share them with others who are interested in learning? I’ve realized that editing is not just some techie, analytical stuff … its also very creative. I’m splicing and dicing my video and audio to tell a story in a creative way. Its like writing a book with video. I’m realizing its kind of fun watching my progress.

Robert E. Franken defined creativity as: “the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others.“

I’m learning that creativity is not only about entertaining ourselves. Indulging in creative activities could resemble solving word puzzles, finding new ways to cook a meal, sharing a story with a friend, or discovering a new road to your destination. Think of the potential. I’m learning to reevaluate the “chores” in life and trying to see their beauty in my daily creativity.

Feeding the soul and growing inspiration

I’ve been video editing a new online course I’m creating. The progress is slow, because there’s only so much intense computer time that I can handle in one day. The creative time for my art is limited and I must admit, I’m stuck.

It would be nice to have a new textile piece in progress on my work table, but I don’t know what I want to do next. My brain wanders between ideas, but nothing is sticking around to say “Start THIS one!” I wonder if you’ve felt stuck, like this. I try not to be too hard on myself. You can’t force art, but you can feed the creative sprite.

Here are some things that I’m doing to encourage a new project idea:

  • Journaling and meditation:  This is a great way to clear the clutter and negativity from your brain.
  • Sketching: – Sometimes an idea arrives, but its not fully developed. Sketch it out anyway. Just a simple drawing is all you need to remember it later. I know, if I don’t sketch it, I will forget it.
  • View artwork: Visit art galleries to see other artist’s work. They might use a theme or technique that inspires a new design idea.
  • Read: Go to the book store or library and look through art books and magazines. Much like viewing art in a gallery, flipping through pages is eye candy. If you buy the books or magazines, you can even rip out, or flag, pages for future reference.
  • Observe nature and take pictures: Even if you don’t create nature-inspired art, the colors or patterns in nature can spark design potential.
  • Experiment: Take classes or just play with some techniques or tools.

I’ve been doing all these things the past 2 weeks. Spring is definitely a time to be outside and exploring. It is also a great time to renew and grow. While encouraging my own growth, I’ve decided I want to jazz up my backgrounds on my art quilts. I’m learning how to use gouache paints to see if there’s a new way I can paint my fabrics. I also plan to experiment with several different fabric collage ideas, one from an idea I saw in a magazine and another a friend showed me. Maybe the two idea will morph into something totally different.

So, right now I’m OK not producing…instead, I’m feeding the soul and growing inspiration.

That magical place of being; reverie

I love learning new things. I never want my thoughts to be without engagement. What is? What if? What next? How? Constantly wondering and awarded with discovering something new.

This week I learned a new word, “reverie.” Merriem-Webster describes it as “the condition of being lost in thought; day dream.” Phil Cousineau in his book “Stoking the Creative Fires” describes it as the first fire that must be stoked to ignite the creative work that keeps you from going crazy.

Much like “flow,”  which was conceptualized and introduced into psychology by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as a creative cognitive space where we step out of the routines of everyday life into a different reality. A place were we get lost in time, find effortless attention, and a balance between skill and challenge.

Both reverie and flow describe the place were creatives are lost in their task. I have held this space, have you?  Right now I’m in-between projects and craving this super absorbed space in time. I’ve been thinking what inspires my reverie. What sparks yours?

For me listening to my playlists and getting lost in music is my magical place. The lyrics fill my brain and the rhythm pulses my heartbeat. I love going to live performances and watch how the musicians transform on stage. Scott Terry (pictured) of Red Wanting Blue is one of those performers. His facial expressions show his departure from time and place. He is singing with his muse and the audience is flowing with him. In my personal journey, I’m discovering how to spark that magical place of being; reverie.

Because you can

My heart has felt heavy. There’s not much you can do when things are out of your control. So you watch, hold your breath and keep your emotions close to your heart. The weight of the world. History. That’s why it feels heavy.

My grandmother arrived at Ellis Island in November 1920, fleeing her homeland in the midst of the Polish-Soviet War. The boundaries between Poland, Russian and Ukraine where in flux. You see, the Baltic Region is deeply rooted in my ancestry.

I think of Busia and the people of this region. They are my blood.
Is this why it feels so heavy? I don’t know.

I’m an artist here in the US, because of my grandmother. Her struggles are my history and afford me my life.

Its OK to feel all of this in our hearts and minds. To care and have empathy is a beautiful thing. But, be aware of how you’re feeling. Stand tall. When you worry, find outlets that comfort you. Seek opportunities to help those who are hurting. Make art, simply because you can.

Always continue to try

I’m one who likes to keep quiet until something is definite. So many things can go wrong. (Yes, I’m also a recovering pessimist.) I believe if I share something too early and it doesn’t happen, I’d have to publicly explain why it didn’t. My reasoning is even more pronounced after these covid years. I watched so many things get cancelled; weddings, exhibits, concerts, vacations, home remodeling projects, etc. So until I know for sure, I plan to stay neutral about possibilities in my future. And that’s what I did…

Early in December 2021, I had an idea for an article for Quilting Arts magazine. This wasn’t the first time I submitted to a magazine;  sometimes the ideas get accepted and sometimes not. You have to pull together the courage to say, “no matter what the answer, it will be OK.” And yes, over the years, I’ve dealt with my share of rejections and acceptances. (Does anyone really enjoy announcing the things that didn’t work out?) You move forward by mustering the courage to try, and possibly fail, then hit send and wait.

My pitch wasn’t accepted in the way I anticipated. Instead of my idea, I was asked to do a “Show Us Your Studio” feature for Spring edition 2022. Definitely not what I expected, but, how cool was that? I had a couple weeks to pull my room together, get the photos taken, answer Vivika’s questions, and submit before Christmas. And…I made the deadline!!

As I write this, I think about my Godmother and the conversations we had before she died. She told me that one day she expected to be reading about me in quilting magazines. I couldn’t see it back then, but she did. So this one is for you, Zen. Another reminder, that we should always continue to try. 

If you don’t subscribe to Quilting Arts Magazine, you can purchase a copy here: https://www.quiltingdaily.com/product-category/magazines-ebooks/quilting-arts/

To the top

I’m currently reading “The Reluctant Artist” by Karen Kinney. Its a fast read and offers a lot of insight into the creative journey. I highly recommend it. I’m lucky enough to be reading along with a small circle of creative women who work in a variety of mediums. This book seems to speak to all of us at some level.

In her book, Kinney writes about feeding our creativity by consistently showing up which, in turn, creates forward momentum in our creativity. One feeds the other. We always want to be moving forward in our journey, the consistency is what feeds our soul. The problem with this is staying the course. It isn’t easy. Kinney references Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art“ (another good, quick, read). In it Pressfield writes “The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”

So, if you’re a creative person, there’s this battle going on. You may realize your creativity is very important to you, but you also find that you’re facing resistance too. Maybe you’re finding excuses and making other things more important (e.g. laundry, cleaning the cupboards, etc.). Maybe you’re critical of yourself, your art or your motivation. Granted some  “excuses” are valid activities that need to be done, but do they have to be the priority all the time? Is there room in your life to make adjustments? Can you hush the inner self-criticism?  Are you willing to change some things to free up extra time and show up for your art practice? The more you show up, the more you’ll accomplish and the more you’ll want to want to show up.

I admit its challenging and I’m always seriously confronting my own resistance. But, I am also showing up. Does it matter if we show up for full day sessions of creative activity? No, small increments of time and attention are equally valuable to conjure momentum.

Think of it as climbing a hill; its steep and you’re tired. If we stop moving our feet, our movement stops. The longer the pause, the more time it will take to get to the top. BUT! we will still be traveling, just not as quickly if we forced our way up. It is the consistency of stepping one foot, then the other, that will get us to the top.

What you make others see

Recently someone asked me “What does it mean to you when someone says ‘artist’?” I thought I knew, but then as I thought some more I questioned my ingrained beliefs. My first thought was a creative person, but is that really what I thought? I have always been a creative person, but there definitely was a time that I truly wished I was an artist!

I think society leads us to believe that a true artist is much grander than just someone who creates. I’ve definitely remember carrying the imposter syndrome with me when I’ve attended some art shows. I’ve have felt a level of snobbery when someone looked at my art work, turned up their nose and walked away. I have even experienced rejection from art guilds which outwardly excluded certain media (e.g., photography or textiles) from their exhibits.

I guess this is why I’m so proud of Bisa Butler and her textile portraits. This past year her colorful fabric portraits hung in 3 gallery rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work proudly displayed near artwork of the world’s masters, Matisse, Rembrandt, Picasso, Kahlo, etc. Bravo for breaking (many) barriers!

So is it the media or the perceived skill level? Some might argue that Jackson Pollock didn’t use skill making his paint splattered canvases. But, Pollock is a highly regarded “artist.” So perceived skill is not what it takes to make someone an artist.

Another issue is that many people think the word “artist” means painter or visual artist. When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m an artist. Do you know that a good majority of the time their response is “What do you paint?” Hmmm? What limits their view? Why aren’t they including musicians, potters, photographers, authors, cooks, etc?

Awhile back, I wrote about the limitation of classifying an artist based only if they sold work or not. Using “professional artist” as the definition is another argument that has little value in defining the word.

Its a lot to think about, but my lesson is that we must embrace and encourage a wider view of the word. As a dear friend said, there’s a spectrum to all of this. We have big name artists who we recognize as masters and a range of artists that are lesser known. There’s also the artist that no one ever thinks of or knows; the one who creates amazing art and never shows it to anyone.

I guess there never will be an agreeable definition, but I say embrace them all because:

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”   (Edgar Degas)

Roller coaster of life.

Why do we create? I believe it is because we have to. There is an intrinsic drive calling to us. Some don’t feel it as strongly as others. I’m of the latter population; I can’t remember when I didn’t have the calling.

So you create something, then what do you do with it? Years ago, after making so many things and gifting them away, I decided I had saturated my pool of recipients. In order to have another outlet, I decided to make a business from my art and sell my work. Its been a journey of twists and turns with feelings of great motivation and other times great disappointments. This is the path I signed up for.

Art has a way of connecting with people, so I also like to get it seen. Last month I had the honor to send “The Messenger” on a road trip to La Connor, Washington. I was excited packing it up and, after paying a goodly amount on shipping, I sent it on a truck ride across country. The box was suppose to arrive one day before the deadline, … however, it didn’t.

This is the ups and downs of being an artist. While the box was in transit you can’t tell where it is. I kept pulling up the tracking number and … waiting. A couple days after the delivery deadline, I decided to inquire with the shipper. Thankfully, I received a quick response back that the box was safely sitting at the distribution center –  20 minute drive from the museum! They were short staffed and had to wait to send the shipment on to its final destination. What a relief that it was safe, but would it get there in time for hanging?

I can say prior to calling, my worst fears were running through my head. I envisioned the box and quilt destroyed. Or maybe lost or stolen. My anxiety was high. I notified the museum and … we waited.

The thing is we have to have faith that everything will be OK. When my brain moved to worried thinking, I had to pull myself back from the edge by calmly thinking “be patient, it will be ok!”

You can see from the photos that it did make it on time. Deep breath. The lesson learned is hang tight, everything will be alright, this is just another roller coaster of life.

See “The Messenger” at the
5th Annual Birds of a Fiber Exhibit at
Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum
Jan 26 – Feb 27, 2022
La Conner, Washington

Process of learning

Part of what I have to do to create my artwork is to take photos of birds. I have some drawing skills but not enough to feel confident about drawing freehand. My college education is in wildlife biology. So, I personally like what I do to be as accurate as possible in representing the species I’m featuring. This is why I rely on a camera so much.

The screech owl piece I finished last week was generated using this photo as a starting point. I took the photo during a public event for an animal rehabilitation facility. These events are great ways to raise awareness and money for the organizations. But, they are also great opportunities to get photographs of animals you may never see in the wild. You don’t even have to be that great of photographer or need a fancy camera. This photo was taken using my cell phone.

Judges/jurors of art shows don’t take to kindly to artists submitting work where a photo by someone else was used to inspire the art (yes, even if the photographer gave permission). It falls within the messy business of copyright law. Copyrights are a tricky thing. This is why I’ve decided to source my own reference photos.

Its just another layer to the art I create. I have to practice/improve my photo skills and seek out opportunities to capture the images. It is all part of the process of learning.

Tenacity to Embrace Fear

Between the holidays and trying to complete several projects, this has been a full month for me. I mentioned a few weeks ago that the company which hosted my online classes is closing down in April. I’ve been thinking about what to do next. I’ve been researching different platforms to work with and I’m pretty sure I know which one I will choose.

February is going to be a month of catching up and creating things I can share with all of you. I was asked to join 3 other women for an art exhibit next year. So I’ll be in my studio creating art. I was honored to be asked to join these women. We all work in very different mediums, so it should be interesting to see the results of our combined efforts.

Over the past couple months, I have had several ideas for working in a series. This exhibit opportunity will give me a reason to work on what has been flying in my head. I received grant money last year to purchase a new camera. I am using the camera to photograph birds to create a bird textile art. The screech owl here is my first piece in the series…(note: you’ll be seeing more of him this year).

You probably can see that I don’t like monotony. I always want to try new things and grow. However, the older I get the more I realize that its difficult to stay on one path too long. Life is always throwing zingers. It is hard to look back to a year ago and realize all that I was doing then is very different today. You have to be ready, flexible and willing to face the uncertainty. That’s why I titled this new owl piece “Tenacity to Embrace Fear.”

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See “The Messenger” at
5th Annual Birds of a Fiber Exhibit
January 27-February 28, 2022

Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum
703 South Second Street
La Conner  WA 98257