Success & Failure – Page 8

Smile with our eyes

Life feels weird right now. Most of the time I go through my day without thinking about what is different than it used to be. Things become routine and you don’t think about them anymore. But, yesterday I felt gobsmacked.

I was scrolling through social media and stumbled on a video produced by the Virginia Quilt Museum. Like most museum and art galleries these days, they have produced virtual tours of their art exhibits ( www.vaquiltmuseum.org/virtual-tours ). They recently produced a video tour of their Eye Contact exhibit. Eye Contact was originally produced for the 2019 Sacred Threads Exhibit and is now touring.

I watched this sweet video, with its serene music, while intently looking for my eyes. As I watched the artwork scroll across my screen, I couldn’t help feel sad. There’s irony here. When I made this quilt, I didn’t think about what it really meant. At the time, it was just an exercise in creative play and didn’t have much meaning to me.

While I was traveling early last year, I notice how my pupils looked square in our hotel so I took a photo. I take lots of photos of non-significant things. Sometimes they inspire me. And truly, this photo inspired me to work on a quilt to send to Eye Contact. When I see it, I think of traveling. Last year was a very fun year of travel for me.

Yesterday, while I watched the video and saw all these eyes scrolling past me, I was reminded of where I was in time. For one, no travel plans for me for while. That’s all been cancelled. And, when I go out in public, I no longer see faces on the people I meet. Instead, I see a mask and above that I see their eyes. While watching the video, I felt like I was seeing mask covered faces.

It was a peculiar experience thinking how a little more than a year ago we were in a different place. Back then, I would have never expected the Eye Contact exhibit to reflect our future, but it has. It’s poignant, and a little bit sad. I’m honored to be a part of this exhibit. It definitely means more to me now. When I created my eyes, I was unexpectedly looking into the future.

Now when I’m out in public, I frequently wonder if my mask-faced smile is worth the effort. Will anyone see it? My friends remind me that indeed … we do smile with our eyes.|

Lyric Kinard and Sue Bleiweis are hosting the free Global Quilt Connection. If you’re looking to hire virtual teachers for classes or lectures, this is the place to start. This live event will introduce you to 90 instructors, shared through 3 meet-the-teacher virtual presentations. Learn more at Global Quilt Connection. You can see me Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 4-6pm EST.

Be resilient

I’ve been spending a lot of time in front of my computer lately. Last week I published my newest online course Paint with Thread. I’m going to participate in the Global Quilt Connection next month (Wednesday, Sept 2, 2020 from 4-6pm) and have to start preparing for that. Yesterday was their first live broadcast. It was great to see such a diverse set of instructors (you can watch a recorded version here).

During all of this, it is difficult not to focus on why we’re here. Why am I, and all these other teachers, so eager to branch into this new territory?

I know so many people who have been making a living teaching. With the pandemic, venues are shuttered and many of us are wondering how to continue with our passion. I’ve talked to friends who are considering retirement. And other’s who are willing to take the financial risk and focus only on making their art. Some are making face masks and selling them…which is definitely not the same creative joy as making art. Then there are those of us, who want to continue teaching and see the potential in virtual education.

I have been talking about doing this for a couple years. Last year I was preparing for this opportunity, researching and buying equipment, and taking classes. The pandemic only forced everything forward in my list of priorities. Now there’s suddenly a need for online-instruction and I have more time on my hands.

When all of these changes became so real back in March, it’s funny how attitudes changed. At the beginning of all this, so many of us were so lost and frozen. The amount of disappointment we felt was overwhelming. It’s exciting to see new energy, but how long will it all last? All we can do is be resilient.

Join me and 29 other instructions as we share what we do in teaching our craft.
Global Quilt Connection
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
4-6pm EST

Hosted by Lyric Kinard and Sue Bleiweiss

We travel through life

I’ve been busy the last week working the final touches of my new online class “Paint with Thread.” I will be opening enrollment in the next couple days. So, if you want to be the first to know … make sure you’re subscribed to my NewZ-letter.

Thread painting is one of my favorite things to do. It’s actually one of the things that got me started doing mixed-media textile art. I’ve always loved working with textiles and started making traditional quilts in the 2001. I was quickly hooked and started devouring it. I was making log cabin and nine-patch blocks like crazy! I got so inspired with quilting that I got a job technical editing quilting books.

The first book I edited was Joyce Becker’s “Beautifully Embellished Landscapes.” Editing that book opened my eyes to something besides sewing squares and strips together. I was really amazed with her techniques and chuckled at how she used dryer lint … a brilliant way to create snowy mountain tops!

After many years of being exposed to textile artists like Joyce, Susan Brubaker-Knapp, and Jane Davila, I caught the mixed media bug. And soon, I tried my hand at thread painting and liked it!!

In 2010, I decided to use the technique to create a portrait of my recently deceased dog, Storm. His portrait eventually made its way to fame by becoming Mr. September for Quilting Arts 2012 calendar [sadly this was the last year QA published the calendar]. Up until then, I had only played around with mixed-media textiles. I’m pretty sure “The Perfect Storm” was my first art quilt. Isn’t it kind of crazy how we travel through life?

Finding balance

Right now I have, as my mom would say, many irons in the fire. I realized this week, with everything that’s happening in the world, that I don’t feel comfortable teaching in-person sewing classes. It is difficult to keep a social distance when you teach using a sewing machine. It’s important to see and help the students when things don’t go as expected. And, believe me, when you work with machines things happen. I’ve decided to postpone in-person machine sewing classes. However, in their place, I’ve revived one of my older classes, Art Felting which is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th at ArtWorks Vass in Vass, NC. (Keep a lookout on their website for time and registration. You can also sign up on the waiting list for my thread painting and sketch your pet classes.)

I’m am still working on editing videos for my up-coming online course called Paint with Thread. Stay tuned…I’m very, very close to opening it for enrollment. (If you want to be one of the first to know and receive some promos I have planned, make sure you’re signed-up for my newsletter.)

I’ve also received an opportunity to show what I’m with doing. Two top-notch art quilters, Lyric Kinard and Sue Bleiweiss, decided to pool their skills to promote online quilting teachers. Through their Global Quilt Connection website, they are presenting three virtual meet-the-teacher events representing 90 instructors who teach online. This is event is free for quilt guilds who are looking to find virtual classes/lectures to their members. If you’re interested in learning more sign up at the Global Quilt Connection website. My session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 4-6pm EST.

You can see that I’ve been pretty busy this past week. As always, I’m trying to keep a personal balance. I have an exhibit scheduled next summer at my local arts council. In order to have enough artwork for the show, I have to hoard as much of my artwork as possible. This all resulted in my need to let a few things go. Sadly, last week, I pulled all my artwork from a local gallery. Good and bad, life definitely requires finding balance.

Rhythms in your life

Lately, I’ve been thinking about rhythms and patterns in creating things. I think of them as a metronome that forms a beat to follow. Maybe the beat is for a specific task, like hand sewing hundreds of hexagons to create a quilt top or assembly-line sewing 50 face masks. As the process develops, you start out clunky, but then (hopefully) you develop a beat that runs through your head. First this, then this, then this…repeat. One, two, three…repeat. (Note: Knitting and crochet is also this way and is frequently written in “secret” code: *K2, P1, Sl1,* repeat.)

Rhythms also develop in our daily lives. Wake up, let the dogs out, grab your caffeine…repeat (the next day). When you get a new pet, new job, or start a new project, the daily routine shifts and the beat gets clunky. With luck, the rhythm forms quickly and you find your beat.

For most of my life, I’ve been aware of rhythms. As I write this, I’m hearing (and feeling) the 1, 2, 3 count and I’m finding comfort in the pattern. A rhythm can be like a good song that plays in your head as you go through the day.

This week I realized that I’ve felt out of sorts lately because the rhythm keeps changing. This year has been crazy for this. I’m seeking a beat, but the world around me keeps changing. On the days that I find my cadence, I feel more calm and accomplished. Lately, there have been many days where there isn’t anything to count. This is were rituals (or habits) come into play. You find something that’s repeatable on a daily basis. It’s important to find things you can repeat, because it puts order into your day: “I’ll do this, then I’ll do this and then I’ll do this…repeat.” I’m going to focus some thought on this. Unfortunately, I’ve just never been that successful with forming daily habitual behaviors. Some of the one’s I’ve had (like going to the gym daily) have been broken due to the pandemic. There’s always room to change. We’ll see how it goes, right? Do you see any rhythms in your life?

Keep practicing

Before and after – color pencil on fabric applique

I recently listened to graphic designer Adé Hogue on the Creative Pep Talk podcast. Adé, who’s also an athlete, compared art to being an athlete. No one ever tries a sport for the first time and expects to be good at it right away. For example, if you started running today, you probably wouldn’t get too far and you’d very likely be sore as your muscles recovered from the new workout. For that reason, you probably shouldn’t expect to run (and win) a marathon tomorrow.

This very thing is true for art. It’s not like you will pick up a guitar today and expect be a virtuoso tomorrow. It takes training and lots of practice. Also, when we step away from our craft for awhile we need to ramp up on the training to bring ourselves back to speed.

I can relate to this comparison, because, as an artist and a teacher, I find we sometimes want to be exceptionally skilled as beginners. We also expect our skills to remain high after taking a break from our creative habits.

I know I feel that way right now. I’m learning some new technology and I’m slowly plugging away, learning every step of the way. I’ve also taken a break from my art and find it a bit challenging to feel comfortable with my tools. It’s OK. It just means we have to keep practicing.

Fabric Collage Postcards

I’ve been talking about building online classes for a long time. I’ve been researching, learning! and slowly accumulating equipment. And with all that, I was also trying to teach, create art and deal with all the other things that go with living in the 21st century. Progress was slow.

In March everything suddenly stopped. All my travel, teaching and other plans ceased. I emotionally crashed and I know I wasn’t alone. Some compared the early stages of the pandemic shut down as something akin to the death of someone we cared about. We probably were experiencing grief. When I read this, my feelings all made sense. I was grieving the sudden loss of all that I had planned for this year — all that I had planned for the rest of my life.

During this time, all I thought was “what are you going to do now?” I soon realized that I didn’t have to wait for anything to open. My videos for Fabric Collage Postcards were already filmed. All I had left to do was edit and produce the video lessons and create the course online. And…so I did…it took me a couple months to work through all of this. Along the way I had to learn two new software programs…but I’m proud to announce I did it.

My first online course is open for enrollment! Click the link below to learn more:
FABRIC COLLAGE POSTCARDS

Now you may be thinking, “why did she start with a winter-themed fabric postcard class?” Fabric postcards is one of the first “artsy” classes I ever taught. Making fabric postcards is easy and once you understand the basic techniques you could design your own mini-artwork. Besides, I had to start with something. I already had some class kits made (a few are available in my Etsy Store ) and thought this would be a perfect way to begin.

AND NOW! that I’m more comfortable with the entire process, I can quickly move forward developing more online classes. I’m currently filming my next class, PAINT WITH THREAD which will debut July 2020. So stay tuned for that! Until then, I invite you to check out FABRIC COLLAGE POSTCARDS.

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Creatively travel this journey

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
~ Anais Nin

I’ve been thinking about you. This is a very, shall I say, interesting time to be an artist. I make art because it feeds my soul. I share it because I hope it brings joy or comfort to people who see it. I also find great satisfaction and purpose inspiring people with new skills. When I see the “aha” moment in my students, it gives me great satisfaction.

I’ve been a creative person my entire life and I’ve struggled along the way. I’ve lived through many years of self-criticism and doubt. I always I wanted to do more than make cute gifts for family and friends. I’ve always wanted to teach. When the arts and teaching finally connected for me, I knew I finally found my calling. It’s not been an easy journey but it has been fulfilling. Unfortunately, I discovered this later in my life and my time always just seems short.

And now, we are in a crisis that no one expected and very few have prepared for. As I’ve tried to ground myself these last couple months, I realize I’m not alone. Creative people need to create. It is were most find comfort and release from the negativity around them. When we get stuck artistically during challenging times, it’s counter-productive to what we need and can negatively exasperate our emotions.

As I connect with other professional artist and art agencies, I realize this global struggle is even more difficult for professional artists. Sadly, a majority of artists (2-D and 3-D artists, musicians, actors, etc) are pretty much without work. Most of us depend on outside events and venues for our livelihood. These theaters, galleries, trade-shows, schools, etc, are struggling too. Most are closed. These are places were normally crowds gather; when will it be safe to return? Even when they open, it is going to take a very long time before people are comfortable returning to these places they once loved. And, in turn, it is going to be a difficult journey for many professional artists. This concerns me, not only for my own personal and professional interests, but for those of my fellow artists and also for those of use who enjoy participating in these events. How do we participate and connect when we can’t meet? It’s is going to be a long journey for creative people.

Right now, the Internet seems the best way to connect and, as I mentioned in my blog last week, I am building online courses. I’m wondering what else can I do? I’m curious, what would you like to see from me? Do you want to know more about my process or why I create it? Do you want to watch me create or just see the finished project? Would you watch Facebook or Instagram Live feeds? Is there anything I do in my art that you would like to learn? Or do you want me to help encourage you through your own journey? I’m thinking of you and want to hear from you. Together we can creatively travel this journey.

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Look forward to

Week 9-thousand fifty-seven and I’m getting ready for the winter holidays. What?

I feel like I’m in a time-warp. I’ve been self-employed for a couple decades now. However, there is something different and strange about our current situation. I am really losing track of time. I can’t believe I’m writing another blog post today. Didn’t I just write one 2-days ago? Sure, I know its been longer than 2-days, but geesh, this time-warp feeling is messing with my brain.

What’s also adding to my confusion this past week is that I’ve been intently doing computer work. There’s nothing like staring at a computer screen for hours on end. Your eyes start crossing and your brain loses all sense of time. Although, I may be struggling to remember what day it is, I am super excited about my progress.

After months (or has it been years?) of planning, I’m thrilled to share that my very first online class will be available very soon. I’m in the final stages of editing. Each step of the development has been a huge learning curve for me. During the process I decided to demonstrate something simple. Many of you probably have made fabric postcards, but I know some haven’t. I use more than just fabric to create my designs, so I call my process Fabric Collage Postcards. Don’t mind the winter-theme of my class project, it’s never too early to start making greeting cards for the holidays. And besides, the process is the same no matter what theme you choose.

So, this week I’m giving you a teaser. And, I hope it gives you something to look forward to.

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Heavy training

Do you think about what gives you inspiration?
The last couple weeks I’ve been focusing a lot on computer work. I’ve been working on things like editing video, updating my Etsy store, taking online class on digital photo organization, and learning about other new (for me) online platforms. Times clearly have changed and it seems the future it going to be even more digital than it was. I’m trying to keep up with technology and fortunately I’m one of those left/right brain thinkers. I use to work in Internet technology, so it’s not too difficult for me to learn new technology.

What I’ve noticed though is my creative brain is getting a little lazy. When I have time, I find it more difficult to think of something creative to do. Maybe it’s because I’m engaging my left-brain so much that my right-brain has decided to take a break. Or, it’s more likely my right-brain isn’t getting as much use and is getting soft. You know, like when you don’t exercise and your belly starts feeling squishy. I have to start exercising my creative thinking a little more.

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is photography. I’ve always loved taking pictures and now that I carry a smart phone with me I’m always looking for a great images to capture. Working through the photo organization class has forced me into my gallery of pictures. I have thousands to inspire me. From little things, like a ball of moss to enormous things like the Grand Canyon, my collection is pretty impressive. The class is inspiring me to organize my photos, so I can better utilize them in my art. Organizing the photos is forcing me to look at them and is also inspiring me to make the art. So I guess my focus on the computer work isn’t really a waste of creative time. Maybe it’s more like a pre-workout warm-up before jumping into heavy training.