CREATIVITY - I Want Some of That!

  I love this quote from Meister Eckhart:  " And suddenly you know, it's time to start something new and trust in the magic of beginnings..."

We all have to trust in the magic of beginnings and I am often asked where I get my ideas for beginning or creating a new Art Quilt.  I've been giving this question a lot of thought because those who ask it of me seem to think they are not as creative or cannot come up with really good ideas for their own work. 

First of all, it seems to me that Creativity is not a static thing that one person has and another doesn't. We are all creative in various aspects of our everyday lives.  We decorate our homes, pick out outfits to wear, cook meals, garden, speak languages, love our pets, etc. Being creative is an act of living.

OK, so how does this translate into creating works of art and, for us art quilters,  Art Quilts?  

  

EMBRACE OUR VULNERABILITY

First of all, we have to love ourselves and trust ourselves enough to open up and fully embrace our vulnerability.  For years, I've had to tell myself to "just do it" and not let fear of failure or someone else's opinion keep me from creating a new piece.  A lot of Art Quilters, and I suppose artists in general, seem to have a fear of not being as good as someone else or "ruining" a piece of fabric, of wasting time and resources, and, they end up letting that fear stop them from starting a project.  If we choose to  embrace our vulnerability, then we have opened up the pathway to love and, therefore, art. 

When we open the pathway to love and art we begin to trust and love ourselves for the wonderful creative beings that we are. We then find that ideas for creating a beautiful work of art can come from all sources and we'll be open to them. For me, it's often from taking a walk through the woods or being in the garden. I take lots of photos and store them in a "DESIGN" album in my iPhoto.  Then I can browse those photos and get ideas for a new project.

The piece on the right was inspired by rugged tree trunks that have lots of lichen growing on them and vines hanging off of them.

Sometimes ideas come from learning a new technique or remembering an old technique and using it in a new way, or by combining old and new techniques. Maybe from getting out an old project and changing it by incorporating new techniques into it. 
 
 Keep a journal of doodles, draw simple line pictures inspired by a quote or dream,write down what you are thinking about each picture or photo, look at art of all kinds, take classes and attend lectures, join an Art Quilt Group or found one, and, remember to breathe.  I've seen more than one student trying to make something work and they really weren't breathing. (Whoops, I just described my-self doing Free Motion machine quilting. It's amazing how conscious breathing can help you relax and create.) 

Always enjoy working in the present, savoring each step of the design and construction process.

Love what you are doing and practice gratitude and joy for it and you will find that the ideas are unending and the work will be easy. 

Here's a link to a wonderful TED Talk by Brene' Brown on Creativity.http://www.onbeing.org/blog/bren%C3%A9-brown-leaning-our-vulnerability-video/4903
She gives a very inspiring, 15 minute talk.

Finally, 

Love Your Work and Rejoice in your Creativity,

Karen