Frequent Question
“How long does it take you to make a quilt?” This seems a very straightforward question. I’m asked this frequently. Because of this I have some standard answers. What I should probably do instead is ask a question. That would be “Why do you want to know?” This question sounds glib. It isn’t. I enjoy having artist to artist and artist to art curious conversations. I truly want to understand the intent of the question and what the asker hopes to gain from asking it.
How Do You Measure Time?
How do you even measure the time it takes to make a quilt? I know some artists keep stop watches and clock the actual hours. Not me. That means one more thing to keep track of. I can’t imagine clocking in and out every time I enter my studio, exit it to replenish my beverage, take a short break, eat a meal, or answer email.
What actually counts as time spent working on the quilt? There are times I may be working on household chores, writing my morning pages, going on a walk, or brushing my teeth when a solution or improvement occurs to me on a piece I am currently working on. Do I add that to the time? How about all the time I spend, hours and hours every week staying on top of the art scene, honing my drawing skills or even pondering what I am seeing at the moment to understand nature’s art principles? Personally, I believe daydreaming is crucial to art. In fact, it answers another frequent question, “Where do you get your inspiration?” Does “from inside my head” count as an answer? But that is a topic for another post.
It Takes What it Takes
How long will it take me to make Cautiously Optimistic? Longer than I want. But I refuse to rush it, eager as I am to see how it plays out. Instead, I will doggedly and joyfully create one block after another and enjoy the process.
I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays.
