I am Grateful For
The United States holiday, Thanksgiving, takes place on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a time for families to gather for a traditional meal. Many will opt to go around the table and share what they are grateful for. I thought I would do something similar with this post.
The Artist’s Way
First, I am grateful that in the mid ’90’s I joined an online quilting discussion group. It wasn’t unusual for someone to post a suggestion to join a group challenge. One such challenge was to work our way through Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist Way. This lead to me incorporating morning pages into my daily routine. The morning pages have gravitated to focus on “I am grateful” paragraph openers, that I continue to this day.
An Idea Generator
Why is maintaining the practice of morning pages so important to me? The answer is twofold and leads to my second reason why I am thankful. I am grateful that morning pages are a fabulous way to capture the early morning subconscious thoughts. This is where I naturally problem solve how to move forward in my art. It is typically where the titles for my artwork are generated. Although this isn’t always the case.
The title Bat Sh*t Crazy didn’t come from my morning pages. Instead, it came from a book I was reading when the phrase leapt out at me. Talk about being thunderstruck. I just knew it was the perfect title for my piece. Many people have agreed with me.
A New Series
I am grateful to have the courage to try something new, or something old, but in a new way. That is the case with my recent series of thread paintings. Thanks go to the Senior Executive Director of Studio Operations, too. He is the one who wraps these 12″ x 12″ thread painted quilts around a wrapped canvas frame and adds a hanging wire. That isn’t all. When I mentioned the thread painting seemed to be taking a toll on my beloved Bernina 1260 and I felt it was time for a professional cleaning, he disassembled the machine, gave it thorough cleaning and put it back together.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
It’s been years since I’ve taken on a challenge. I missed the camaraderie that comes from a joint challenge. Bring on the 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I now have 21 of the 25 blocks in my quilt quilted.
I’m linking up to the following posts:
That Senior Director gets too much attention!!
It’s possible. Still I think mentioning the SEDOSO provides a bit of levity to the post. Rumor has it some people, including the SEDOSO read the posts hunting for such mentions.
that was a fun post! I have done rainbow scrap challenge for many years and find it keeps me moving each month. I always have at least that block to do when I lose momentum
LeeAnna
I find the RSC blocks work are the perfect way to regroup or take a break from my more intense artwork. Thanks for sharing your experience over the years. It was just the impetus I needed to join.
Great post, and the routine about the morning pages is a great tip. It seems to work well for you, and your art is beautiful. Well done with the RSC project too!
Thank you for sharing, and linking up!
What I didn’t say about morning pages was another advantage. I find it a great way to excise negativity so I can greet the world positively when I reenter for the day. Thank you, for your kind words and running a linking opportunity.
Your RSC is looking great. xx
Thank you, Lin!
Hi Gwyned, I love all of the art pieces that you’ve included in your post. Gratitude is a very strong emotion that keeps us grounded and positive. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Thank you, Andrée. Each of the pieces featured were ones I made in 2022. I have shown them in progress and since I am grateful to have made them this year, thought they would make a nice visual for the post.
I always enjoy photos of your beautiful art. But equally enjoyable is reading your thoughtful posts and realizing how much we quilting artists (in your case) and dabblers (in my case) share.
Cathy, I wouldn’t call you a dabbler. You achieve quite a lot in a year. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share your thoughts.
I admire those who can do Morning Pages. I’ve tried several times and just can’t keep it up. Also envious of your Senior Executive Director’s assistance. Maybe I’d have more time for MPs if I had one of those.