Creative Nudge – An Authentic Voice

We do our
best work when we express what is close to
our heart. For writers, it is "write what you know". For
composers, it is "stay true to your musical
voice". For
artists, it is "paint what you see".

For quilt artists, we do our
best work when we are ourselves. When we put too much energy into trying to be
like someone else, then… our work just looks like somebody else.

When
expressing our true selves… when we
choose colors that feel right…when we sew in the style (traditional or
contemporary) that we are drawn to, we tap into a deep vein of Creative Truth
that has a power beyond words or conscious thought.

Yes, it is great to
challenge ourselves beyond what is safe and familiar, but if we try to be
someone other than ourselves, it is not our best work.

As I have traveled
around the world during this amazing year, visiting quilt festivals from
Japan and Australia,
to Ireland
and England, and now Italy
and Russia…this is what really strikes me about the quilters'
work:

Those who express themselves authentically, create something that
draws an audience. The Japanese quilters are really masters at this – which is
why we can spot a Japanese quilt a mile away at a big international show like
Houston. The Japanese quilts really stood out among the equally distinctive Australian
quilts at the Melbourne
show.

This month I was absolutely delighted to compare the quilts in
Rome (expressing the art aesthetics of Italy) with the irresistibly charming and
very Russian quilts in
Moscow.

Vive la diff?rence!

Next Monday I will give a power
point presentation at the Front
Range Contemporary Quilters meeting in Westminster Colorado. I hope to see
many of you there!

Also, I have uploaded the last 3 videos
from the Birmingham Festival of Quilts: SAQA Masters 2, Sophie Furbeyre, and C.
June Barnes.

I am working on all the photos from Rome and Russia, but
first I have to pop out for a couple days to a textile show in Las Vegas.