Tag Archives: Power

Working in Series #3

Besides giving an artist the chance to study and practice a specific style, technique, or theme, or to develop a narrative across a number of works, working in series is a great way for an artist to develop their own voice.

An artist’s “voice” refers to their distinctive and recognizable style, a visual language that sets them apart. It encompasses unique choices in technique, subject matter, color, or composition that consistently characterize their work. This cohesive and individual expression becomes a signature, allowing viewers to identify and connect with the artist’s creations, fostering a sense of continuity and recognition across their portfolio.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a number of painters worked within the style of Impressionism. However, Renoir’s work is recognizably different from Monet’s. We often comment on Monet’s use of light and the loose brush strokes that allowed him to capture it, while Renoir is known for his romantic approach and the focus on relationships between people. Each had a recognizable “voice” for which they are still known today.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Dance at Bougival, 1883, Public Domain

You can imitate other people’s style and have a successful quilt. Using someone else’s pattern and color scheme, or taking a class to learn a specific aspect of design, both contribute to our skills. When I took Jean Impey’s class last year, I learned how to create portrait quilts in her style. (My two quilts from her class below.) Impey’s series of portraits have allowed her to develop her unique voice as an artist. I’m glad I took the class because it was fun and I also learned technique and some new ways of thinking. I like the quilts I made, but her style is not mine, and it does not express me. It is not my voice.

Josie. Designed, made, and quilted by Melanie McNeil, September 2023.

So how do you go about developing that voice? For many people, it will start with imitation of others’ work. Consider what themes, subjects, or styles resonate with you on a deep level. What exactly is it that draws you to it? What makes you think, “I’d like to be able to create like this!”?

For example, if you’re entranced by Indian kantha quilts, study them. Look at the color combinations, the stitching, the layering. Which parts of that do you want to imitate, and which parts would you alter to suit your own preferences more closely? Then don’t just imitate; experiment. Experiment with approaches to discover what feels most authentic and expressive to you. Every change you make is an expression of you. By understanding your unique perspective, you lay the foundation for cultivating a distinct artistic voice that reflects who you are as an individual.

If you’re looking for a starting point, consider what styles or artists always make you pause. The works of Anna Williams, Yvonne Porcella, and Mary Lou Weidman all exhibit different styles of exuberant expression, but all are recognizable. Or maybe you prefer the structure and precision of Michael James or Victoria Findlay Wolfe. Perhaps you want to go a different way with an improvised look and feel.

Here are a few ideas for how to start a series of works to develop your own voice:

Color Palette Exploration: Create a series of quilts that focus on exploring and experimenting with a specific color palette. This could involve variations in shades, tones, and combinations to evoke different moods and emotions. Or perhaps try two-color quilts in multiple iterations. To pique your interest, here are three very different ideas using the same two colors, which I drew in EQ8. Imagine all the ways you could extend this, learning how the arrangements of shape and value affect the outcome.

Geometric Shapes and Patterns: Devote a series to exploring different geometric shapes, patterns, or quilt blocks. Pick a specific shape to feature, such as squares, triangles, hexagons, or specific geometric arrangements in each piece. A series of maple leaf or churn dash quilts would let you explore different ways to arrange shapes, values, and colors. In terms of pattern, do you fall in love again and again with batiks, or solids, or repro prints? Use that fascination and try new ways of showing those fabrics.

Cultural Influences: Design a series inspired by the vibrant colors, patterns, and motifs of a particular culture or region. This could involve researching and incorporating elements from traditional textiles or art forms. Are you inspired by Australian or African prints, or Japanese shibori? Do Amish quilts make your heart sing? How can you use these inspirations to explore your own style?

Nature and Landscapes: Focus on a natural theme by creating a series inspired by landscapes, flora, or fauna. Each quilt could represent a different season, habitat, or specific plant or animal species. See my recent post with the beginning of my Animal Alphabet series.

Historical Eras: Explore different historical eras through quilting. Create a series that captures the essence of specific time periods, incorporating historical textiles, patterns, and colors that define each era. I’ve made three quilts inspired by specific historical quilts from approximately 1800-1820. (See posts on My Harlequin Medallion Quilt, Fire & Ice, and Martha Washington’s Children’s Games.) None of them hews exactly to their inspiration pieces, since I modified them to suit my tastes and desires. While they are very different from each other and don’t appear to be of the same “voice,” each taught me lessons about design, contributing to my overall body of work in ways that might not be apparent. Click on any image to see larger.

Emotional States: Express a range of emotions through quilts. Develop a series that conveys emotions such as joy, sorrow, excitement, or serenity. Experiment with color, composition, and fabric choices to evoke these feelings.

Upcycled Materials: Challenge yourself to create a series using upcycled or repurposed materials. Each quilt could feature a unique combination of reclaimed fabrics, promoting sustainability and creativity. Sherri Lynn Wood‘s quilting might get you started.

Personal Journey: Chronicle your personal journey or experiences through a series of quilts. Each piece could represent a different chapter or significant moment, using symbols, colors, and patterns that hold personal meaning.

Technique Focus: Explore a specific quilting technique in-depth for a series. This could include appliqué, patchwork, or free-motion quilting. Each quilt in the series showcases the artist’s increasing mastery of the chosen technique.

Literary or Social Themes: Draw inspiration from literature or music for a quilt series. Select a favorite song, book, poem, or theatrical performance theme, and interpret it visually through quilts. Each piece could represent a different aspect of the work. Or maybe you’d like to make a series exploring a social concern of yours, such as democracy, immigration, or the climate crisis.

There are so many ways to work in series. Choosing a specific theme lets a quilter delve into various aspects of their craft with focus. The key is to not just imitate but to explore and innovate, creating a cohesive and meaningful body of work that showcases their skills and unique artistic voice.

Do any of these ideas inspire you? Tell me more in comments!

Creativity Tips from Experts — and Me

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Recently I wrote about creativity as a habit that requires time and effort to establish. It’s reasonable to wonder, is being creative innate — something a few lucky souls are born with — or is it learned, like a habit or skill that anyone might develop? Can you practice being creative, and get better at it? Are there ways to nurture your creative potential through practices or environment?

Even if some people are naturally more creative than others, I think creativity is something that can be learned, or at least improved. Maybe it’s like doing math: some people have always found math to be easy for them, while others haven’t. But even those who haven’t can get better at it if they make the effort with the right instruction. (No arguing allowed on this point!)

The Neuroscientist
As I looked into this more, I found an interview on Science Friday from 2006, with Dr. Nancy Andreason. She is a neuropsychologist and an expert on the neuroscience of creativity. In describing creative people, she said,

My own view is that creativity is an intellectual capacity that’s not directly related to intelligence. And it is capacity of seeing new things, new relationships, create novel things, and it spreads across the arts and sciences. … There are personality traits that characterize creative people, and one is just sheer persistence. I mean not everybody has a great – who is creative – has a great idea every minute of every day. But people who are creative also force themselves to work. … The other thing about people who are creative is that they push the limits. They get rejected. They have the, you know, the pain of rejection. They still keep going. They’re curious.

Creative people are persistent, determined, have good work habits, take risks, and are curious. Some of that might be a matter of temperament, but all of it is something that can be expanded with effort.

The Author and Artist
Austin Kleon describes himself as “a writer who draws.” As the best-selling author of Show Your Work! and Steal Like an Artist, he has written and drawn extensively about producing original work, including that inspired by others. He also blogs and posts regularly on Instagram.

In a recent blog post he shared a list of ten things that help him stay creative in “chaotic times,” when it is so easy to give in to discouragement.

Some of these tips aren’t very clear without context! Fortunately, he also includes a video from a recent talk in San Francisco, which I also include here.

Work every day, in a place dedicated to your work. Make for the pleasure of making. Pay attention to details. Be kind. Be comfortable with not knowing. Have faith in the future.

The Quilter
My friend Audrey at Quilty Folk has some thoughts about creative habits, too. In fact, four years ago she enumerated and published them. I have to say, I love this list, partly because is about quilting. Also, it is LONG. 🙂 Also, it’s Audrey’s thoughts on what works for Audrey, but if you work through the list and think about the points, you might see that many of them could work for you, too.

My summary? Have a dedicated work space with your tools and materials at hand, and ready to work. Keep record of your ideas, inspirations, and questions, and learn your personal style. Be curious and make the effort to improve your skills. Take risks. Make routines so you have a habit of working, and remember the tedious stuff is part of the process, not a reason to quit. Consider working in a series. Pay attention to your intuition. Finish stuff. Give your work away.

Tips From Me
Ask a lot of questions. Try stuff that scares you a little bit. Don’t give up too soon. Make space in your life for creative work. Share what you do, how you do it, and the actual stuff you do, too.

You don’t have to be curious to ask more questions. Try it sometime, about a subject you’re not really interested in. Sometimes those random things you learn become important in unexpected ways. Practice by making a list for yourself of questions to ask, starting with “what if?” The questions don’t have to have knowable answers. Kids are great at this game. Try it with someone about ten years old or younger and see what happens and how exhausted you are by the end. What if all the birds in South America suddenly migrated to Iowa? What if weeks only had four days instead of seven? What if I shrunk down to 10″ tall? What if I use purple fabric there instead of teal?

Try stuff that is scary. Ask yourself, what’s the worst that would happen? It doesn’t have to be terrifying, just a bit outside your comfort. Maybe you’ll be like Kerry, weaving beautiful practical items like scarves and dish towels, but now and then trying different colors or a slightly different pattern. Maybe you’ll be like Tierney and contact a famous quilter/author//teacher, and suddenly be debuting art quilts in national exhibits. Maybe you’ll be like me and decide to appliqué the center block of a quilt, rather than piece it. Oooooh scary!! Seriously, what’s the worst that would happen? You can live through it not working out, or someone telling you “no.”

Don’t give up too soon. So you tried the scary thing and it didn’t work out. Why not? (See that, asking questions again?) If you tried it again could you do a better job? If you contact someone else, might they have different information for you? Did it not work out because you didn’t persist long enough? If you need to take a break, that’s okay. But if it is still valuable to you, come back and finish it.

Have dedicated space and time for working. You don’t have to be “good” at it! You do need to find it important enough, and to find yourself important enough, to make room for it in your life.

Share. When you create, you express yourself. That expression is your power. When you share your process, you help other people become powerful, too. When you share your stuff, you spread good into the world. What could be better than that?

I’ll be offline visiting with family for the holiday. Thanks as always for reading and for any comments. I’ll respond soon.

Building Habits for Creativity Requires Time

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On the wall of my gym is a painting that says, “Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.” People often join gyms or start other health plans with good intentions and enthusiasm, but unless they persist in their efforts, they probably won’t create a habit and likely will abandon the plan.

It was easy for me to build a habit of going to the gym. I started after injuring a knee in 2016. Soon I injured the other, as well. Between working with a physical therapist and also with a personal trainer for several weeks, I used the gym four days a week. Once I was done with PT, I continued with the trainer for a few months. Since I paid for the privilege, I made sure I got there. I still go three times a week when I’m in town.

Most of our behavior is habitual, or part of a well-established routine. And if we want to change our behavior, we need to change the routine and persist in it long enough to create a new habit. I wonder if it’s like striving for the opposite of mindfulness, trying to do something often enough that we don’t need to think about it. hmm…

When it comes to quilting and good habits, most of my habits of technical proficiency — seam allowance accuracy or pressing or how I prep my fabric — are pretty well ingrained. The bigger issue is the habits that lead to increased “production” and creativity. If you look for tips on improvements in these areas, you can find all kinds of things: focus more, focus less, spend more time working, spend more time having fun.

I would like to be both more productive and more creative. For me, those two concepts can be in conflict. To be more productive (have more quilts finished,) I could reduce the time I spend on planning and design, and choose options that are easy/quick to execute. Doing that I could finish multiple quilts a week. Some people get great joy from that, but I would not. Or, I could be more “creative,” chewing over lots of possibilities, brainstorming endlessly, drawing and redrawing designs, looking up strategies and techniques, taking classes, endlessly gazing at fabric choices online, searching for inspiration. That would take up a lot of head space and boy howdy, I’d have a lot of creative ideas going. But they wouldn’t get made. Well, that’s no good, either.

There is only a conflict or tradeoff because resources are finite. In particular, time is limited. Choosing to do anything necessarily means not doing something else. To spend more time in both creative thinking and execution, I need to do less of something else. Less computer time would help me. I spend a lot of time clicking from news site to news site. It doesn’t always make my life better.

Once we’ve intellectually decided our priorities (found the motivation,) we need to establish a habit of behavior to keep going. I read an interesting article about habit formation at brainpickings.org. It suggests that to create a simple habit, like drinking a glass of water after breakfast, it takes about 21 days. More complex acts don’t become routine for many more days, and sometimes as much as a year.

Late last year I tried blogging every day for 30 days. I abandoned the effort after about 20 days. Apparently I didn’t stick with it long enough. Or it wasn’t very important to me in the first place.

This is actually a different issue than how long it takes to create proficiency at a skill. However, persisting with a behavior long enough to improve would certainly help motivate continuing the effort. Four years ago I wrote a post called “(Don’t) Stop Acting Like a Two-Year-Old.” In it I cite sources that claim you can learn a new skill in anywhere between 20 hours (Josh Kaufman) and 10,000 hours (Malcolm Gladwell.) That’s a pretty wide range!

How long can you persevere? At least 20 hours? How many days are you willing to put in to create a new habit? An hour a day for 20 days? Is that enough to change your life?

You may have been in on the Instagram #IGquiltfest, a challenge of sorts to post particular kinds of quilting photos on Instagram every day for the month of March. That might create a habit of posting on Instagram. And certainly it’s fun to see what other people post. I haven’t figured out what else it does to spur creativity or production in quilting. (Not meaning to be snarky here. I just literally don’t know what it’s for. If you can explain, feel free to do so in comments.)

There are “challenges” galore, including various ones that show up on WordPress, the famous NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month,) and others. I love the idea of NaNoWriMo. It takes the intention to create and allows you to commit to that intention for a limited amount of time. You don’t have to finish a novel, you don’t have to show it to anyone. You do have to be motivated enough to commit the time every day to write 50,000 words in a month. That’s it! And for some people, that might be enough to create a habit of writing daily.

As discussed earlier, though, for complex behaviors, it usually takes longer to make a habit. Another project that could push through that barrier is #The100DayProject. Here again, the challenge leaders want you to post everyday on Instagram. That, I think, is both to market the program itself, as well as to continue to affirm your own commitment to the project you’ve chosen. You can choose anything. You could make a health commitment for 100 days, or decide to put a dollar aside every day for 100 days with the ending pot of money given to a charity, or create a 12″ x 12″ painting every day for 100 days. Obviously some things are more visual than others, in terms of recording your progress in photos, but the idea is flexible enough to be appealing.

If I want to make more, and make more interesting things, I need to spend more time on both of those intentions. I’m considering joining The100DayProject as a challenge to myself, to focus my attention and energy on my quilting, and less on doing something else. Because the start date is April 3, I still have a few days to define a project.

What tips do you have for developing a creative habit? Have you found something that works especially well, like paying for in-person classes or forcing deadlines or other motivators? Do you commit a minimum amount of time each day to your creative life? Do you have space devoted to your creative work? Tell us in comments about your creative habits.

I Am The Mountain

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I wrote this four years ago as a message to myself. When I stumble across it again, as I did today, I find it a good reminder to keep focus on what’s important. You’re welcome to take a look.

Power bestowed on you by others can be taken away. Whether it is power by position or popularity, if the cool kids don’t like you anymore, that power is gone.

The real power, the kind no one can take from you, comes from within. It comes from understanding your priorities. It comes from balancing your time and energy on those priorities. It comes from calling on courage when confidence is weak. From trying new things, perhaps small things at first. When nothing bad happens, and when sometimes good results occur, confidence builds. With greater confidence comes greater courage. The two feed each other.

Power is in the present, always in the present. It comes from what you do, not what you did or what you might do. To be powerful, you must be in the present with it. That means not indulging in what-ifs. That’s just making up stories. If you want to make up stories about what should have happened or what might happen in the future, do it right. Write them down. Call them what they are, fiction.

Power can be used to create or destroy. (I choose to create.)

Some of the greatest power is in how you react. If someone pushes you down, stand up again. That is powerful.

I am powerful. I am the mountain.

The Mountain. 60″ square. November 2015. Made from stash. Photo by Jim Ruebush.

Still Climbing Mountains. 57″ x 64″. August 2016. Made from stash. Photo by Jim Ruebush.

The Curse of Echo

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Long ago in the time of gods and goddesses, there was a mountain nymph named Echo. She lived on Mount Cithaeron with other nymphs. One of their frequent visitors was Zeus, who … ahem … enjoyed the company of the beautiful sprites.

Zeus’s wife, Hera, was a jealous type, and she followed Zeus to the mountain one day. Echo stopped her, talking so much and so fast that Zeus had time to get away. In her anger, Hera cursed Echo. The curse? From then on, Echo could never speak for herself, but could only repeat the last few words spoken to her by someone else.

Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_William_Waterhouse_-_Echo_and_Narcissus_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

How awful that curse would be, without ability to speak for herself! Yet many quilters choose just this way, only repeating designs made by others.

I see it in Instagram, under the #medallionquilt hashtag. While there are beautiful medallions of a wide variety shown there, Marcelle medallion, Aviatrix, and others show up time and time again. Some designers even specify every fabric and color, so you can duplicate their work!

And of course, it doesn’t only happen with medallion quilts. It happens with many successful quilt patterns and kits. The designer’s voice may be heard, but the maker is silent, except for an echo.

I struggle with my thoughts on this. On the one hand, it’s fantastic that people want to make. I think most are perfectly happy making something with a recipe or paint-by-number method. They really do want quilt patterns and knitting patterns and counted cross-stitch and woodworking patterns. They will follow those patterns exactly, often in the same colors or materials. They will enjoy the process as long as it works. If they love doing this, and they are putting beauty and good into the world, who am I to criticize?

On the other hand, I want other people to experience themselves more completely, and to feel comfortable sharing expressions from their soul. The quilts I see that are most powerful, that touch me most, are also designed by their maker. And honestly, it doesn’t matter much if they’re technically strong or not. The maker’s voice comes through.

Self-expression is powerful, but it’s also scary. It can leave us open to failure and criticism. It can make us feel like our efforts or resources are wasted if the end product isn’t as we imagined. Why open yourself up to problems like that? It’s safer to do something with a known result.

I know a little bit about risk and reward. My career was in investment management. If you stick with the safe option, you won’t lose much, but there is not much to gain, either. The farther out you go on the risk scale, the more potential there is for loss. But when things go right, the rewards are great.

Believe it or not, I’m pretty risk averse. While I don’t use patterns, I have trouble pushing myself to do brand-new things. Instead, I keep pushing at the edges, so I’m learning new skills and not making the same thing time after time. (That would be an echo, too!) I’ve had to convince myself that any efforts can’t end in complete failure. If nothing else, I’ll have learned an important lesson. That helps me take on “risk” in quilting with a more open attitude. Trying something, not knowing if it will work out, and learning from the experience is exciting, like an adventure!

Don’t be like Echo. Use your own voice to tell your own story. What’s the worst that could happen?

Catbird Quilt Studio

Medallion Quilts, Among Other Things