Summer Finishes

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Here we are closing out August and I find once again that writing has taken a back seat to creating!

I have been working diligently to finish these two pieces this summer in order to meet a juried show deadline. I would love to share more about them but I will wait to see if either one is juried in before any big reveals. Suffice it to say that they are direct opposites in terms of color palette and they're both an expansion of my experiments with improvised appliqué work.

To be honest, I didn't realize how long it had been since I'd written anything. I've been so focused on quilting. Now it feels like I've neglected a responsibility in not keeping up with posting. And that has given me something to ponder. 

At this point, we all know that social media can be a big attention hog, whether you're consuming it or actively contributing to it. Blogging, Instagram, all these wonderful tools are great vehicles to share our work. But keeping them fueled for the viewer could also become a full time job. In my case, social media is a side interest; another avenue for creativity, sometimes a fun diversion, most certainly an opportunity to connect with people in an exchange of ideas. 

When I've neglected social media, or on the other hand, if/when it seems to take center stage, I find it is healthy to check in with myself. 

Does social media serve me? Or do I serve social media? 

If I'm quilting just to "create content," that feels mechanical and uninspired. When the artist gets to that point, the danger is that we may look for people's reaction to our work, (a currency of "likes"), to find satisfaction. Depending on outside validation is an uncomfortable and precarious state of mind. Having said that, my thoughts circle back to keeping a healthy perspective on juried shows as well. Because creating for your social media accounts is not so different than creating for a judge's acceptance in a show.  

So, why post about the work, or enter a show? To share an idea or perspective others might not have seen before. 

Why create in the first place? Because it brings me joy. 

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