Thursday, May 6, 2010

Breaking "Out of the Box"--Thanks for the Encouragement Lyric

Venturing out of your comfort zone to do something totally foreign is very scary. I come from a totally traditional quilting background. I have always loved the art quilt arena, but I've been afraid to "go there." I guess I needed a little push. I always tell my friends that, "I'm SO far in the box that I can't get out." Thinking "out of the box" has never been my forte. I needed some help, and I got it from Lyric Kinard and her book "Art + Quilt." I was fortunate enough to take a class with Lyric at the AQS Show in Paducah this year. Also, she has been SO encouraging with kind comments on my blog. She has continued to boost my confidence as I work through her book by sharing some of my posts with others. She has made this journey a bit less scary for me.

I know it is silly, but I really didn't want to "experiment" too much. I had many fears...one of them was that I would "waste" fabric. Now if you could see my stash, you would know how truly silly and irrational that is. I had always been used to cutting nice even pieces from my yardage. When I started the exercises in this book, I had to cut big chunks or little pieces out of some of my fabrics. At first, it was almost "painful" for me to do. Now, I'm rather enjoying it!

I have also come to realize that everyone's idea of "art"  is very different. Not everyone will like my work (or consider it art), and I have come to the point where that is alright with me. I know that what really matters is making art that pleases me.

Check out what Lyric has to say about my progress in her new post http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html#4514610818518637735
Thanks Lyric!

1 comment:

Jeannie said...

I could have written this post, except for the part about taking Lyric's class.;-) I have really been in awe at the work you have done and the determination you have shown in working through Lyric's book. I am applauding you and your courage and hope that I can soon break the box down. Cheers!