Quilt art – Joni Beach

After posting about goals, discouragement, and motivation, I want to keep you posted of my time in the studio–playing @ with new ideas, experimenting with different methods, and a push to create, create, create.…

Here is a finished wall-hanging that is a gift for someone special:

I liked the style and colors of these squares that were found at a favorite quilt shop…The three were joined together with sashing and gold corner squares. After layering with a backing and batting, I quilted in-the-ditch around and with-in each block, and then used free-motion quilting to add motifs in the gold squares and sign my name & the date. Then, threadpainting was used to highlight the steam, whipped cream, and a few other details…

I’m centering and attaching this small art quilt by the top corners to an stretched canvas. It is Sea Images #1, which usually hangs in my husband’s office. This will give it a stage of sorts and more presence in the room as visual art.

Also, Lifeweaving #3 is coming along!–Layering the backing and batting and then basting the strips in place…more to come soon on that.

*FYI!! A great book for creative motivation is Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day, by SARK… For Fun & Inspiration visit her at www.planetsark.com.

~Hope you are enjoying your time this week as you strive towards your goals–don’t forget to have fun with the process!~

Thursday In the Studio…”Simple Gifts” (jonibeach.com)
New Beginnings, Renewed Hope (jonibeach.com)
Thursday In the Studio – The Final Stages… (jonibeach.com)
Goals…Discouragement or Motivation? (jonibeach.com)
Tuesday In the Studio…”Spinning Wheels, Going @” (jonibeach.com)
First Glimpse of Fall Colors… (jonibeach.com)

Sometimes life events can bog us down and make us fearful to take anymore steps… It is like holding your breath… You are not moving backwards… But, you also are not moving forward…It is more like being in limbo.

This time can be a time of rest… a time of recharging… or time of incubating new ideas. But, with time, there is a need to move forward…

Many creative ideas may swirl @ in our heads but the motivation to take that first step of action is lacking… Like being at the end of a diving board… and as much as you want to dive in… you just can’t let go and jump.

I was stuck for quite a while… I would make lists…research ideas…and experiment with new techniques. But, when it was time to move forward, I would feel too tired to begin.

One day I picked up a book entitled, Make Your Creative Dreams Real, A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day, by SARK (2004). SARK’s suggestion to take micromovements, or very small actions, to break out of procrastination spoke to where I was.

Making micromovement felt less overwhelming than considering a large project all at once. She says one option is to “complete your micromovement and go take a nap.” (SARK, p. 89)

I did one micro action. At the end of a chapter in SARK’s book, I found a website, Right Brain Business Plan, listed that caught my interest. Author Jennifer Lee was announcing a free 2-week video summit on this subject, which was just starting. For 2 weeks I looked forward to interacting daily with people who spoke and understood my language. From this action, I took more micromovements… and slowly tried new things and moved forward…

Today in the studio, I am in the process of creating a 12” art quilt. I may choose to donate it to the Studio Art Quilter’s Associaton’s (SAQA) Benefit Auction, which is held in September.

This quilt will be an expression of the idea of the sunlight and bright blue sky that is always above the dark clouds…whether we can see it or not…

After piecing the hand-dyed and commercial batik fabrics, I will use

free-motion quilting to add texture and detail to the piece.

After a time of being stuck, it feels good to experience the movement of the creative process again! New possibilities seem to open up… a sense of positivity is regained… and hope is renewed…

♦Are there micromovements you would like to take before your next nap? 🙂