Orders have to marinate in my creative juices. I’ve decided my creative process definitely includes pondering time. I know my mind does this work since ideas for orders will pop into my head at interesting times-in the middle of the night, on my daily walk, when I am stitching something else. Certainly once the materials for an order are in my possession, my creative brain is weighing options and making plans, even when I am not physically working on the order. I make notes, sometimes before I meet the customer in person, or before I receive an order in the mail. Of course, those orders were already filed neatly in my brain because my creative process begins with my first contacts with clients. I think not filling the baskets gave my brain a rest, too it didn’t pick up the orders and try to tease and niggle ideas in the back of my mind. I was also excited to move the orders upon my return to the studio, so that I could let those orders start to work in earnest in my brain. I enjoyed leaving the baskets empty in this way because it felt like a pause for rest. I had at least six orders to start in January, and I moved those into the baskets when I returned to the studio on January 2. I do find a quiet joy in all of those activities. I am also lucky that I really like all of the aspects of my job, from pressing freshly washed fabric to binding finished quilts. I do try to remain cognizant that, like everyone else, I can try to avoid a certain task, and I will usually do that one first! Then I get a reward-doing the thing that is burning in my mind or making my fingers tingle-yes-my work is often a physical desire-and I am happy to be able to sew and create at will. I usually have three or four things on my “to-do” list, and I let my desire for the day dictate the order. I try to pay attention to my creative desires, too. The prep I know I can finish in a few hours or less, and the piecing can spill into the next day if needed. I try not to sew all day or stand all day, so I plan a prep of shirts (cutting, interfacing, and steam pressing) and the piecing of a quilt top for the day. For instance, I do thinking tasks, like layouts and planning, when I am fresh in the morning. I try to plan different tasks to pay attention to my body and allow time for thinking and digesting a project. In a particular day, I don’t want to spend the whole day on one task. I have talked/written before about how I like to have a variety of orders on the go. I tend to laugh at my mistakes, probably because I have the skills to fix them and because I know some mistakes are leading in to a better solution. Sewing should never be frustrating, tedious, or maddening, and my studio is rarely-and I mean rarely-any of those emotions. As a matter of fact, I find that when I am in a hurry or feeling harried that I make mistakes and create longer, more difficult work. Everything I do requires time, patience, concentration, and precision, and no amount of need or deadlines can rush that process. I feel stressed probably twice a year-graduation season and the holidays, but I am working to build calm into those seasons, too. The stories of my customers are unique for certain! I may be making a classic t-shirt quilt, but the shirts and fabrics vary. I usually have no problem with the interest because my clients bring me the best projects, and I can truly say they are all unique. I like my work best when it is unhurried, consistent, and interesting. And I don’t mean to say my creativity is slow, but it does have a rhythm. Lately I have been reminded of how slow the stitching process can be, never mind the creative process. Whew! I would say the studio has been hopping, but honestly it has been steady, methodical progress.
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