Coloring Outside the Lines

"I've never understood what seems to be the over-preoccupation with precision in the quilt world. It seems to me that the making of art has very little to do with staying inside the lines." Gwen Marston, quiltmaker

Here it is...getting closer to the end of March!!! In just one week, we had a 69º where we gardened in shirt sleeves, the next day we had a huge hail shower, then after that, we had an enormous wind gust that knocked over a 100" tree .....across our driveway, across our property and touching the fence of our side neighbors of our 2 1/2 acre property!

And then, with company coming to stay and visit with us (from Anchorage, Alaska..where they had 10' of snow and were trying to escape)........we had SNOW!

Snow on the second day of SPRING!!

Yep...nature is coloring outside of the lines....trying to get us to climb out of the boxes....and push out from the walls that we have all built around ourselves!

And if Mother Nature is trying so hard to crack the shell of life's patterning....

Why shouldn't we???

If you are like me, it's just too easy to get stuck in the day to day doings of life...and then of course, spend FAR too much time on the computer, or in the laundry room.....or trying to do a million things that someone ELSE wants me to do....and not enough time letting my inner child out......and just having fun with my inner artist!

Well, this week, I was lucky! Our visitors brought along a one year old. My precious little great-niece not only showed me that my house is a fun "free-for all" filled place (with the most interesting objects with infinite uses.....i.e. NOT child proofed) but that we could play with ordinary objects, use them, or decorate with them.....in many different kinds of ways...and still have a great deal of fun!

This beautiful little one year old spent half an hour just tossing my polished rocks and crystals from one container on my coffee table to another! And yes, I smartened up and substituted plastic kitchenware fun in a hurry but obviously not too big of a hurry ;) since I let her do it and observed her doing it. While I deliberately chose to 'let her do it', I was releasing constrictions in myself about what things are most important to me.... and how I act, and react accordingly.

I don't want to always be judging, and labeling, and restricting life ...I want to color outside of the lines! I want people to be more important than things, and relax (but not completely let go) of boundaries within my self.

It reminded me of my own need to break free from old patterns and restrictions......in everything I do, or make. To stop my inner judge from trying to tell me how to live, and allowing my one year old self to come out and enjoy life, as it is..and not how I think I need it to be!

Sometimes we forget that sewing and quilting are art forms...fabric and textile arts have been around for centuries... and the need to create runs deep within so many of us. But letting the creative juices flow, and being able to try new things, is always a bit of a challenge.

We tend to and want to, continue to do and make things in the same old ways .....and we substitute seeing the use of new patterns to try, or the latest fabric as being more creative. It is...and it isn't!

So, like a lot of others...especially those of us who seek to be 'liberated quilters' I am taking a look at what being liberated as a quilter means to me as an artist and not just someone who sews. And I am working on sensing the process of aligning my energies to get into the flow of creativity .....and just have fun with everything I do!

I promised myself to strive to be creative every day this year and encourage myself to try something new each day in that process! And I decided that once a week...I would 'make art.' Making art is like making magic...you just bring new creative energies into your life. So, each day, is an art day for me in that sense. Yesterday, we all made art from the ordinary, today I made art for a cause, tomorrow I may make art just for no reason.....except to make art and feel happy about that process.

No matter how tired we are, busy or stressed we feel, or how life's challenges or other people's expectations affect us....if we have just one thing to look forward to in a day....it's all worthwhile!

Think outside of the box, today...and be sure to color outside of all of the lines that you set for yourself that keep you from having fun !