20 Min a Day on Off the Wall Friday

An ongoing theme of this blog is how to motivate yourself to create.  I often wonder if it's a personal

flaw in me or if everyone has a hard time getting projects done from start to finish.  Paul, my husband, thinks it's all about creating a habit.  He's an artisan woodworker but recently he took two months off to give my Painted Lady a much-needed make-over.  The last time he painted her was in 1994.  Now that she's done though, it was time for him to get back into the woodshop.  He says it's like walking through mud trying to get going again.  

I think he's right. This topic came back up when I was meeting with my sewing buddy, Barbara last weekend  We both were lamenting how terribly unproductive we'd been.  It just seems like everything in our lives takes precedence over sewing.  In a flash Paul's idea of  "if you just take 20 minutes a day" popped into my head.  The concept is that if you work on a project for 20 minutes a day sooner or later it's bound to get done.   The nice thing is that 20 minutes sometimes turns into longer, but if not at least you got in 20 minutes.  To keep Barbara and me honest, I set up a calendar in Google Sheets to record our daily progress.  The cool thing about using Google Sheets is that we both can access it from our computers.  I learned from Weight Watchers that it was easier to start a new habit if you're held accountable!  Anyways...I'll let you know how we do!

This week, I'm traveling in Holmes County, Ohio for some much-needed R&R.  I did manage to get more of Tessa's Mosiac done though before I left.  I quilted her hair, shirt and arms.  Now all that is left is the background...finally! I used Deco-Bob 80 wt on her hair and LOVED the results.  It gives a nice texture line without giving too much of hard edge.  I actually used the coral that came in the sample pack and it seemed to blend well with all the burnt oranges I used in her hair. 

So hopefully, the saga of Tessa's Mosiac will finally be coming to a close!!  OMG I bet you're as tired of hearing about it as I am about writing about it!

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Rules for a Busy Quilter on Off the Wall Friday

With March comes not just the end of our grey days but ... National Quilting Month!!  I always thought spring was a perfect time to renew ourselves into our favorite passion.  I mean, really, it takes a special kind of person to cut up perfectly good material and then take hours and hours to sew it all back together right?!

Rules For a Busy Quilter

• When you're "In the Zone" the sewing room is off-limits to everyone else.  How many times has a family member or a phone call gotten you off track and it's impossible to get right back to that sweet spot of production?  Don't be afraid to SHUT THE DOOR!
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  There is no such thing as perfection.  Practice does NOT make perfect but it will make for better art/quilts.  Also since there is no such thing as perfection, those pretty quilts you see online aren't perfect either.
• Allow yourself to experiment and step out of your comfort zone even if at first it's not as good as your "usual stuff".  Your usual stuff wasn't that good, to begin with, either.
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  Spend time taking pieces to completion.  Yes, that means quilting, binding, labeling, and photographing.  Having the piece truly, completely done with gives you a sense of achievement and closure on the piece.
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  An organized clean studio is not a sign of being less productive.  It's a time saver knowing where all your tools are!
• YES is not always the answer to every project, show, challenge, gift that crosses your path. 
    More is not always more.
• Always have a cheering section and when you run across a critic remember that have NO hope of doing what you can do.
• Finally, this is supposed to be fun.  Bleeding for your art is really not a thing.

(I swear I'm going to start labeling these my pep talk posts!!  No matter how many times I write them  - I think if I need to be reminded someone out there needs to be reminded!)

SO WHAT HAVE YOU'VE BEEN UP TO CREATIVELY?

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Artist Time Management Tips - Off the Wall Friday

Word of the Year?  PRODUCTIVITY


I was looking back at 2015 and I didn't get much done.  I had a lot of good intentions and a lot of  good ideas and actually a lot of time but some how they didn't manage to combine enough for me to get enough done.  Well, at least, not in my mind's eye.  So something needs to give.



So I thought that in the quest for better productivity, I would try to manage my time better. These tips are as much for me as for you!!

Time Management Tips 

• Create a Calendar - Not only set studio days and times but also what projects you are going to work on that day.  Make sure all tools and supplies are ready when you walk into the studio for the days work by prepping the day before.
• Schedule Studio time during your Peak Creative Time.  Are you an early bird like me?  Then get into the studio at 7 am instead of starting laundry and straightening the kitchen
• Set Work Intervals with scheduled breaks - ie - work an hour - take a 10 min break - working in intervals will help you work for a longer period of time in the end
• Create a To-Do List - Check it off - You'll feel accomplished!
  
• Don't Multi-Task - Don't check email, don't load laundry, don't check on dinner in the oven - all these things are just pulling you away from your creative flow
• Say NO - Don't let your everyday life hone in on your creative life and don't apologize for it
• Identify Procrastinating Time Wasters - Let's face it - we all have them.  Identifing the time wasters will help us to conquer them.
• Set Small Goals and reward yourself when you reach them 
• Set Date Deadlines - open ended projects tend to go unended
• Make Yourself Accountable to Someone Else -  use an artist partner or use Off the Wall Friday to report your progress
• Leave Your Next Step ready for your next studio day

I saw this and I thought - OMG - someone has been watching me!!!

So what have you been up to Creatively?