"you just need a system"--a reply to Lisa Call

Every family I think has their own special sayings. Once my DH got told that I made his life "too cushy". Yes, we repeat that one frequently. Usually with a smile. And I am sure we are not the only ones who have "cat alarm clocks"--they pounce on us at six in the morning to remind us that they  want their breakfast NOW. One of my favorites though came from my step-son, when my DH had misplaced something one too many times. As he said, "You just need to have a system, D--a--a--d." You know how teen-agers can emphasize the word Dad.

It is a good point though. Systems work.  Recently Lisa Call and I began exchanging blog posts on the systems that we use to get work done. Now, for those who don't know Lisa's work, she is a very successful quilt maker who writes a wonderful blog about how she makes her quilts. In a recent blog post, she advocated making todo lists so she knows exactly what she is going to do when she gets into the studio.

I responded that for me the lists were too limiting.http://annbrauer.blogspot.com/2010/11/opportunities-of-rejection.html  I never know what will happen during the day--I just want to make sure I get something done. We agree that a dialogue would be interesting--what methods work for each of us?

Lisa begins the discussion with a wonderful blog post on how structure leads to creativity. http://blog.lisacall.com/2010/11/structure-leads-to-creativity Check it out--even the blog post shows how organized Lisa is. Basically her point is that if she has a plan for what she will do in the studio then she can just work when she is there rather than worrying about what to make. Lots of great hints as to how she works. What do you think?

I think about her posts--how do I proceed? Well, certainly my process is different--just like my circumstances are. I have been supporting myself making art quilts for 29 years. This is what I do. During this time I have gone from living by myself to marrying my wonderful DH. When I was single I would frequently work mornings and evenings and run errands during the afternoons. A regular schedule that gave me time to work and time for myself. I knew I could leave in the afternoon because I had already gotten something done.

About fifteen years ago, I got studio space in town. The town itself--Shelburne Falls--is a delightful tourist destination and while I don't get a lot of traffic through my studio, I try to be open regular hours. After all, I never know when the person who really wants to purchase a big quilt will show up. I have a found that these regular hours make it easier for galleries, designers and others to contact me. Oh I do love these set hours. I don't feel the guilt about working or not working that Lisa mentions--I just show up at work and then at 5 I leave. 

I try to make it so I that I have to work when I am in the studio. No novels. No games. I can work on the Internet. Friends can visit--briefly--but I don't usually no long phone calls. I actually learned this technique from listening to authors on the radio--was it John Updike who said he had to sit by the typewriter for certain hours every morning even if he had nothing to say that day? Some authors force themselves to write even if they are going to tear it up at the end of the day. Others retype what they did the day before to get themselves going. I am constantly listening for more tips and try the ones that interest me. 

I am a morning person--I like to get something done right away--it starts the day out right. Sometimes it is working on a new quilt. Sometimes it is packing an order or applying to a show. I just want that feeling of accomplishment for the rest of the day. By three I may have done as much sewing as I can for that day. Then I make potholders, placemats, fold fabric, vacuum. There is always something to do. Some days I get inspired at four--I start the project, leave myself notes. Still I almost always leave at five.

I just don't like to write it down. I don't do well with those strict charts--it makes me nervous and when I get nervous I don't get work done. Besides, what if the quilt does not cooperate? I try to remain calm--yes, I can solve this challenge or deal with that issue. Lists, charts make me feel less successful. Not good. Even when I have an order due, I may plan my schedule out in my head--calculate the number of rows of hand sewing I have to do,  but rarely do I write it down. I just slog it out one stitch at a time. If I think about how much work I have to do, I get nervous--don't sleep well at night--then I get even less done the next day. Not a good approach.

I already have plenty to get nervous about as it is. There is my love-hate relationship with craft shows. Right now, I really don't want to drive down to the Washington Craft Show. It is a long drive down there and an even longer drive back home. My last long distance drive had far too many adventures to mention. The show may not even be that lucrative--ugh!!! When I get home, I will have to put the studio back together, go grocery shopping and get ready for Thanksgiving Dinner. Will I forget something? Will set-up and take-down go smoothly? What problems will I have to deal with? I try to go one step at a time--reminding myself I can deal with it. I need to sell quilts to make quilts. I love having orders and work to do. I enjoy the feedback I get from the customers browsing at the show. And of course I enjoy the energy of being around so many other great craftspeople.

Again I try to keep myself calm. I like to finish a big piece just before a show--not four days before a show, if you know what I mean. I look around the studio and try to figure out what will sell--these days, that is impossible to do. Work that I think should sell, doesn't. Work that I don't expect to sell does. A couple is planning to come to my studio to buy placemats on Tuesday. I am leaving for the show Wednesday morning--should I make more of those to replace what they may purchase? I think about it and decide--no. Placemats are fun, but not that fun. I can't anticipate what colors they will choose.

I look at the colors of quilts I have in stock--yes, there are colors I could use. But I am getting some back from a show, just after I return from Washington. I don't feel like making a quilt in the "right" colors. There is another piece I have been thinking of--now that excites me. I plan it in my mind. Not too much. I don't want the excitement to dissipate. Dark colors, greys. Dramatic. That should be fun. This morning I will go to the studio and start it--see where it takes me.



OK--that is my system. It is different from Lisa's just like our lives are different. Nothing wrong with that. The most important thing I think is to be aware of what works with you. Don't take my word for it--don't even take Lisa's. Try and see what works for you. Experiment with different systems until you are getting done the work that you want to get done.

And now I must get to work.  This dialogue is fun. It reminds me of a poetry slam. Did you hear the discussion on Here and Now about the poetry slam in Chicago. Each trying to bring his or her best "game" to the competition. It was wonderful--check it out--http://www.hereandnow.org/2010/11/rundown-114-3/  No, I didn't answer all of Lisa's points--working in series will be another blog post. And you, how do you work? Feel free to comment--even create your own blog post. Let's keep the dialogue going. I know I am always hunting for more tips and methods.

getting it done

Oh I have too much work to do before the Washington Craft Show. Orders to finish. Work to make. The list just seems to go on forever and ever.

This week I have been struggling to finish a long--or should I say --l-o-o-o-o-n-g wall hanging. They need it before Thanksgiving. I want to get it done. The piecing seems to take forever. It is a huge quilt. One hundred and two inches long.

Finally I get that done--then I must sew it together. Hand finishing all those seams. I turn on the Diane Rehm Show--learn about Cleopatra--interesting. The fiscal policy--not so interesting. My DH tells me I should just work faster. I can't. I don't want to do anything stupid. There is only so fast one can sew anyway. I plug along. It is hard because hand sewing is sufficiently reflective that I can think of all of the projects I want to finish. I look at the studio and want to clean it--but no I must focus. I want to update my web site--but no, not now.

Finally it gets done. I just have to "finish" it. Wrap it up. I iron it. Pick threads. Add the Velcro for hanging. Pick more threads. Luckily this time I have tried to be neat in the work. It is not that bad. Label it.

I hang it up over my design board so I can clean the back of the piece.

 Hang up the quilt on the wall so I can pick threads once more. Get a snapshot of the piece.

Then I have to make the boards for hanging. I have been using a pressed board Venetian blind that is easy to cut to size. They can just be screwed into the wall. Of course the quilt is so big I need four boards. I wrap them together and cover with paper--I will roll the quilt around them. After the boards are mounted,  the Velcro can put in place. I measure the Velcro. Wrap it up for packing. I make a muslin cover for carrying the quilt. Put my web address and phone number on it.

Then I put one of those plastic drop sheets on the floor. It is clean and lint free. Spread the quilt out on it. I put a business card inside--just in case. Put the boards on one end and start to roll the quilt--again hunting for threads. I know I will miss some but I don't want to miss too many. I tie the quilt into the roll with a few muslin strips. Slip it into the muslin cover. Then wrap the whole thing in some of the plastic drop cloth--tape it shut and put it into the box. Yes, this took a couple of hours.

Now I must just contact the future owners. Add another card or two. A bit of padding in the box. Then tape the box shut and ship it. How nice to have this piece done. Though there is just a tiny bit of regret--an absence. I have grown accustomed to the piece on my design board and miss it though I know it will have a good home.

But I can't linger long in this feeling of regret--there is too much to do. I eat lunch and then get back to work.

And you--do you miss work when you send it out into the world? Or are you so eager to move on to a new piece? Any any tips on working faster--is it possible?

stake out--Mothertown Quilt Guild

It was a dark and stormy night. This was where Google maps had landed me--an unnumbered church lot in the middle of Massachusetts. Alone. Outside it was cold.  Was I at the right place?  The rain kept coming down. There was a bar at the corner--I watched cars stop, leave, return with bags of food. On the side street,  cars drive up to the mail box, stop and then drive off. I felt like I was in a Walter Mosely novel.

I confess I have always wanted to start a blog post like that. Never thought I could. Maybe I have also wanted to be in that Walter Mosely novel. Or sitting in an unmarked car with Renko on Hill Street Blues.

Then, the lights came on in the church building. Women were streaming in. Such a happy eagerness to see each other. Tables for the Civil War quilt raffle, fabric exchanges, some wonderful holiday blocks--snowmen and angels. I spread my quilts on other tables--a logical progression from the start to the finish--and sit and watch. Collect my thoughts.

I always get a bit nervous before I speak. Can I bring the audience along with me as I describe my grandmother and her search for beauty? Can I help them see why I love quilts and give them a few tips? Did I bring the right quilts to help their imaginations run with ideas for their own projects?

They bring out more and more chairs. The audience grows. New members. Guests. They are right around the tables where I will speak. I get more nervous. Then I start and immediately the questions. This is a very involved group.  How do I do it? What inspires me? How had I planned the black definitions in rivers of autumn--I confess my memories of making this quilt focus more on choosing the colors of each row--waking up in the morning thinking of the next colorway to get the same ethereal effect--some intense and some lighter. The need for the little splashes of light to give the piece motion. How the colors in the corners caused me the hardest time. The black was just something I knew.

I show the progression of my quilts to blue shadows. At first they don't see the color folding onto themselves. Then they squint--get more distance. Follow the colors. Rainbow hills. Hidden lake. I have blogged about these quilts--won't go into them now. Lots and lots of questions. After the talk, my tables are swarmed with women wanting to ask more questions. Sharing their stories--they were just out in Wyoming and so loved first mountain. Hidden lake reminded one of taking off on a small airplane. Have I ever seen? What do I think of? Where do I buy fabric? They examine the samples carefully. Look at my book of photographs. I try to be attentive, responsive.

Too soon, the  break is over. They begin their regular meeting. I pack my quilts and head out to the rain--after all I have a two hour drive home and a quilt to work on tomorrow. While driving I ponder why I give these lectures. Sure it is fun having my work admired--but that also happens at craft shows and at my studio. The money is sweet--and I know there are many that depend on teaching and lectures for good portions of their income--but I prefer to make and sell my quilts.

No, it is something more. I think of the warm shared fun those women were clearly having in their bright church hall. How glad there were to see each other. Planning sewing parties. A holiday party with hand made gifts drawn at random. Shopping expeditions. So many projects and exchanges. I think of their wonderful name tags--they each had one--so different and yet so inclusive. Some with beads, embroidery. I snapped a few photos. Cropped out the names.

And my favorite. She assured me this was her house in Bermuda--although she quickly added she did not have a house in Bermuda. And she was still waiting for the palm tree to grow, she said with a smile. What a conversation starter.

Yes, I think that it is this shared warmth that I enjoy watching. The name tags so no one is a stranger. I envy this sense of belonging. I think of other groups I belong to--daylily groups with hat contests. The shared purposes of business associations and family gatherings. Thanksgiving with dear friends and good food. So many ways we connect as people.  Transcending the "stake out" in the rain  to the warmth of the so aptly named Fellowship Hall where "everyone has a name".

And you, where do you go where you have a name? Do you also have the need for both the "stake-out" and the Fellowship?  How do you create the balance?

the opportunities of rejection

Yesterday the rejection came. It really wasn't a surprise. Sure I had hoped for another result--at least a "Wait List". But I sort of knew it would happen.

After all the craft show that rejected me is one of those very very prestigious ones--you know hundreds and hundreds of applicants for about 120 places. And I know that at least five to ten of the applicants--the quilt makers--are just as qualified as I am. Moreover, I knew it would be even harder to get in--the show likes to accept those who have not done it before. Probably great from their perspective. Harder for me. I have done the show before.

So though of course I was disappointed--the show is absolutely lovely and I do very very well there--I wasn't surprised.

And I certainly don't have time to be upset about this. Instead, this will give me a chance to maybe do a craft show or two that I haven't done for a while. I wonder which one I will choose. I think of my house visits--those have been getting me some great results. I should do this more often. After all, I am doing the Washington Craft Show in a couple of weeks--maybe I need to arrange a time to come down and visit those who are interested. I order more postcards so I can promote myself.

Maybe I can also apply for a couple of quilt shows. I have been going so non-stop that the deadlines usually pass me by. I read a great article on LinkedIn by Rhonda Schaller on "Creating a DIY Strategy for Exhibiting Your Work"--great article--check it out--yes, creating my own show. That would be fun. I love how my work looked at the Landmark Campus. That show was supposed to travel but the next location ran out of funds. Too bad. I start researching on the internet--where would I like to show? So many possibilities. I need to reread this article--explore possibilities. There are hints here

I think of my quilt red barn, blue silos II.  Yes, I should keep my focus on my goals like the red barn is the focus of the fields. Keep this vision in mind.

I read the blogs of Lisa Call--she is so organized. Check out this blog of Lisa's. I love how she can write out her goals for the week--so much she hopes to accomplish. I love the structures of her work, the plans, the way the pieces create the whole. But I am not sure that is for me. I make my quilts almost by intuition--I get the palette right and then it is almost a gut reaction. What comes next. It is the same with my strategies, my goals. I create a general concept in my mind, a purpose and then start moving toward my goals. I don't know if this is the best way--should I write it all down? I don't know. I tend to get overwhelmed with possibilities. I like the freedom to accept opportunities if I can keep that red barn in mind.

And you--what do you think? How do you reach for those goals? Are you a list maker or gut reaction? Do you have any great tips?

the quilts of Ann Brauer--November news

How quickly the seasons have changed. From the golden browns of October--and yes, we did have a wonderful foliage season after all didn't we--to the subtler greys of November--it just happened. In between cleaning up the garden and raking the leaves, I have been busy in the studio trying to get a couple of orders done. Oh and I did manage to see several rainbows this month--including one day I saw two separate ones out my window of the studio--always a good sign.

Let me get down to the news--and I do have a fair amount this month.

First and foremost, I will be doing the Washington Craft Show at the Convention Center in Washington DC November 19-21. This is a fantastic show with 190 of the best crafts people from throughout the country. Exquisite, breathtaking work. I am honored to be included. And even a bit nervous as I haven't done this show for a number of years. I do hope to see some of my Washington friends there.  I am Booth 341. For more information do check out
http://www.craftsamericashows.com/WASH_main.htm

I am also proud that my quilt "summer sky" is in the exhibit "Sew New: Contemporary Art Quiltmakers" at the OSilas Gallery of Concordia College in Bronxville, NY. This should be a fantastic show with fourteen top quilt makers having work here. If you are in the area, do check it out. http://www.osilasgallery.org

Oh yes and I will be giving a lecture on my quilts to the Mothertown Quilt Guild of Lancaster, MA this Tuesday at 6:30. Guests are welcome for a slight fee. This should be fun.http://www.mothertownquilters.com

I am also pleased that my quilt "rainbows of summer" was selected as a finalist for the Niche Awards which will be announced in February at the Buyer's Market of American Craft at the Philadelphia Convention Center. I am in honored company to be a finalist for this award. I think I have shown you this quilt before but if not...

When I am not at a craft show, I am usually in the studio working. Do feel free to drop by--although if you are coming from a distance I suggest calling first. And you can always follow me on Facebook or read my blog.

musings on long nights, changing seasons

Suddenly it is dark when I wake up. When I return home, the sun is low in the sky. Night comes early.

On WMUA--my local community radio station-- Louise Dunphy does a program on Samhain--the Celtic New Year. A time when the boundaries between the living and the dead are looser.  The turning of the season.  Bonfires, divinations. An old Celtic tradition--the crops must be gathered before the Festival or the fairies will spoil the remains. Men and woman exchange clothes.  It is a wild, uncertain time. Hard to get accustomed to the dark and the dread of winter.

Friends of mine--neighbors--have purchased an RV. They are frantically packing and sorting their lives to head south before "the big freeze". This is a ritual passage--beloved items from his father and his youth are now passed on to the son-in-law for "safe storage."An almost melancholy relinquishing of youthful pranks for the adventure and warmth of the open road. Dreams of alligators and panthers in the Everglades. There will be an absence in the circle of friends. Thanksgiving has been moved.

Across the country I am saddened by how quickly hope has faded. An anger, despair has fallen across so many. The slow progress to solutions has not eased their hurt and pain.  I am glad to live in Massachusetts. I am glad for the governor soft spoken, gentle, kind. Sure of himself and his principles. He actually came to town. I met him. I shook his hand.

And I know that despite this gloom, in slightly more than a month the afternoons will again start to lengthen. We will gather with friends for Thanksgiving. Soon, the snow will provide its own light.  Bright moonlight reflected on the meadow. Sometimes even Venus creates shadows. The crisp air will clear my thoughts as I snowshoe to a nearby vista to watch the sun rise. Then toasty warm next to my DH.

How fitting that I am now making a large variation on first light. It will stretch across a wall in a lovely new living room. Echoing the promise of the dawn. So bright and happy the colors. Such fun searching through my fabric finding just that perfect bit of rose and gold, the dreams of the blue rising.

The perfect quilt to be making during this season of dark.  And you dear reader, what do you do to keep busy during this season? Do you also dread the return of standard time? Or is this a time of thinking inward? Thinking forward? Setting goals?

what makes an artist?

Recently I found an interesting blog post on What Makes a Professional Artist? Even the story of how I came to read this particular blog post shows what a small world we live in. My internet friend Valerie Goodwin--herself a wonderful quilt maker from Florida--had posted this on Twitter and Facebook wanting to raise the question for discussion. The article begins with  a discussion of a situation I am sure we have all been--the nurse, friend, seat-mate on an airplane, even relative who announces that they too are professional artists. What do you say in that situation? How do you define what being an artist is?

Now the word professional is one that I think we can figure out--don't we all know what a professional lawyer is? What about a professional doctor? Would you want to be treated by a non-professional one? And why is the term "professional politician" considered an insult--oh don't get me started there.  Back to the topic at hand, the term professional usually implies a seriousness of purpose and certain standards of conduct and responsibility.

The issue becomes more what is meant by the term "artist". How do you distinguish between art and craft, art and fine craft? Is there a distinction? I know there are many art quilt makers who are trying to get their work recognized in the fine art market. There is a believe that painting is considered more serious--and by definition more lucrative--than quilt making or sewing or fiber arts or textile arts.

OK--I can agree that earning money from your art is a good thing--at least for me.  I have been supporting myself for 29 years making quilts. So I post on a discussion on LinkedIN that I am willing to make a blue and red quilt if that is what sells. And the question becomes whether I am then "selling out." Of course the blue and red quilt has to be in my style--I may love the Double Wedding Ring pattern but I don't want to make.

Indeed currently I am working on an order for a quilt similar to first light.

It is an order for a specific place in a specific lovely architecturally designed home. Yes, there is thinking to do--artistic inspiration. How to make it twice this length and keep the feeling for the piece. What happens when the piece is seen looking up at it? How will the sky appear? Will the lines in the quilt echo the lines in the house?

I think of some of the "old Masters"--the Dutch Masters with their assistants and wealthy patrons, Sargent who painted the four young daughters at the request of their parents. Even the "primitive" portraits of Colonial America painting the sons and daughters of the wealthy.  Audubon published his birds in wonderful portfolios that you could subscribe to. Without the orders and the patrons, we would not have this art.

And interesting I discover on reading more about Nancy Natale--she used to have her studio in the same small town in western Massachusetts where I live. What a small world this is. Note to self-- maybeI should get out of my studio more.

And you--where do you draw the line? What is art? What is professional?