Be The Artist Of Your Own Life (and Quilts)

Hands up if you ended up in a career that wasn't your choice?

Maybe you ended up there because that's what your family's expectations were, or what society expected of you, but not because *you* wanted to follow that particular path.

Me too.

I spent 30 years in a career in marketing because 1) I never made it to stage school and, b) having never made to stage school, I didn't know what else to do.

OK, so the footlights still hum their siren song in my direction, but these days YouTube has become my stage and I completely love what I do in teaching sewing, patchwork and quilting to students all around the world (Bonus: I get to wear my slippers, but don't tell anyone!). My 'now' career is one of joy rather than following a path of professional expectation.

With my quilting and other hobbies, it has taken me a l-o-n-g time to find that point of joy. That joy does not mean I have to be the best quilter in the world, far from it. But then, I am not trying to be. What I love the most - for me personally - is to play with values (relative light and dark) in bright hues (colours), in repeating (tessellated) patterns; oh and I love making bags. I'm not sure quite how many bags one person can utilise in their life, but I think I probably single-handedly surpass that quota.

Does it matter? No.

What DOES matter, is that I found that THING, or things, that I love the most. That thing that makes me bubble up with excitement at the thought OF making and then fills me with complete delight IN the making.

And I love the fact that, through my corner of the online world, I get to teach and inspire thousands of ladies and gents (you!) to not only learn this amazing hobby, but to find what brings YOU joy too.

I couldn't care less whether you want to stick to traditional quilts, only ever want to do Quilt As You Go quilts, want to play with free motion quilting on whole cloth quilts, or you want to turn hexies into bags. What I DO care about, very deeply, is that you find YOU in amongst all of this.

I can teach you the skills, but it's up to you to play and experiment and kiss a few 'stitching' frogs until you find That One Thing that makes you bubble up with excitement and love.

It's nobody else's business how you want to explore your hobby. I listened to a podcast yesterday about a lady who crocheted male nudes; so truly anything goes!

If you've followed me for a while, you'll know that I believe that if we can (that's you and me) fill ourselves with happiness doing the things we love and, more importantly, be who we are meant to be, then we will naturally send that happiness out into the world. And hopefully, just hopefully, that will make a positive impact on someone else. And boy, does this strange world need that right now.

But it starts with you.

If YOU painted and created your life, and all aspects of it, what would that look like and who would you be?

Or rather, who ARE you?

Go be that person.

And don't let anyone else persuade you to be otherwise.

Kim
xx