Funny thing that happened as I worked at something I really don't love (hate is too strong a word for this), as it started to evolve, I started to like it. IT meaning the project, still not so much the actual art of it.
The background fabric laid flat, the concept of where to start stitching made sense and even the needle turning became easier. It wasn't so stressful to do as it was to learn.
I think that as life goes on, we serve our own best interests by stepping into the energetic flow of what is happening around us. Being open to life is our only chance to experience evolution and growth. Experiences beckon us forward without guarantee of joy or love or happiness. We are not free of those harsher moments of fear, insecurity, or confusion. The things I love that I work hard at include being present to the moment, being present to the person I am sharing time and space with, being present to the feelings, and feeling the very winds that blow my hair.
I love keeping promises to myself and to others. I love it because its what grounds my integrity. Having kept those promises is like having emotional freedom in very positive ways. When a promise is broken, it sets up avoidance and heartbreak to everyone involved.
This is, in part, what drives me to quilt and to finish quilts I start. I only have one official UFO, and I know its there waiting. Like so many other quilters, I have to live a lot more decades to finish everything that I've already started, and to start other things I see in magazines or online.
Quilting makes me happy. All the lessons I learn from it and the finished pieces I create all make me happy. And I work hard because I really love it.
