To mark the 20th anniversary of my first baby quilt, I have been reflecting on what I have learned along the way. Creative Backstory is a series of blog posts each highlighting a different year. I invite you to share your creative backstory. Each day, I will post an optional prompt. Leave your response as a comment below or on my Serendipity Facebook page or use the tag #creativebackstory or Instagram and I will add your name to my Creative Backstory Giveaway. I look forward to reading about what has shaped your creative life.
Learning from Nancy Crow
I first retired from legal practice in 2004 but later returned for nine months while one of the other lawyers took parental leave. This was an unexpected work assignment. With some of the bonus income, I decided to invest in my creative practice by taking a workshop with Nancy Crow at the Crow Barn in Ohio in July 2006.
Here are some contemporaneous blog posts:
- Improvising with Nancy: about Unplugged (pictured below)
- The Agony & the Ectasy
- More Photos from the Crow Barn
- Reflections on Nancy
It was an exhilarating and exhausting experience. From time to time I pull out the working notes from those classes and still derive new insights and wisdom. Design commentary aside, for me the enduring takeaway is the value of a strong work ethic and removing distractions. Do the work. No excuses.
Contemporary Quiltmaking with Nancy Crow
In 2008 Nancy Crow presented a lecture at the International Quilt Museum that is available for viewing on YouTube:
Mastery: Sustaining Momentum
In this 2016 interview, Nancy talks about working in series and growth and connection:
Sharing Stories: Prompt # 5 & Giveaway
I invite you to share your creative backstory. Here are are some optional prompts:
- have you ever had a “lightbulb moment” or value reinforcement in a workshop?
- if you could take a class with any person, who would it be?
Leave your response as a comment below or use the tag #creativebackstory on Facebook or Instagram. I look forward to reading about what has shaped your creative life and will put your name into my celebratory giveaway. At the end of June, after I have completed Creative Backstory posts, I will select one commenter and, pandemic postal system permitting, this King Parrot textile sketch will wing its way to a new home.
