Initiative Challenge

I've been reading others' posts on this blog with interest and a frequent nod of understanding. I occasionally sketch, roughly, what idea I have in my head...but words and ideas often shape my work.

I was out of the loop for several weeks visiting in Ghana when the conversations amongst the other members occurred. Actually, as I had no email connection I missed out on a lot...so my initial understanding of the whole process was unformed. And, frankly, I was pretty much dumbstruck (which is going some for me) by the word "initiative". I always thought I "had" it but I wasn't so sure just what "it" was.

So, I hit my thesaurus and made a list of synonyms. I carried that list with me for days...quite literally. I started free-associating and discovered that when I did that in my studio...with fabric at hand...real things started happening. Weird.

I finished the piece yesterday. Its working title was "Free-associating". Yesterday it earned "Spunk" for its label.

My non-creative creative process.

I thought I'd jump in and talk about my process now that I finally have an idea. I don't know exactly how I came around to my design process but I am sure it's born a little out of my lack of art education and, frankly, artistic ability. I identify myself more as a craftsperson than an artist. I master skills easy. Design is much harder. Of course that's the reason that I join challenges like this. I'll never learn if I don't try!

I also have to respect my personality. I am not a "swath of color" person. I live in the details and I'm very happy there. I have tried to be the abstract artist and have realized that's it's just not me. I admire people that can do interpretative art but it's not me. I'll buy that art! I'll never make it.

For this challenge I started almost the same as Sue. I rarely sketch simply because I can't draw. I rely on words and rules. I started with the words. I made lists of other words that relate to initiative.

Then I was overwhelmed.

Then one day in my "idea chamber", shower, I realized that initiative meant to do SOMETHING! That's when my whole though process changed gear and I started to think about what I wanted to get from this process and what kinds of techniques I wanted to explore.

I decided that I wanted to try to do this entire challenge as a related series. That means that there's a technique that I want to explore through each challenge and that will be the basis for all of my pieces. My challenge will be to build and develop on that technique.

..and that's where I am now! I will not start construction until Christmas break but I've known all along that would be the situation. Now you all know what I will be doing Christmas and New Year's weekend!

The process

When Judy posted the first word for our challenge my first thought was that I was in big trouble. At first I felt no connection to the word at all so my first attempt to glean some inspiration from it was to print the word and it's definition out on some paper and tack it up in the studio. I left it there for a few days hoping that I'd be struck by an idea if I occasionally glanced at it.

Well that didn't work so my next step was to do some rough word association and mind mapping in my sketchbook.

This helped me form a more personal connection to the word and once I had that connection the ideas on how I could represent it started to come pretty easily. Once I narrowed down my ideas and found the one that I felt was the best representation my quilt came together fairly quickly.

I'll be back on the 15th with a photo of my finished quilt....

A beginning

Being visual rather than a word person, I was really stopped by the word Initiative. Then I did a mental mind map and decided that it was a good choice as this is a beginning of a new Art group-the Initial project. We are taking the Initiative and starting the initial piece. As you can guess, I got hung up on the letter I. So what to do.

To test repeat blocks, I use Electric Quilt, because I can try them out quickly and rearrange them at the push of a button. Today I post my first attempt.  As you can see, it's time for a new ink cartridge, but you can still see the idea. This is boring and not the way I want to start the year-looks too traditional which is not me.

Stay tuned. Next week I'll post the second try.

Ruminations on Initiative

We recently discussed amongst ourselves that any of us who has the notion to share thoughts on our creative process relating to our challenges should feel free to blog about them. So here I am, first out of the gate.

Two of the several definitions of "initiative" that Judy posted really spoke to me...

1. the action of taking the first step or move; responsibility for beginning or originating; and
2. the characteristic of originating new ideas or methods; ability to think and act without being urged; enterprise

I did some further research in dictionaries and the thesaurus (one of my favorite book, by the way), and I came up with a few elaborations to guide me in developing a quilt based on "initiative."

1. energy or aptitude displayed in initiation of action
2. at one's own discretion, independent of outside influence or control
3. one's personal responsible decision
4. readiness to embark on a new venture

And a few additional words that came to me when I mindmapped were: volition, emergence, energy, fire, force, verve and thrust.

"Initiative" is a really challenging theme to portray visually. Many of the group have been struggling to develop an idea. I'm really anxious to see what we all come up with on January 15.

I am working on my piece this weekend. I had an interesting construction dilemma to deal with yesterday -- I had difficulty sewing on some of the fabric I'd selected (more on that when I reveal my finished piece) -- but I ended the day with the problem resolved in a way that I like far better than the original. I love how lemons can become lemonade!

Connie

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day!

Initiative

I am really excited about getting started on this project and announcing the first theme. I though about this a long time and decided that the theme 'INITIATIVE' would be a great way to start. Here is the definition:

Initiative:

noun

1. the action of taking the first step or move; responsibility for beginning or originating
2. the characteristic of originating new ideas or methods; ability to think and act without being urged; enterprise

3.

1. the right of a legislature to introduce new legislation on some specified matter
2. the right of a group of citizens to introduce a matter for legislation either to the legislature or directly to the voters
3. the procedure by which such matters are introduced, usually by a petition signed by a specified percentage of the voters
   

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

I have no idea how I will portray this yet but I can't wait to see the results. Let me know what you think and be sure to stop back on 1/15 to see everyone's interpretation of the theme.

Judy