Walking while I wonder is a treasured activity. It helps me center. But sometimes I just don't or am too frazzled to remember, to remember to do just that.
Naturally, all expectations were confounded. I've been ever so busy teaching and traveling. It doesn't allow much time for thinking, the life bread of creating my art. I'm heading toward giving up teaching. I do love it when I'm actually in the workshop- but the time preparing, traveling, then decompressing and evaluating when it's over- not to mention trouble shooting the venue!
5 comments:
I too love teaching but am finding as I get older that it is increasingly difficult to pack and do the lugging that seems to be necessary with our craft - or any hands-on activities.
It is sooo hard to say no to a teaching event until I get into the middle of it and then I am thinking "what was I thinking?" It is really hard to give up something you enjoy so much but perhaps we need to take pleasure in our work instead - sharing our techniques and ideas through writing articles and sharing with small groups.
I feel where you are right now.
Beth Abbott
Thank you Beth for your comment. It’s nice to have understanding feedback.
I understand completely. I am at a different stage. Though older (69) I started art quilts later than many (10 years ago.) plus I moved 4 years ago, and had to build clientele and contacts all over again. I only teach locally. Max say, one hour away. I'm still enjoying it, and needing it financially. And still building interest in the medium. So I continue!
We all do what we need to do. For a while I thought teaching would be a good idea, to share what I know in sort of an innovative area. By the way I’m just a couple years younger than you so not so much younger. I started Quilting in the 70’s
I only taught briefly and never far from home. I knew I couldn't handle the travel. Even so, teaching took an incredible amount of prep time,and in my particular situation, I wasn't always teaching what I wanted to teach, or making samples from fabric I really loved (quilt shops need to sell books and fabric). I missed making the sort of quilts I liked with "my" fabrics, and began to resent the whole thing. I had a similar experience prior to that when going into business with a friend to make and sell hand-dyed fabric. Production and vending sucked up all our time and there was little time to use that beautiful fabric we were producing. In both cases, it was a great relief to walk away and get back to creating for me.
Some people thrive on teaching and travel. It saps others no matter how much they may enjoy it. There's no shame in reassessing and re-prioritizing how you spend your time.
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