how to Define Your Style
In going to QuiltCon, what I anticipated most was the quilts. I'd never been to a quilt show, but I imagined that getting to absorb a collection of gorgeous quilts in person would be fantastic. Today, back from QuiltCon, I'll confess that the quilt show prompted a cauldron of emotion: awe, inspiration, confusion, discouragement, overwhelm, delight. If you were there or have seen pictures, I'll wager your reactions were varied as well.
Add to that the fact that 2 of my quilts were in the show: Oodalolly and Modern Medallion. What an honor! But, gosh, they're so different. SO different. After a lecture defining "modern quilting" I felt completely adrift from my sense of self as quilter. What do I like? How do I fit into this movement? Maybe I don't. So how does that feel? And back to the beginning... what is my style?
Thank goodness for the return journey! As soon as I found a quiet moment, I put pencil to paper to work through some of these questions. On a flight from Dallas to Columbia, SC it all fell into place.
Do you also find yourself grasping for a sense of personal style or reeling from inspiration-overload? Well, pull out a sheet of blank paper and join me. I hope you find clarity on the other side!
Exercise no. 1 {Word Dump}
Make two headings at the top of your page "I like" and "Not for me". Think about all the quilts you've seen at quilts shows, on blogs, Flickr, etc. Maybe review your Flickr favorites or Pinterest boards. What do you like about them? Jot down anything that comes to mind, even if you don't think it applies to style or design. These words probably do actually relate to your style, but it's hard to see how at first. My "I like" list starts with: colorful, lush, saturated, floral, geometric....
Dump all the words, even if they seem repetitive. If your thoughts are general like "Japanese Fabric" ask yourself what you like about these fabrics. Maybe you can add "quirky", "text" and/or "cute" to your list. As you clarify your likes, the "not for me" ideas will start to surface. Jot it all down. It's ok to "not like" someting. The point is to discover what speaks to you, what you want to make or what satisfies you the most. An idea that's "not for me" is not thereby being judged as bad or unworthy.
Discovering what you're not into is actually really helpful. It can give help you ward off a QAL rage that might turn into a frustrating UFO (unfinished object). Even better, it can also help you discover how to re-imagine a current project for fresh momentum!
If you need more material, try surfing a flickr group like Fresh Modern Quilts. Take time to digest a full range of quilts, not just your favorites.
Exercise no. 2 {Self-Judge}
Now, think about the quilts you've made. What are your favorite finishes? Don't worry too much about hierarchy, but put on paper the names of a few quilts that stand out to you as personally satisfying, both in process and end product. These are the ones you're really proud of.
Why? Take what comes to mind and put it down without a lot of fuss. What do you like most about each quilt? You probably can't commit to just one thing you like, so right down 2-3 as the case may be. Some of these words are probably on your "I like" list, but maybe they're new. Don't forget to think about the process, not just the end product. Enjoying the process is important!
In the same way, write down the names of a few quilts you've made that aren't your best work. Maybe something about the design bothers you or the process was too fussy. Or your points didn't match up. Or it just looks "blah" from far away. Maybe you liked it at first but it quickly got old. Write down why these quilts aren't satisfying. Just a few words. Light touch here. Reflect and move on.
Add any new words to the "I like" list and the "Not for me" list that emerge from this reflection on your own work.
Exercise no. 3 {Word Map}
The last 2 exercises generated ideas. But how the heck does all this relate? If you like "cute" and you like "scraps" and you like "color", what does that say about your style? The word map exercise is about making connections.
Take a word from your "I like" list that seems important to you, given your experience with your own quilts. Starting in a big blank section of the paper, write that important word and surround it with a box. I started with the word "unexpected". Now, look for another word from the "I like" list that may be related. I added "improv" thinking of my Oodalolly quilt. Then, I drew a line from improv to unexpected since those words are related. My line has an arrow pointing to "unexpected" because improv piecing creates unexpected results. These lines show relation and causality.
Add most words from your "I like" list, discarding any you find unimportant, and place them in the word map so that you can draw lines connecting thoughts and directions of movement. In my map, the word "scraps" also points to "unexpected", as does "vary neutrals". Try to connect everything. If some ideas seem to be alone, not effecting others, include them if you still feel loyal or discard them if it's not so important after all.
It's exciting to see your word map emerge! At the end you'll find that some concepts have a lot of words pointing to them. These central concepts are key for the last step...
Excercise no. 4 {Define Your Style}
Any concept that has 2 or more words pointing to it is a central tenant of your style. Make a short list of these key elements. (I don't want to list mine because it's important not to be suggestive.) You might put the "I like" ideas that feed into each central tenant in parenthesis to remind you of how to create the desired effect. You can also make a bucket list central tenant called "feels good" and throw in any style ideas that have minimal support or relations in your word map. Hey, if it "feels good" that's good enough when it comes to style.
During this process you might find out "why" you like some things that are questioned in our community. For example, I realized that I like how quilt borders add another layer of interest. When you understand the "why" about something, it's empowering.
Application
I hope you really do write all this down! A written record is a wonderful grounding tool and source of future inspiration. Of course, your style is changing all the time, so you might also enjoy looking back at this years later.
Before setting it aside, see if you can apply these thoughts to a current design or work in progress. If you're stuck, bored or unsure of something, check to see if your central style tenants are at work. If not, can't you change things to incorporate more of what you love? I bet you can! If it doesn't come to you right away, sleep on it. Let your project marinate in thoughts of your personal style. Wait for it. You'll be really, really excited when the new ideas start flowing... and best of all you'll feel confident that they come from within and reflect your personality. Plus, you'll be much more motivated to finish anything that expresses the real you.
At the end of my flight, I began to re-sketch a complex quilt I've been plotting. This quilt is to become the basis of my next class. I am so, SO thankful to have a firmer grasp on my own style because the quilt has been absolutely transformed in the process. I am even more eager to start sewing and even more confident about sharing it with you.
Wishing you confidence and clarity in your creative process!
xo, Rachel Hauser
Add to that the fact that 2 of my quilts were in the show: Oodalolly and Modern Medallion. What an honor! But, gosh, they're so different. SO different. After a lecture defining "modern quilting" I felt completely adrift from my sense of self as quilter. What do I like? How do I fit into this movement? Maybe I don't. So how does that feel? And back to the beginning... what is my style?
Thank goodness for the return journey! As soon as I found a quiet moment, I put pencil to paper to work through some of these questions. On a flight from Dallas to Columbia, SC it all fell into place.
Do you also find yourself grasping for a sense of personal style or reeling from inspiration-overload? Well, pull out a sheet of blank paper and join me. I hope you find clarity on the other side!
Exercise no. 1 {Word Dump}
Make two headings at the top of your page "I like" and "Not for me". Think about all the quilts you've seen at quilts shows, on blogs, Flickr, etc. Maybe review your Flickr favorites or Pinterest boards. What do you like about them? Jot down anything that comes to mind, even if you don't think it applies to style or design. These words probably do actually relate to your style, but it's hard to see how at first. My "I like" list starts with: colorful, lush, saturated, floral, geometric....
Dump all the words, even if they seem repetitive. If your thoughts are general like "Japanese Fabric" ask yourself what you like about these fabrics. Maybe you can add "quirky", "text" and/or "cute" to your list. As you clarify your likes, the "not for me" ideas will start to surface. Jot it all down. It's ok to "not like" someting. The point is to discover what speaks to you, what you want to make or what satisfies you the most. An idea that's "not for me" is not thereby being judged as bad or unworthy.
Discovering what you're not into is actually really helpful. It can give help you ward off a QAL rage that might turn into a frustrating UFO (unfinished object). Even better, it can also help you discover how to re-imagine a current project for fresh momentum!
If you need more material, try surfing a flickr group like Fresh Modern Quilts. Take time to digest a full range of quilts, not just your favorites.
Exercise no. 2 {Self-Judge}
Now, think about the quilts you've made. What are your favorite finishes? Don't worry too much about hierarchy, but put on paper the names of a few quilts that stand out to you as personally satisfying, both in process and end product. These are the ones you're really proud of.
Why? Take what comes to mind and put it down without a lot of fuss. What do you like most about each quilt? You probably can't commit to just one thing you like, so right down 2-3 as the case may be. Some of these words are probably on your "I like" list, but maybe they're new. Don't forget to think about the process, not just the end product. Enjoying the process is important!
In the same way, write down the names of a few quilts you've made that aren't your best work. Maybe something about the design bothers you or the process was too fussy. Or your points didn't match up. Or it just looks "blah" from far away. Maybe you liked it at first but it quickly got old. Write down why these quilts aren't satisfying. Just a few words. Light touch here. Reflect and move on.
Add any new words to the "I like" list and the "Not for me" list that emerge from this reflection on your own work.
Exercise no. 3 {Word Map}
The last 2 exercises generated ideas. But how the heck does all this relate? If you like "cute" and you like "scraps" and you like "color", what does that say about your style? The word map exercise is about making connections.
Take a word from your "I like" list that seems important to you, given your experience with your own quilts. Starting in a big blank section of the paper, write that important word and surround it with a box. I started with the word "unexpected". Now, look for another word from the "I like" list that may be related. I added "improv" thinking of my Oodalolly quilt. Then, I drew a line from improv to unexpected since those words are related. My line has an arrow pointing to "unexpected" because improv piecing creates unexpected results. These lines show relation and causality.
Add most words from your "I like" list, discarding any you find unimportant, and place them in the word map so that you can draw lines connecting thoughts and directions of movement. In my map, the word "scraps" also points to "unexpected", as does "vary neutrals". Try to connect everything. If some ideas seem to be alone, not effecting others, include them if you still feel loyal or discard them if it's not so important after all.
It's exciting to see your word map emerge! At the end you'll find that some concepts have a lot of words pointing to them. These central concepts are key for the last step...
Excercise no. 4 {Define Your Style}
Any concept that has 2 or more words pointing to it is a central tenant of your style. Make a short list of these key elements. (I don't want to list mine because it's important not to be suggestive.) You might put the "I like" ideas that feed into each central tenant in parenthesis to remind you of how to create the desired effect. You can also make a bucket list central tenant called "feels good" and throw in any style ideas that have minimal support or relations in your word map. Hey, if it "feels good" that's good enough when it comes to style.
During this process you might find out "why" you like some things that are questioned in our community. For example, I realized that I like how quilt borders add another layer of interest. When you understand the "why" about something, it's empowering.
Application
I hope you really do write all this down! A written record is a wonderful grounding tool and source of future inspiration. Of course, your style is changing all the time, so you might also enjoy looking back at this years later.
Before setting it aside, see if you can apply these thoughts to a current design or work in progress. If you're stuck, bored or unsure of something, check to see if your central style tenants are at work. If not, can't you change things to incorporate more of what you love? I bet you can! If it doesn't come to you right away, sleep on it. Let your project marinate in thoughts of your personal style. Wait for it. You'll be really, really excited when the new ideas start flowing... and best of all you'll feel confident that they come from within and reflect your personality. Plus, you'll be much more motivated to finish anything that expresses the real you.
At the end of my flight, I began to re-sketch a complex quilt I've been plotting. This quilt is to become the basis of my next class. I am so, SO thankful to have a firmer grasp on my own style because the quilt has been absolutely transformed in the process. I am even more eager to start sewing and even more confident about sharing it with you.
Wishing you confidence and clarity in your creative process!
xo, Rachel Hauser