Another Button for you to enjoy....I was reading the recent (Feb/March 07) Quilting Arts magazine about the "Project Runway" show, which I have never seen. Tim Gunn says that he thinks the more constraints placed on the designers, the more creative they must be. To me, this is very counter-intuitive. Usually I feel very limited by rules. Also, how many of us have felt we couldn't do a CQ block justice because we just didn't have the right (or enough different) materials at hand? I wonder if this is why, in serious embroidery classes, such as the City and Guilds, that there are so many rules and regulations about what or how you stitch in order to pass that level.
Conversely, sometimes when I want to do something creative and feel somewhat aimless about what to do, I go shopping for more stash, instead of just diving in to create something. But I really have plenty of fabrics, threads, beads and buttons (not that I'm not always looking to add to my stash - let's be serious, now). So with all the materials at hand, maybe it's just overwhelming to know where to begin, especially if I'm starting a brand new project. So could it actually be that some limitations could foster new creativity? Hmmmm...
I know with the TAST challenge, we stick to a certain stitch, but that's the only constraint. It is very fun to go off and try different threads, etc. with that stitch and it amazes me that I might actually like a sample I make of a stitch I'm not that thrilled with at first. This creativity thing is tricky business, all right......
Happy stitching,
LinMoon
1 comment:
Good thoughts. I'm in agreement with you - it's a bit puzzling how constraints could activate creativity, but I know when I have to come up with something with materials I already have, I do tend to get out farther on the limb.
I became aware of Project Runway last year, thanks to Elle on my sidebar. She's a quilter, but also an artist, and she is much younger than I am. Sometimes I think she lives in a totally different world! Of course, she lives in New York! But she mentioned it on her blog and showed some pics - I mostly remember the dress made of toilet paper. =)
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