Inspiration ~ Where Do You Find Yours?
Since my mid-twenties, to be able to inspire people has always been one of my goals in various places in my life. I learned, during my teenage years, that I had a natural ability to motivate. However, in my opinion, motivation is a temporary condition. I found that I could motivate groups or individuals while they were around me. For example, we banded together to reach goals, break records, or make changes to build a more positive environment or experience for the client (both internal and external). But to be able to inspire people has been a life long learning journey. To myself, I see inspiration as something more internal, more permanent. It is tapping into the intellectual or emotional side of someone to do the right thing, to give the most they can (work harder), and/or to be consistent in delivering whatever the focus is to achieve a particular goal, even when I wasn’t around. The “motivation” has to come from within themselves, and not from me or externally-that’s the ability to be inspiring. This idea has been so important to me, because that is where success lies. The success of a business is not one person, but a combination from all the people that has to begin internally with each of them. Even in the individual, success can only come from inside themselves, not someone externally making them do it. Although a goal maybe achieved, it is not defined as a success, unless this individual has found that internal, consistent motivation. This is an easier concept to understand on a business level, but on the individual, it can be harder to understand when reading this. Therefore, I offer this example. As a nurse or doctor, working as a team member of an individual’s health, we try to “motivate” individuals to eat healthier, exercise, quit smoking, take their meds, etc. while hoping to “inspire” them to do these things when they leave the clinic or hospital. The client can be motivated and on board while they are in the hospital, but once they return home, they have to truly be” inspired” to continue these efforts. Various methods are tried, some work and some do not. Different factors and/or reasons can affect an individual’s personal journey. However, to make this concept simple, it has to be an internal drive for their own successes. Much more can be said, explained, and discussed about this topic, but this a quilting blog, not a philosophical one…lol Bottom line, the ability to inspire is a lot easier to write than to do.
It was not until quilting when I better understood a different definition of inspiration. Inspiration in quilting relates more with creativity. Although creativity can be found in our career lives, it was not til quilting that I was able to better understand this different side of inspiration. Yes, we find those that are inspired to work their tails off to do charity work from an internal drive that may be ”inspired” by someone else. However, I’m talking about the total inspiration of creating those works of art. One of my best examples is found in when I stopped at a rest stop on one of my travels between Virginia and Kansas. The windows on the building had a certain design element that led me to a creative idea that inspired me to design an autumn table runner with that element.Since my mid-twenties, to be able to inspire people has always been one of my goals in various places in my life. I learned, during my teenage years, that I had a natural ability to motivate. However, in my opinion, motivation is a temporary condition. I found that I could motivate groups or individuals while they were around me. For example, we banded together to reach goals, break records, or make changes to build a more positive environment or experience for the client (both internal and external). But to be able to inspire people has been a life long learning journey. To myself, I see inspiration as something more internal, more permanent. It is tapping into the intellectual or emotional side of someone to do the right thing, to give the most they can (work harder), and/or to be consistent in delivering whatever the focus is to achieve a particular goal, even when I wasn’t around. The “motivation” has to come from within themselves, and not from me or externally-that’s the ability to be inspiring. This idea has been so important to me, because that is where success lies. The success of a business is not one person, but a combination from all the people that has to begin internally with each of them. Even in the individual, success can only come from inside themselves, not someone externally making them do it. Although a goal maybe achieved, it is not defined as a success, unless this individual has found that internal, consistent motivation. This is an easier concept to understand on a business level, but on the individual, it can be harder to understand when reading this. Therefore, I offer this example. As a nurse or doctor, working as a team member of an individual’s health, we try to “motivate” individuals to eat healthier, exercise, quit smoking, take their meds, etc. while hoping to “inspire” them to do these things when they leave the clinic or hospital. The client can be motivated and on board while they are in the hospital, but once they return home, they have to truly be” inspired” to continue these efforts. Various methods are tried, some work and some do not. Different factors and/or reasons can affect an individual’s personal journey. However, to make this concept simple, it has to be an internal drive for their own successes. Much more can be said, explained, and discussed about this topic, but this a quilting blog, not a philosophical one…lol Bottom line, the ability to inspire is a lot easier to write than to do.
It was not until quilting when I better understood a different definition of inspiration. Inspiration in quilting relates more with creativity. Although creativity can be found in our career lives, it was not til quilting that I was able to better understand this different side of inspiration. Yes, we find those that are inspired to work their tails off to do charity work from an internal drive that may be ”inspired” by someone else. However, I’m talking about the total inspiration of creating those works of art. One of my best examples is found in when I stopped at a rest stop on one of my travels between Virginia and Kansas. The windows on the building had a certain design element that led me to a creative idea that inspired me to design an autumn table runner with that element.
Yep, a rest stop building…my daughter was totally humored by the idea that I got inspiration from a rest stop…lol
I am always delighted when I see someone’s design in a quilt and then learn where they found their inspiration. Quilters are soooo very creative. However, I am more intrigued with their story of inspiration. There is always a story! Whether it is color, something they saw, a favorite shape, a song or a movie, an emotional state of mind, or even a combination of different things (just a few ideas). The story is where you see the inspiration that drives them to create these beautiful works of art. This leads me to ask y’all, “Where do you find your inspiration?” I have seen in some of my Facebook groups, that I am members of, people asking to see others quilts for inspiration. Therefore, we all know that we tend to inspire each other. We even see it when someone recreates a pattern that they bought. Even though it is followed by a pattern, it is still unique by the hand of quilter. Therefore, the question for that situation becomes where do you go next after you see various others’ works of art? HALO Inspirations’ mission to give inspirations to help you spread your beauty and joy in your quilting journey. We realize how creative quilters are, and that quilters are the true heroes in spreading beauty and joy in the world. Quilting businesses or educators can motivate you to learn a new technique. But, it is you that takes that new information and becomes inspired to create. This inspiration comes from somewhere…..so where does it come from? From the beginner to the advanced quilter, these works are beautiful and bring such joy to someone. Each of us is unique and the expression is shown through our own works of art.
Some of us lose our ‘mojo” to quilt, some are new and find themselves confused on where to find their inspiration, some of us are tapped into the world in a way that various things inspires us, and some of us just quilt to quilt and don’t really think about where that inspiration comes from (but it is still there). No matter which type of person you are, the inspiration drives us all to create. So, again, where do you get your inspiration? It is our hope that you will not just share the answer with us, but comment on Facebook or this blog. This way, others may learn where to look for inspiration or enjoy the story you tell of where you found it.
From this point forward, I will tell my own story of where I found inspiration with all my creations. I will begin with my first quilt I ever pieced.
Only picture I have so far…will take another pic and post it, once it is finished being quilted and bound. “Glory Days” Pattern by Cyndi Walker, found in Fons & Porter book titled, “Patriotic Quilts.”
I know I have shown this before, but I am not sure I have ever shared where I found the inspiration.
I have never quilted or even used a sewing machine, when I attended a quilt expo with my mother. When I saw the quilts in the show, I was completely inspired to try and create a beauty of my own. I searched through several vendors to see just what I would try to make. It was not until I came across a vendor that was selling a book from Fons & Porter that was titled, “Patriotic Quilts,” that I felt I may have found something. As my husband was in the military, we were extremely patriotic. It was my third love (God, family, country), and we had learned to always put our country before ourselves. Did you notice I listed family before country, but then said I learned to put country before ourselves? I was a spouse of a soldier that shared my husband with the country. We made many sacrifices as a family for him to complete his missions, and we always supported him in whatever way he needed. I was a wife and mother of two children first. I took care of them first. I took care of my husband and his home, so that he could be not worrying about additional things while serving his country. I also understood that sometimes, no matter how much I wanted it different, our country had to be first, when it came to supporting my husband.
When I found this book, I searched through all the patterns to see if anything inspired me. I finally found, “Glory Days,” designed by Cyndi Walker. I was attracted to this pattern because of the geometry, the stars that show through, and the stripes on the borders….and, of course, the red, white, and blue. It was perfect. I was inspired! Knowing nothing about flying geese, nesting seams, ¼” seams, or even how to use my sewing machine, my journey began…..but, above all, it began with inspiration.
We are looking forward to hearing where you find your inspiration and your stories that go with it.
Until next time, may you continue to be inspired, productive, and joyful! And never stop making your dreams in quilting come true!
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