Desire, Skills and Discipline

I read an article online this morning that was talking about creativity. The author distilled it down to three elements, Ideas, Skills and Discipline. This seems like an over-simplification on a subject that has been studied in many context for decades. However, there is a bit of truth there. As a former Art Teacher with an extensive background, I would make one change to this trio, I would replace Ideas with Desire. Here is why, If you WANT to, you can acquire the skills and techniques needed for your medium, and with discipline you can learn to really be in control of it - this is what lets true creativity blossom.
Desire is slippery, there may be reasons why you want to do something, but in the end it doesn't matter. But desire is what gets you started, you want to make a quilt, you want to learn to use your sewing machine, you want to make something with your hands, you want to play with color and fabric, whatever it is that you want to make, your desire will cause you to need some skills. If you LOVE the potential result, you you will persevere.
Skills are important so that what you want can actually be made. If you don't learn to wind a bobbin on your machine you wont be able to sew with it. You must learn things, every thing that you can about what it is you desire. If it is quilting, find all the capabilities of your machine or hand sewing skills, learn about fabrics, colors, threads and any other thing that might be useful to the art. Then take the skills that support your desire and perfect them as much as possible. This learning and perfecting of skills is where discipline comes in.
Discipline is needed to overcome the inevitable onset of the deadly disease known as "Icant syndrome" Any time you are learning a new skill there can be a bit of fear and frustration to overcome. No matter if you are a total beginner, or have decades of experience, learning something new can be a challenge. Mistakes and less than perfect results happen to everybody, and plenty often. Discipline is the inner strength and faith that you can indeed master this skill or find a way to make it work. It is the thing that leads you to persist and try again, or take workshops, buy books and ask friends for help.
If you honestly have these three components of creativity, Desire, Skills and Discipline, and practice them regularly, the ideas happen all by themselves. Start with the desire to be creative and the rest can be learned. So come in and take a workshop with us, pick out a new book, or join one of our clubs and lets get creative!!

Remember that all our workshops are listed under the tab at the top of this page, sign up now!!
Our Block of the Month will be stencilling with Paintsticks on June 4, Join us there too!
Summer Hours begin May 31, 11-5 Tues- Fri, 10-5 Sat.