Classes & Lectures

©Creating the Creator, In Imagio Dei

When I was asked to do a self portrait as part of a group show, I felt a certain reticence. I have some seriously negative body images, and It’s hard for me to picture myself. But true to form I started to think about what I do, and not about how I look. I see myself with fabric running through my hands, as I often spend time simply handling fabric. When I do that the fabric transforms itself into other things.

"What things?" Mostly living things like Dragonflies, zinnias, herons, fish, frogs and ladybugs. These are things give me immense joy. Then I finally pictured myself, as I feel, dumpy and lumpy but able to create, a green frog.

Those who know me well will notice that she’s a skinny frog, which is at best, an affirmation. The name of this workshop is Latin for In the Image of God. I meant no disrespect. If we are creators, then we are in God’s image, also creating as she or he has before us.

It’s a popular thing to talk about creativity and art as if it’s only for artists. I would argue that we are all artists in one major way. Our first task as a person is to create how we take in our world, to make sense of it to ourselves and how we communicate that to others around us. The world we make for ourselves stands as our most creative effort. Who we are within that world is a piece of art in itself. If within that we quilt, paint, dance, draw, dream or write, that is still secondary to the universe we create for ourselves and the roles we play.

Throughout our live times we can play a million roles. Mother, woman, baby girl, victim, lover, winner, loser, artist, loner, good citizen, business mogul, slob, domestic goddess and bad girl all are simply roles we put on and take off as we need them. They’re all facets of the same diamond. They are never who we are. They are what we choose from time to time to do.

But to create, to be an artist, it helps to choose the part for ourselves that supports our creativity.

So what we need to do first is create for ourselves the role of a creator. Who are the most creative people we know? What makes creativity possible? What stops it like a stone? How do we foster creativity without being stymied?

Putting it into thought:

Make a list of the things you want to do or that make you special or that define you. How do you spend your days? What really matters to you? Do you see yourself in the beauty of your garden, or sitting with your pets or hugging your children? Are you sitting at your table to a meal you’ve prepared? In your studio in chaos?

Pick the image of you that makes you smile. Shine with pride. Shout what you’ve done from the rooftops. What do you do that really matters? What defines you? It doesn’t have to be what you’ve done. Think about what you want to do.

After you’ve found that part of yourself, add in the elements that make you feel best. Are you holding a spoon, a spool of thread, a pile of fabric or a rotary cutter? Are you at your computer? Lying flat in a tub? In your garden? At your machine? Put yourself where you are happy and where you know you’re doing what matters.

Now say, “This is who I truly am. This is what I choose to do. I can do anything I choose to do.” If you find yourself getting resistance to these things (like that little voice saying, “This is dumb, you’re not that good, I know all about you and you’re a failure). Repeat the positive part and listen to the echo. Then tell it “ No, Take the negative things it says and throw them back at it.” Negate the negativity. You may recognize the voice behind it. Perhaps a parent who was tired or a teacher who was inept. Their opinions just don’t count here. You are in the image of God. You are a creator, made by the Creator. Your art, your vision is part of that glory.

Putting it on Paper:

Here’s an exercises for Collecting yourself.

You’ll need:
A photo of yourself
A stack of magazines
A piece of paper
A glue stick

Take a picture of yourself or a picture that represents you. It can be anything positive. Are you a flower? A fish? A swirl of light? An Island? Is it someone in a role? Teacher? Mother? Healer? Gardener? All of that is fine. If you have a picture of you that you are comfortable with, use that. Have it enlarged at a copy shop until it’s at least 200 % bigger (if it’s a small picture, you may choose to have it be even larger.

Make your part of the picture large enough to fill at least ½ of a 8” x 10” piece of paper.

Cut it out.

Going back to the meditation, add the elements that show you doing what matters most, in your own power and ability. Add the things that give you joy. Put in the people who are central to your life and happiness. It may be that your picture already has you doing what you wish in it.

There is no way to do this wrong. Any way we do it is right just because we are doing it.

Go through your magazines and cut things out that are tools you need and things you wish to do. Paste them in.

Make an image of yourself as a creator, a person who is in the image of God because we too make our own worlds.

Now here’s the important part. Put it up in a place where you can see it every day. It needs to be something you claim. No one can tell you”no” but you. They can tell you they won’t help, approve, whatever. But you are the only one who says yes or no to your creativity. You alone.Then ask it to be blessed. And say thank you to our Creator.

In many ways, we make our world with our minds. The world we live in is formed by the words we say. Our thoughts form our world. As we shape our thoughts, we shape our world. I’ve never found it changed the matter of my world, but I have found it changes how I feel about it, and that makes me much more able.

I hope you do too.

Putting it into cloth:

You can:

Trace or sketch it your image onto Muslin and stitch it in free motion.

Pick out a flower that is you and put it in a perfect fabric garden.

Pick one color that makes your heart soar and do a small piece just in that.

Print your picture onto printable fabric and include it in a small piece collage with fabrics that have everything you love.

The possibilities simply are endless. I hope that this will help you with your creativity.

Please email me and show me what you find. If you would like I can put it in the student gallery.