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  Challenge Yourself

  Feb 27, 2023

  Would you like to know why I make quilt art? I should say for the beauty or for the keepsake or for the love of giving...and all those are true. But, the real reason I create quilt art is the challenge.

  People will often ask me, "How can you sell your art work after you put so much time into making it?". My answer is always the same. I make it for the experience. Once I finish it, I am done. I am on to the next challenge. I choose to make art pieces that are smaller than bed-sized quilts so I can try a technique or color way, finish it and move on. I never like to make the same thing twice. The challenge of making something new that has never been done before - at least by me - is what keeps my energy flowing.

  The next new challenge is what I get up in the morning for. It's what gets me out of bed, gets my feet on the floor and gets me running. Will I do it perfectly the first time? Hell no. Does that matter? No. Allowing myself to make mistakes and even fail miserably is all part of learning a new skill. One has to be able to have that freedom to fail in order to grow. Growing is life, and for me, it's the best part of life. And, it's uncomfortable.

  It's uncomfortable to try new things and to be willing to fail. It's uncomfortable to believe "I can do this" when it feels like you will never get there. It's even uncomfortable to have the confidence to say "I can do that" (after you mastered it).  (What if there is someone else that can do it better than me (and there always will be). Will people know I am a fraud?)

  I think a lot of people are afraid to try something new because of the "fear of failure" factor. I think back to when I was 5 years old and learning to ride a bike or tie my shoes or any number of things. I kept trying until I mastered it. Then, the impossible was possible. I moved on to the next challenge in life. Each time I mastered a new thing, it went on my resume of life skills. Having lived many years now, my resume of life skills is quite lengthy, but I continue to add on.

  What challenges you? What gets your energy flowing? I will tell you one thing...whatever challenges you...it is outside of your comfort zone. That's where growth is. That's where the magic happens. That is how you move on to your next comfort zone.

  I hope you never run out of things that challenge you. Live outside your comfort zone, because that's where life is!

  Tags: quilt art challenge, challenge yourself

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  Heather says (Mar 7, 2023):

  Great post, Lil! And I love the header in your newsletter. Your logo is fantastic.