It is so easy to look around some days and feel “not enough” – but striving for progress over perfection makes every day a great day! As with most things in life, it’s all about how you look at or interpret your current situation. Looking for progress and community to learn and grow with is far more powerful than perfection or a competitive spirit.
Creative Affirmation
I seek progress over perfection and community over competition.
I often call myself a recovering perfectionist. It’s no longer something I strive for in my life or in my quilting practice. I will always do my best but knowing that perfection is only holding me back – I choose to release the idea of perfection and enjoy the process instead. This is a common hang-up in the human experience and it robs us of so much joy and fulfillment. Taking a step back and looking within for why perfection is important to you, can be a great exercise in letting go.
And so, I invite to you continue to make progress in your projects! Explore, create, dabble and enjoy all the aspects of the creative process without judgment of yourself or the outcomes. With every new creation you are creating progress, and that is a beautiful thing!
The community piece has been a long-time focus for me. I really enjoy getting to know other quilters and feel that competition has a very small place (quilt shows) in the community. There is room in the community/industry for all the new pattern designers and fabric collections. Each new template or ruler will serve the intended audience well, and competition only adds negativity to a community of creative makers.
I love creating within the community and love when quilters share their creations. That’s a big part of the online festivals I’ve hosted over the last decade – offering quilters everywhere a chance to share their quilts and make connections in the community.
More soon –
xo – Amy
Quilt details:
Tipsy Triangle in progress
Hi Amy, I totally agree with progress over perfection and community over competition. I think every quilt is an experience in creativity. So many times at shows I hear people putting down their own quilts when they see the perfection in some of those quilts. As with anything your quilts can only get better so keep on creating. I have a quilt where the corners didn’t match up and I appliqued little squares on point to hide them. I love that quilt!
I love these affirmations Amy! You are doing so much good by these careful words.
❤️Anne
Progress over perfection – I need to make that a daily mantra. Your words often lead me to take time for introspection – even when I don’t want to.