Inspired By a Different Aspect of Art

A post about art should have images, right?

Except this isn’t about the art so much as the artist.

The other day an artist invited me to visit her studio. She is an art quilter, a medium which fascinates me, and her story was so inspiring.

She was told in the first grade that she was terrible at art and shouldn’t even try. Next month an exhibition of her work will open at an award-winning public library that is particularly known for its support of and collaboration with artists.

I love this so much, but what I love even more is that she didn’t start quilting until 5 years ago, at the age of 62. She could sew functionally to make clothes for her family when they couldn’t afford to buy clothes, but she had held administrative positions her whole career. She is now a full-time artist, and her work is as unusual as it is intricate and striking.

I was so inspired. How often are we told not to do the things we love by people who have no qualifications to say so? How many times do we not pursue our passions because we are shamed for them? How often do we buy into the message that we are too old or not able to learn something new, especially an art?

She is just now really finding what fulfills her and achieving recognition and success with it at twice my age. For her it was worth it, and I am so grateful that she shared it with me!