I’ve been working on this post for awhile now. Today, I spent the day installing all of the insulation in the studio conversion. Here is what it looked like this morning:
And here was the end of the day…
Anyone who has ever installed insulation before knows what a thankless task it is! I love the drywall install as it seems like the room all comes together before your eyes! Insulation…not so much.
But… it is necessary and, as I hinted above, it gave me some quiet time to think about this post.
So here is the question I was thinking about: Why so much drama?
Specifically, why so much drama in our sewing and quilting industry?
I will begin with a confession: at my first Quilt Market in Fall of 2008, I was amazed, excited, enthusiastic, and thrilled to have found ‘my people’! I had just started my job at C&T Publishing. I had never even heard of Quilt Market before. It was an energizing experience that left me just giddy.
However, after my second Quilt Market, I came through the door, my husband greeted me with excitement, wanting to hear all about my trip, and he gave me this huge hug…and instead of not being able to decide what to tell him first…I burst into tears. What happened??
The drama. It was just too much for me. And my homecomings from subsequent Quilt Markets haven’t been a whole lot better. Now…do you know what? I dread it every season. And I hate that this is true.
Now, there are a ton of things I love about Quilt Market and I do come away with great connections, and great new ideas, and….honestly now….I meet some new designers that leave me amazed and breathless and humbled with their talent. And that is what I love. Even meeting just two or three of these potential authors, fills me with so much excitement that I might be able to work with them and to bring their talents to a large audience.
Sadly, this is the exception to the rule. Why why why? What is it about this creative journey, this amazing industry with room for everyone, with designs and people and companies who are some of the most innovative, hard-working, inspirational, people I have ever been lucky enough to meet….what is it that leads to all of this drama?
I absolutely hate it. In fact, it got me so upset, that I asked for Management Training in how to extricate myself from conversations that were degenerating (which C&T provided because they are such a great company to work for!!).
But…the sad fact is: I am a great dumping ground. The conversations I have are required to be confidential. The sheer amount of ‘information’ I have in my head about who likes whom and who doesn’t and who said what about whom and who doesn’t like whom and who hates this or that or the other or who is mad at me for not liking this or that or the other, who came out with a fabric line that they hate, who they heard this scandalous rumor about, and who they would just never ever want to be on the same publishing list with because their work is…… (fill in the blank)…. it is just staggering. It. Exhausts. me.
I have heard enough from others to know I am not alone.
So, this Fall, I have made the decision to ignite change. Because it can be infectious. I have decided to have powerful progressive conversations, to be open to everything, to trust my gut, and, most importantly, to walk away from any conversation that is anything but positive.
I know we all have opinions (goodness knows I sure do). And that is okay. That has to be okay, because discourse is good. But I’m just going to try it out this Houston Market. I want to be able to come home from Market energized again. I want to be excited to tell my team what I saw.
So, if you are going to Market, whether for the first time or for the umpteenth time, and you want to share something you are excited about, or someone you met who you just adore, or some great technique or pattern or trend that you think just has to be shared with the world….I want to meet/talk to you!!! I want to go for a coffee and talk about all the great things you want to add to this ‘publishing conversation’/'sewing conversation’.
If not…..
How about you all? What do you think? Are you exhausted too? Do you want to focus on the great stuff? Do you think there is too much drama? Do you want to see a change? What do you all think?
Insulated, installed drywall, painted, added wiring, installed a plank ceiling, and then I moved in!
