Improv Patchwork Road Tales ~ Intro
Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters Road Tour - with roadie
It's been two weeks since I landed back in Oakland after a two week journey that began in North Carolina (my home state) followed by ten days crossing the country in a rental truck, while promoting The Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters.
One thing I learned early on as an artist -- when I shared my story with others, they in turn shared theirs. The development of an idea is a collaborative process. Concepts expand through the shared, resonating experiences of a community - YES AND...!
Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters Road Tour at Fancy Tiger, Denver
Growing up churched, I was always fascinated with the idea that "communion" happened whenever two or more gathered and broke bread together. The sharing of stories is the breaking bread sustenance that keeps creativity and meaningful connection growing and expanding.
Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters - Fancy Tiger, Denver
Between driving over 4000 miles, performing eight times, teaching two workshops, and meeting hundreds of people and signing hundreds of books in a dozen different cities and towns in 14 days, there was little energy left for blogging. BUT there was plenty of bread broken and shared (even some banana pudding) as I took the concepts contained in The Improv Handbook to meet the curiosity and enthusiasm of quilt lovers and makers across the country.
Banana Pudding - Allen & Son's BBQ - Chapel Hill, NC
Many of you already have copies in hand of The Improv Handbook. At the time I did my best to pour all my knowledge of the topic onto its pages. Even as I wrote I was learning and developing my ideas further. Writing a book is great for expanding the horizon of one's ideas.
Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters Road Tour - Book Signing
Even so, many of the concepts barely introduced in The Improv Handbook --such as flexible patterning, authenticity, setting limits, working without a plan, finding flow, and harnessing emotional energy have evolved further through the fruitful exchange with the quilting communities I had the good fortune to meet in New England, San Diego, Los Angeles, and on the road in Durham, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Cincinnati, Lincoln, Denver, St. George, and unexpected places in between.
Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters Road Tour - Thimble Pleasures, Chapel Hill
Over the next several weeks I will pass along some of the surprises, discoveries, satisfactions, tall tales, patchwork stories and life lessons learned through the people I met on the road with The Improv Handbook For Modern Quilters.
Stay Tuned!