EILEEN ADLER

I am NOT a superhero care partner because those ‘superhero’ care partners are not in training nor do they exist! But I am living and learning.

There may be a time when transitioning from conception to completion feels like a walk in the park. But even the most inventive practitioners hit challenges and problems along the creative path of care partnering, but I’m not a superhero care partner in training!

And that’s where sampling joins hands with the creative path. In textile or yarn craft arts, there may be a practice piece, a sketch, a journal, often referred to as a sample, swatch, or gauge square. What is important to note, is that there is no right or wrong way to sample but it seems that the number one cause of paralysis as a care partner is fear – am I doing this the “right” way?

Think of it this way – experimenting with different approaches takes away some of the risk and fear, or failure but what is failure? It is only failure if you did not learn anything. Making a sample, or a swatch, can fuel the creative process, no matter what journey you are on, because it pushes the boundaries, those self-imposed boundaries that pretend to make us feel more secure. Taking risks is so freeing and with each one, your confidence will grow.

Life Lesson: "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one," said Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher.
 

Spending Time is a quilt with plastic cards arranged in a kind of radiating spiral designed and created by artist Carol Howard Donati. The cards indicate how she spent time: shopping, attending shows, meeting for coffee, even earning money that was spent using her “plastic cards.” How do you spend your time?