Monday, June 02, 2008

Stories That Are (Possible).

Does anyone else see how the TIF challenges dovetail together? The month I did my SpiroFloral quilt, I didn't like it. I would look at it from across the room, and it had no visual impact. Trying to pull the viewer in, I took something that worked and made something that didn't.

The following month, the challenge was on details. I so wanted to flip the two challenges. If I'd thought of the SpiroFloral in terms of details, I would have left it alone and had a stronger piece as a result.

Last month, the question was "what do you call yourself and why?" I write, that is one of the things that I've been doing almost to distraction since the end of last year after NaNo, but it didn't work with the art idea. Stories on a page, hum how to make that into fabric. Couldn't wrap my head around it, so did something completely unrelated.

And this months challenge: think about stories that are and stories that are possible. Hum, isn't that what a writer does? We create possible stories out of nothing but words. If you want a glimpse of my thoughts on writing, I've created a blog just for that. I might take part of my novel and adhere it to fabric, quilting over it. Or I might not.

I also recently joined a round robin group called Exquisite Corpses. We all played the game as a kid, but if you are like me, didn't know there was a name for it. Do you remember drawing something on a piece of paper, folding it over so only a few lines showed and passing it to the next person? What started as a giraffe ended as a kangaroo, creating a girroo. Or something. Maybe a kangaraffe. Because of the rules in this challenge, I can't say what I'm working on. So that is a story that is and a story that is possible. Once I send it on to the next person, who knows what will become of the concept rattling around in my head.

So I have a number of possibilities. Semi-related--I have a start on my piece for the Breaking Traditions challenge. I'm rust dying a piece of fabric for the backing, then it will be quilted and sent off. Early, but done. That piece is all about a story that is and a story that could be, so it could work. Ooh, killing two birds with one stone, now there's a concept. Now to settle on an idea and run with it. Maybe I'll even like it this time.