Self Care And Weekend Plans

Mental Illness and neurological disorders affects 1 in 4 people according to a 2001 article from the World Health Organization. Self care is part of mental health. But, really, even those who don't have some form of mental health, either diagnosed or not, can benefit from self-care. Taking care of ourselves helps us interact with our friends and family and the world in general, better. A form of self-care for one of my best friends is tinkering in office-work room or playing video games.

This weekend is dinner at my mom's, which I don't mind, but it's with my siblings and assorted guests, which is stressful. So, while I do plan on finishing this current round of edits this weekend, I also plan on sewing. I have a quilt that I need to finish quilting and several blocks for new quilts I want to complete. I'm participating in a quilt challenge from Northcott Fabrics for their Stonehenge fabrics, which are some of my favorites. I have a couple of road trips planned for this summer so I can hit some of the quilt stores in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.

Writing and Quilting

I'm currently reading "Write" by Karen Peterson, and in it she uses what she calls a patchwork quilt method of writing. It's where you write a scene here and a scene there and at the end you piece it all together, like a patchwork quilt.

I can't write like that. I write chronologically, page 1 until the end. Ideas for dialogue or other scenes get stuck in a document called "Notes for Insert Book Title Here". 

But in the part I finished this morning she said basically, like with a patchwork quilt, writing a book doesn't happen in one sitting.  And that struck me. I'm a self taught quilter. It gives me an excuse to buy pretty fabric.

But also like quilting, the first book, the first draft isn't pretty.




 This is first quilt I ever made - it was a mystery quilt. I made it while I stationed in Okinawa (about 20 years ago).
 

 

And a close-up of one of the squares - the squares in the corners - are actually supposed to be squares, the points on the triangle should just touch the square in the middle.   R didn't care that it wasn't perfect s/he appropriated the quilt about ten years ago.  It's worn and frayed on the edges. S/he doesn't care. It's on the bed all winter long.

 

By comparison, these are the first four squares for an Underground Railroad quilt I started making two years ago.  The squares are actually square. The points are points and they meet up. It's a more complex pattern also. 

At this point, I consider myself a advanced beginner or intermediate quilter.  (Examples of quilts by master quilters can be found here at the National Quilt Museum).

Writing is like quilting in a way, when I think about it. The first draft or even the first novel can be like a first quilt, with plot points not adding up, questions not being answered, or a lack of consistency. But just as with quilting, or really anything, the more you practice (writing more books or stories or revising a story) and the more you learn (attending workshops, reading books on the craft of writing, listening to podcasts, etc.) the better your writing becomes.

It's a good reminder to have patience with myself, to not expect perfection, mistakes happen - they can be ripped out and re-done. It's okay to screw up occasionally. THAT is what the revision process is for. To fix the mistakes.

But also, it's a reminder to relax and enjoy the process.

I love to read. I love to write. I love to quilt. I enjoy both the finished product and the process.

Blessings,
Simone.