Sunday, January 25, 2015

What is a "Crap quota?"

The drawstring bag I tried to make out of the altered fabric was a disaster.  The proportions were all wring,and then I didn't have enough fabric to make any corrections.  Into the bin!!

This made me pause to think about calling things part of my "crap quota".  That particular effort certainly was "crap", but what about the other things I've made recently?  What criteria am I using when I declare something as "crap"?

Certainly the last two pieces I finished, the Pain piece and "Constraint" pleased me.  I didn't feel that either piece held enough general appeal to either exhibit or to offer for sale. but they both had meaning for me, and were made because I wanted to please myself--even if it does mean a couple more pieces hanging around the house to be "got rid of'", when I'm no longer around.  And at that point will I care?

I do know that some artists do not want anything to outlive them, that doesn't represent their best work--and to a certain extent I agree with the philosophy.  But I'm not a high profile artist, and at 70 no longer expect to become one,  Maybe I should spend the rest of my life pleasing myself, and fueling that pleasure with  the supplies that are stockpiled in the basement.  Getting rid of the stash would please my family a lot more than a trunk full of wall hangings that nobody wants.

1 comment:

LA Paylor said...

hmmmm I even keep my crap work! ER, none of my work is crap, I mean...

I certainly make items for myself and my journey. I wish I could let them go, people ask to buy them but they all feel so personal in the beginning and then years later, the people who wanted to buy them are gone. Of course I am making story quilts.
LeeAnna