Hi First name / friend! “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” - Mary Lou Cook It's Rashida! Starting the Charm Pack this Summer (and some other fun news I’ll share later *wink* keep reading!) has sent me back into the writing and sewing headspace, something that I feel like I’ve abandoned since my blogging days. I blame burnout from the C+S era, but that topic probably needs to be its own post. I’ve suddenly felt a tiny bit of anxiety about writing and creating, or whether I have anything even interesting enough to say or share with you. And then I remembered that I used to be a blogger. |
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My blog was called I Heart Linen and I started it back in January 2007, my last entry was in December of 2014. I used to post all of the fun projects that I had made, life with kiddos, fabric purchases, sewing finds, things I made to sell in my little shop, lots of tutorials, giveaways, collaborations with other bloggy buddies, good news, bad news, you name it I was posting it. |
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I went back and dusted off my blog and read some of my old posts and it was more emotional than I thought it would be, but I’m happy that I took the time to do it. I found parts of me that I had forgotten. IHL has been quietly sitting there on Typepad for the past 9 years, an archive of a part of my life that seems so vastly different from the life I lead today and it’s also a roadmap of the early path that has led me here to being a 15 year industry veteran. |
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While I read, I was intrigued by my own enthusiasm and excitement for all things fabric, sewing, and quilting. Don’t get me wrong. That enthusiasm still exists today, just in a different way I suppose. Within those old posts contained the musings of a creative spirit that had just unlocked a new level of sewing and creating that was not on her radar until motherhood. Growing up, all I ever wanted to do was be a fashion designer. I just KNEW I was meant for a life of drawing and making clothing. You couldn’t convince me otherwise. Then I went to college and realized I hated all the sewing. Crazy, right? I was just sewing the wrong things I guess! |
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One of the other things that struck me while I read was how fearless I was. There’s a confidence there that I didn’t recognize in myself at the time. I posted what I wanted, when I wanted and it didn’t matter to me if anyone read it or if anyone commented. I was just happily doing my thing and loving that I had created a space to share my creativity with all of the wonderful kindred spirits that I had met and befriended along the way. 25 fabric collections, countless collaborative collections, 2 books, 1 coloring book and 300 plus(ikr?!) pincushions later, I find myself not having that same confidence sometimes, which I know for some may be surprising to hear. Sadly, imposter’s syndrome shows up when it wants. |
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Reading those old posts, it occurred to me that I needed to create and make things with my hands to feel like myself. Maybe I need to get back to doing some of those things that I love. I’ve put all of my energy into designing fabric and forgot that the making is what got me here. Maybe I need to get back to my roots and revisit the creative lands that got me started in this industry. Our lives are made full again by taking on creative endeavors. Maybe I need to go home? I ran with this idea and this Summer I’ve had the extreme pleasure of signing a book deal for my third book with C&T Publishing scheduled for release in early 2025!!! I AM SO EXCITED, and humbled that they want to work with me again, but I’m also nervous. It’s been many, MANY years since I wrote my first book and the sewing world looks so different now. |
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There are so many questions and words constantly floating in my head these past few months. Does anyone want a sewing book anymore?? Does anyone want a sewing book from ME anymore??? Do I still have what it takes to come up with enough projects???? Has my style evolved too much since I last did this????? All of the projects and quilt designs have ALL been done already!! There’s nothing new left to create!!! There’s nothing original that you can come up with!!!! Just go hide in the closet and don’t even bother!!!!! *ugly cries while running to the closet* Okay, minus the ugly crying. |
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Times have certainly changed since those early blogging days and when I wrote my first two books. You had a blog, a Flickr account, maybe a Twitter account and that was basically it. Not a ton of ways to share content, but in retrospect it seems like that really was enough, right? Now there’s YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram….TicTac. Yes, I said TicTac. I don’t need to list them, we all know them. So much content and so many people sharing ALL the things. There are so many more online fabric shops, talented fabric designers and pattern designers, and far more resources for sewing and quilting than back in the day.
How does one make sure that their work stands out from the crowd? How do I make MY work stand out after all of these years? Should I be ugly crying and running to the closet? I’ve chatted with some of my RSS sisters and my family about this and they all had similar things to say. They reminded me that I have a voice and it’s uniquely mine and that I should trust in my abilities. We ALL feel like this sometimes. I know if I block that negative thinking, it will allow my creativity to flow. I’ve pursued creativity without fear before and I can do it again. This time, I know I won’t be doing it alone. I just may ugly cry as well and that’s okay. ^_~
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P.S. Don't forget that preorders for the Limited Edition 10 Year Anniversary Tee are open until Monday, 9/18 11:59PM PST. Get your order in to ensure that you can get the size you want! HUGE thank you to those of you who have placed an order already! |
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from Rashida's shop before they're all gone! |
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