The word motivation has been part of my conscious vocabulary since I entered teaching college. The word has the same definition and spelling in the German language and in some way THIS word resonated with me the most.
I was in the process of becoming a Kindergarten teacher and the message was clear: Without motivation there will be no measurable results. I recall a whole semester spent on the art to encourage, reassure and entice the children, in short we explored the various avenues of motivation. And let’s face it, we all need motivation in our lives at times…
It comes as no surprise that I have carried this strong message forward, internalized it and implemented it throughout my life and many incarnations of my career. I have worked with children and youth, in home and formal sales positions, as a fitness instructor, and I have been a business owner before I turned my energy to becoming a full time artist. Eventually I was asked to share my knowledge which I freely did. I am reflecting on all these roles I have embraced during adulthood and realize they all have one factor in common: Motivation.
To me motivating others is something that has become second nature. My intent is for others to get passionate about their dreams and aspirations, set goals and follow through. I do this without the expectation of thank you letters. They are welcome as long as they are spontaneous as the one I received earlier this week and shared in the last post on March 13th. I used the partial content of that letter to plant the seed that it is important to share one’s story. I am sure you are getting a little tired of only hearing about me by now!
I was not even sure this year if I would renew this blog/website as I felt I was repeating myself and not sharing too much. So, asking / inviting former students, fellow artists and anyone who has enjoyed success, no matter how big or small, since our paths crossed was just that: An invitation to share… When personal thank notes began to arrive following the March 13th post on sharing successes I was thrilled for the writer, but one strong message came through: “I will definitely not provide a blog post for you.” That made me rethink that perhaps I was asking for compliments, that my last post was conceited and I was in need for affirmations.
I apologize if that is the message you received. I shared the genuine and spontaneous email excerpt as a way to motivate you, the reader, to create a short bio with some images for me to feature on this blog. Did you know that being featured on someone’s blog / website is considered equal to a mini-exhibition? It can go on your CV and when one embarks on a career in the arts every little bit helps. The invitation to submit a bio with images remains open – no thank you letters necessary.
If you have not taken a workshop with me, don’t despair. Is there anything that has caught your interest on this blog / website over the past five years? Did it help you get out of a rut? Did it motivate you to create new work, perhaps start a new body of work, or did it help you in any way to enter juried shows or even pursue an exhibition? You are also strongly encouraged to contribute your story to be featured in a blog post. Have a look at the past Featured Artists found on the Resources & Tutorials page – everyone has a story. Let’s share them!
Anna Hergert, Art & Design 
Marilyn, a faithful follower tried to post this heartfelt note herself – but thanks to the cyber gremlins it was rejected… she sent me the note and I wanted to share it as this was her intent:
“Dear Anna, I love all your posts and always have from the very first one I read. I particularly liked these last two . I have always found your posts extremely stimulating, very intellectual and intelligent with a wonderful use of language.
You have taught ,inspired and stimulated me for a long time now Anna, I remember well my first Art Quilt Campus , how nervous and out of my depth I felt. I was older and a total neophyte in the world of art quilting, I knew so little ,and everyone else seemed to know so much. I had only really started testing the waters of art qullting in 2010 and coming from a background where I did not even remember colouring with crayons as a child, you can imagine how I felt at that my first AQC, a fish out of water.,I remember how apologetic I felt showing what I thought were my really pathetic pieces, compared to everybody else’s. But you Anna and the other participants were so supportive and helpful without being judgemental. I left that year feeling so buoyed up and inspired, perhaps I am not so bad I remember thinking . Because of you and your encouragement I developed the courage to accept having a show at the local art gallery Which was tremendously successful.who would have thought I could pull that off other than you. Because of you I now know who I am as an artist, what I want to do , I no longer compare myself in a negative way to others. I like showing my work , I do not like competitions, I will never put my work in a juried show. I create art for my own enjoyment, I love the process of creating, nothing beats that, I don’t care if other people like my work or not . I like it , that’s enough for me. I am glad that art like this came into my life at such a late stage. I can totally please myself, I don’t have to make a living at it, I don’t have to show it if I don’t want to., You helped to bring me to this place of being totally comfortable with the art I do and I thank you for that, I will continue to learn and grow from you and others and be totally joyful and grateful for all of it.
Take a bow Anna, you are a treasure to me and to many others. You totally deserved that Teacher of the Year award. You have worked so hard so unceasingly these past years giving your all to your many appreciative students. I truly don’t know how you did it. Now you need to rest and recoup and not grudge a single minute of it. Enjoy your amazingness, Amazing photographer. Amazing artist , Amazing teacherand you write poetry too and English is not even your first language! Where does it end. I truly do not believe you have any idea what you bring to the table Anna.
And keep those blog posts coming. I know I am not the only one who enjoys them so much. ”
posted for Marilyn Clulow
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What a great photo Anna! It’s calling to be a fibre art piece. (By the way…..I see my first initial…..)
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Thanks, Nelly… it’s one of my favrourite Miksang photos from last fall when the lake first iced over.
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And yes – your initials are definitely visible! Great eyes!
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Anna, I only ‘know you’ through your blog(s), website and with great anticipation, through the posts about Art Quilt Campus. I did not sense you were looking for affirmation or compliments with your post of March 13th. I loved it! I think it’s a wonderful idea to feature some of your readers along with photos of their efforts. It is very encouraging, especially if that person is a not an established artist.
I very recently joined SAQA for this reason also. Motivation, encouragement and opportunity.
The timing of today’s post couldn’t be better re:motivation! Every day is a struggle for me to find my ‘voice’ with the art quilting I do, and to get down to my ‘studio’ to create…..so your writings are speaking to me loud and clear. ONE of these days I’ll be on the roster for your art quilt campus – you wrote to me very kindly, to reinforce that beginners are welcome!
Thank you.
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Vivian, thank you for the comment and your personal insights. I appreciate hearing about your personal journey into art quilting and that my more or less regular posts (at least lately) are helpful to you and even provide the motivation one needs to stay focused.
Do remember though, in order to get enjoyment from your art practice you need a life away from it as well. Full immersion into one’s art is a wonderful thing and while preparing for exhibitions very necessary. However, don’t ignore other interests along the way. Family comes first and exploring other hobbies/interests often cross pollinate… It’s amazing how one hobby informs one’s art practice. Be mindful of that! 😉
As to the Art Quilt Campus “Beginners” are welcome note – I am sure I worded that more like “all levels are welcome”. And that is an important realization as we all have information to share and pass on, no matter where we are on our ladder to success. I cannot even describe how excited I am to see so many Art Quilt Campus participants past and present juried into the NJS and Grand National this year.
Keep in touch and trust your instincts… can’t wait to see your progress.
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Wise words, yet I am pretty sure my difficulty lies in prioritizing the ‘me’ time in order to pursue this art quilt adventure. I have far too many other things taking me away from it…..or perhaps I’m allowing those things to take over? It’s a balance, isn’t it?
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Vivian, prioritizing “me” time is something we can learn… I know at first I didn’t have issues with staying focused. I was so full of ideas and felt I would never have time to realize all the designs in my head and sketchbook. A friend then told me that she had trouble getting to the studio because along the way she saw the dishes in the sink, the dust on the furniture and floors in the morning light… you know what I mean. She also shared that she trained herself to walk past the dishes and deliberately ignore these types of distractions. It works – it takes a while, but one can retrain to prioritize. I also know in my case, I write lists. These lists have about 6 items on them, I number them to prioritize and every time I have one goal completed I proudly scratch off the item on the list. It gives me a feeling of immense satisfaction… still, after many years! I think the list is my favourite and most effective tool to stay on track and meet my goals.
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