LaPaz Home Learning

In my last post I asked the question, “what have you done lately? ” and I got a lot of interesting answers and responses.

So I thought it only fair to answer them for myself.

So…what have I done lately…

To satisfy my curiosity? I am plowing through Annals of the Former World to crank up my geology knowledge. It is slow going, but I am making steady progress and learning so much. I have always had an interest in geology but unlike biology have never had any formal education in the subject. So, the job falls to me to educate myself.

To feed my passions? Did you see my post about building a stash? That’s one current passion that is being more than  adequately fed, not only with fabric, but with books and magazines and websites full of quilting patterns and tips and techniques. I also joined an online quilting bee and am really loving the inspiration I am getting from the other participants. The other passion is  nature. As I’ve said,  I am making an effort to nature journal more.It is hard, though, in this weather. Currently it is snowing hard and temps are somewhere on the downside of zero. A poor excuse, though. Must try harder.

To express my creativity: Whenever I suggest my children do art, I  try to sit down and do it with them. It encourages and inspires them, as well as feeding my own need to create. I also am trying out quilting as a creative outlet. As evidence, I give you my first quilt block, entirely designed by myself:

It is a little wonky, a little messy, a little warped, but I am pleased because when I look at it, it fairly screams “Theresa!”I can definitely tell I made it.

To put my skills to the test? Definitely the quilting is putting my new skills to the test. I’ve made three blocks so far, none of them alike. It is a good start I think. I also just today decided to venture into the making of clothing. As a way of easing into things, I began by doing a simple alteration of one of Modgirl’s old skirts into one for JBug. It turned out pretty well:

And with the leftover fabric I made a matching headband. Can you see it? My model was having a bit of silly attitude today, so the pics are not the best:

Perhaps next I will try making a skirt from scratch.  I may even try using a pattern!(probably not. I tend to wing it more than I should).

I am not claiming to be a talented artist. I will never make a living as a crafter. That is not my goal. It is my hope that by making the effort to stretch and grow in skills and knowledge as an adult, I am modeling a lifelong love of learning for my children.

If my children get into a creative slump (which they do, we all do) I have to ask myself what kind of example  have I been setting for them?

It is one thing to tell them that learning is fun, that worthwhile things often require effort, that mistakes are good and just mean we are trying new things, and that they can do just about anything they set their hearts on. It is quite another to live it in front of them–for them to see me learning, growing, stretching, messing up and starting over, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, I think makes a much deeper impression.

Now, I am not saying I don’t have my lazy spells or my creative well doesn’t occasionally run dry. Those things happen, for sure. But overall, I think it is a life choice to make learning and being creative priorities. And our children know our priorities, whether we tell them or not.

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