I also got to hang with current and former Word Whores - James Moore, Linda Robertson and Allison Pang.
But it's funny to contemplate at this moment, as I sit in the hotel lobby on Sunday morning, after being in the bar last night talking to people past 1:30 - and people are stopping by to chat and say goodbye - what else I do creatively besides write.
Because I'm pretty sure talking in the bar doesn't count.
Also, if I were at home, I would pull out my photograph album of various projects and scan them in to show you how I used to do things like make quilts. I made a king-sized wedding ring quilt in expanding shades of green. I also made a watercolor quilt and used to make custom baby quilts. That was just one kick among many hobbies, but quilting stands out in my mind because I very deliberately gave it up.
In order to write.
It seems like a silly thing, because obviously those activities aren't in direct opposition. Still, as I struggled to move myself into a creative habit of producing words regularly, I found that I'd practice various avoidance techniques by starting other projects. So I went cold turkey and put all of my quilting supplies away.
I can see that, one day, I'll sew again, just as I'll garden more and maybe get back into drawing and painting.
It was the right choice because it worked. As if I had to close off those other avenues to force my energy and creativity into the one path. Kind of like increasing the water pressure to clear and open those pipes.
But those are gorgeous quilts.
