At a 5-day art quilt retreat, I had spent 3½  days making a very intricate landscape piece.  With only 1 day left, I didn’t want to start another big project.  So, I made this collage.  As I was “fussy-cutting” flowers out of printed fabric, the instructor commented, “You’re letting the fabric do the work.”  In my head, I heard, “You’re lazy by not creating each rock and petal.  You’re not a real artist.”  I felt defensive. But then I realized that it’s OK to let something (or someone) else do the work sometimes.   

In life, I sometimes don’t ask for help for fear things won’t turn out exactly as I might do it.  Then I get grumpy.  But on this piece, letting the fabric define the rocks and flowers; working with the fabric (instead of trying to turn the fabric into my vision) was actually quite liberating.  I’m not saying I will do this all the time.  But collaborating with the fabric gave me a break.  I think, perhaps, I will collaborate more often.