On Just Doing Things

I think I occasionally drive my ceramics teacher a bit crazy by just diving in and doing things without being 100% ready (she’s right, this can come back to bite you when your hands are covered with clay and you realize you forgot a tool…). But one thing I’ve learned from all the most meaningful projects in my life, whether at work, moving to a new country, learning a new language, or in parenting, is that at a certain point, you just need to jump in and try. Clearly these things aren’t impossible, other people do them. Why not you?

Jumping in to things before you’re an expert means a lot of learning on the go and experimentation. My most recent endeavor is creating a quilt pattern (coming soon!) inspired by the Azulejos of Colares, Sintra. Am I someone with extensive knowledge about quilting? No. Have I read lots of quilt patterns? Also no. Did I measure out my fabric needs before starting this pattern? Somehow, also no. But I have a sewing machine, graph paper and a dream, so lá vou eu.

As is typical, I’m learning by doing, ripping it out, and doing it again. I started the middle of the quilt before finishing the design for the edges. I’m almost 100% self-taught here, so I might be accidentally breaking some cardinal rules of quilting. But at the end of the day, it’s coming together! The top is nearly done and I’ve gotten this far, I can’t stop now.

What have I learned through this process? That quilting calls for precision. To that end, quilting involves far more precise cutting, measuring and ironing, seam ripping, re-sewing and re-ironing, than I originally thought. But also? None of this is impossible. With enough patience, you get through it and create something beautiful and meaningful. You learn about a new way of doing things, and you build up your capacity for tackling new, hard things by conquering a new, hard thing. Learning is fun, and learning by experimentation is especially fun.