"Art Quilter" Aspiring to "Author"

This year I have submitted two articles to magazines and had success with them.  I hope to continue writing and submitting and would like to have something published in Quilting Arts and Machine Quilting Unlimited magazines.  The most difficult part of the process is deciding on a topic that would be of interest to those particular magazines.  Sometimes I feel like a novice at what I do which causes me to think, "who am I to tell anyone the way do to things???".  The two articles that are being published are both of interest to people who are new to art quilting and the magazines were interested in that aspect of them.

So, now I am struggling to figure out what I know that someone else would want to read about.  What do I know enough about to teach someone else in a 3-5 page magazine article?

My work is somewhat varied but I believe I have a style that makes my body of work cohesive.  I know that people who know my work can usually identify it in a quilt show or gallery.  I use heavy quilting using many different threads, quite often beading, and have a unique way with color.  Many of my pieces are collage style using raw edge applique, but I also do pieces that incorporate leaves, trees, sometimes landscapes, and other nature related imagery and themes.  In preparing for the show I have next month I have been doing a lot of "wholecloth" pieces using fabric that I created by dyeing or painting fabric in various methods.  Some are quilting only, others have embellishments on them like beads and suede.  All during the process I have been thinking about what I could teach someone about what I do.  I'm still thinking...

I think my goal with writing about my work is to inspire and motivate other artists to create art.  I love getting feedback from people when they see my work and wish they could do the same thing, or something similar. They feel energized and excited about creating something and I feel honored that what I do makes them feel that way.  If I can write an article and include some images of my work that spurs someone on to fulfill their desire to create art and maybe "be like me", I'm happy.  I absolutely love what I do and can't get enough of it so I love sharing that with others.  Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted everyone to be happy so doing something that helps people feel that way is, as Martha says, "a good thing!"

Once I get my show off the ground in September I will be returning to my laptop to try to write more articles. Watch for my first one to appear in The Quilt Life magazine in their October issue.  It is about Strata Art Quilts which are what I call long narrow quilts composed of varied width strips of fabric.  It's a great style of art quilt for beginners or for those, like me, who like to take a break from challenging projects to do something fun and beautiful that doesn't take a whole lot of time.