“Soulful creativity comes from not knowing were you’re headed.”
The course starts at 10 am.
I arrive at 9:30 thinking I’ll be the first person there.
It makes sense because that’s usually the way.
I come in with the sewing machine and box of essentials.
In my eye line, I see many women already set up and ready.
Set up and Ready!?
Unknowingly, these women had already bought the book and were prepared.
I was not.
As I hear the sewing machine plonk down onto the table,
I feel my heart starting to race.
“Have I missed something?” I thought to myself.
So I do what I always do in these moments.
I breath.
Inhale, exhale.
“What am I doing here?”
I don’t know.
I see the Rachael Daisy’s quilts displayed throughout the back of the room.
My eye is pleased with the circular designs.
Her colour choices calm me almost instantaneously.
I don’t know who she is.
I gather the person signing the books is Racheal.
I was looking through the Addicted to Fabric Workshops and the circle photo caught my eye and when I inquired within, it felt good. So I booked.
These days, the less I know the better.
It keeps me grounded.
No expectations.
Um, well, except for my idea of how the morning would begin.
It doesn’t happen anything like I expected.
There is no acquainting myself with the environment before anyone arrives.
“Why is this happening to me?” I ask myself.
I don’t know.
But I’m sure that it’ll all be amazing and work out as it is meant to.
♥️
Holly’s Whizz Bang Example 1
What I learnt from the two days is that any form of creativity is good for the soul.
It is how the soul expresses its essence.
What makes it even better is by not planning but just going with the flow,
And allowing the teacher to guide you through her process.
Rachael led us through each type circle design with a ‘let’s just wait and see what evolves’ guidance.
Here’s the catch….
Soulful creativity comes from not knowing were you’re headed.
That’s soulful.
To not know where the piece of whatever you are doing will end up.
No outcome.
No intention.
Just pick and choose fabrics that feel right.
I love how Rachael Daisy presents the course.
Before I arrive, I have an idea of what fabrics I will use.
Even though I have no idea what I am going to be doing.
I have to have some sense of control, even if it’s a little bit.
I suppose the control came from my idea of how the morning is supposed to start….
… and I don’t start with using the yellow fabrics that I anticipate using.
So much for control.
♥️
Holly’s Whizz Bang Example 2
As the two days unfolded,
I became more exhilarated by the unknown.
Giggling to myself, especially a lot during the second day,
I found it amusing that I was so far behind.
No longer was I the first to get to the course and not was I the first to get done each task.
I had no idea what is going on and that’s ok.
So why not just go with the flow?
Which is exactly what I did.
It opened up this real sense of curiosity about what I was learning.
As the workshop continued, I felt more relaxed and thus the room felt more relaxed too.
Go figure.
I got to know the women around me.
It was lovely to talk,
To listen.
To see the designs everyone else was creating.
To appreciate other people’s colour choices even though it wasn’t what I would have chosen.
To see how everyone’s internal world came out in their external creation.
To be inspired by everyone’s creation, including my own.
♥️
Holly’s Whizz Bang Example 3
I learnt about the difference between quilting with a prepared outcome and quilting without a prepared outcome.
When I have an idea about the outcome, like creating an award winning quilt, I go nowhere fast.
It spoils the flow and the soulful experience.
When I have an ‘I don’t know where I’ll end up’ frame of mind, that’s when the magic happens.
When I let go of outcomes, anything is possible.
The Whizz Bang 2 Day workshop with Rachael Daisy solidified this realisation.
It grounded it into my body.
I get it.
I loved how Rachael taught the class.
Nothing was prescribed.
It was all about learning a new technique and then just making a start and seeing where you go.
No outcome.
Surprisingly, with the direction of a technique and without an idea, a plan, an intended outcome, I am so very happy with the results that came from the 2 days…
Well, 3 days actually, because I went home and finished them all off.
Being one of the last to complete each piece of work was an amazing experience too.
I got to see life from the other side of the tracks.
To slow down,
To honour the process-
The awkwardness of doing something new,
The tiredness from the night before,
The fear of the unknown, of being in a room with a bunch of people I didn’t know,
The faith of following an unknown process,
And loving myself through the entire process.
Next year, I’ll be signing up to the Whizz Bang course where everyone gets to show what they’ve been creating and to begin the process of dreaming into the quilts that can be made from the circle designs.
I’ll have some prepared little things before hand so that I can delve into the magnificence of the journey ‘let’s see what happens.’
If you want to take an amazing class, here is the link to Rachael Daisy’s website. She’s amazing.