A supplementary question to my post last night. This is mostly for those of you who have a professional out-of-the-home, non-quilting related career or did in the past..... how much do you talk about your art/quiltmaking at work? Are you comfortable letting people know that in your spare time you are an artists or is it something you keep private? If the latter why? Is it for example because you just like separation of work and home? Is it because you feel it will minimise you in some way in the eyes of colleagues? Or maybe you even find it helps you stand out in interviews?
Ok, thats more than one question but you get the point!
6 comments:
I don't call my quilts "art" perse. Sure I make wall hangings & I have more of them hanging than anything that could be classified as "art." With that said, I belong to a work group of like minded ladies & we chat about quilting & even meet monthly at a non-work site to quilt together. I don't hide what I do - just like the guys in the office are not affraid to say that they chase a little white ball...
20+ years ago when I started work I didn't even mention that I owned a sewing machine. I worked at a bank and then worked as a consultant. I got more serious about my sewing about 15 years ago and I'd memtion it to a few people but it's only been in the last 5 - 7 years that I don't mind talking to anyone about it. I think there are 2 reasons, the workplace is much more open and casual than it was 20 years ago but I am also a senior person in the company. There aren't many people around to discriminate against or look down on me anymore. (Well, I'm 5'1" so everyone looks down on me.)
I remember when the change in attitude started to occur. It was in the late 80's and early 90's when lots of people were losing their jobs. Those of us still working were a little more accepting of each other. Also as more diversified management teams have developed, the interests of those managers have also changed. It's not only about golf anymore. All that said, my common thread with my boss is scotch whiskey - not golf, baseball or sewing. But he displays the baseball pillows that I made for him in his office. When someone mentions it I challenge them to find a better way to suck up. Everyone acknowledges that I win on that front!
I don't know if I even answered your question!
I've always tended to keep work and private life seperate -- so while not keeping it secret, I seldom talk of things going on in my personal life with work colleuges...
I work as a Paralegal for a trust company/wealth advisory firm. I learned to quilt more than 15 years ago from the woman who is (now) the President of our company, I mentor one of our trust attorneys in quilting and my own office is a rotating quilt show. Everyone here knows I quilt, most love to talk to me about it (men and women alike) and are excited when I bring in my newest works to show. It's part of my identity and I definitely don't feel it detracts in any way. I love it!
My coworkers know that I quilt, and sometimes they are even obligated to look at my finished products and tell me that they really like it! How can there be shame in quilting or art?
Of course I work in a more casual work environment, and it is my personal mission to let people know that quilting is not just for grandmas anymore. I know my former boss would look down her nose at me because I wasn't sitting at home reading Newsweek and Business Week, but then again, I'm the one that gets to choose what I do with my rare free time.
For many years I worked for a national health non-profit in the national office. I never talked about my quilts. We all used networked printers that were located in a back hallway of our offices and we'd find ourselves standing at those printers, staring at a blank wall above them, waiting for our prints to come out. I asked our director if it would be OK if I hung something on that wall. She was more than happy, so I started bringing a quilt in to hang for a month or so, then I'd change it out for another. I'd send out an office email when I hung a new one, with a brief explanation of its theme or subject. The reaction was so great! Everyone really seemed to enjoy seeing my work and talking to me about it. When I retired the director said, "I don't suppose we can talk you into coming in once a month to hang one of your quilts?!"
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