Why I Make: An Unconscious Reflex

I have not thought about this before... why do I make? It seems to be the very essence of my being. I don't think that I even consciously think about it; it just happens. It is like breathing: an unconscious reflex.

I can be riding in the car with my husband discussing the most mundane topic or looking at the passing landscape and the next thing you know, I am diving in my purse for a pad of paper to write down a creative idea for another textile artwork. I can be working hard and concentrating on a specific artwork in front of me and suddenly I am writing down details for another piece and possibly searching through my immense fabric stash to find materials to set aside for this new inspiration.

These constant flashes of new ideas, concepts, and inspiration are probably why at any given time I have 20 to 30 artworks in various stages of design, construction, or hand stitching. I always feel it is a good year when 8 to 10 art quilts are actually completed and ready for fine art exhibitions. I have several series that have been in process for a number of years, and each has unfinished work waiting for completion. The large variety of commission work that I do also fuels my creative spirit. Sometimes a small portion of a design from a large commission will become a jumping off point for a new piece for exhibition.

So, why do I make? Because it is what I am meant to do. If I wasn't meant to be in my studio at this point and time in my life, I wouldn't have all of these ideas flooding out of me, waiting to be interpreted into fabric as textile artworks. And so, the journey continues.

Textile artist Jean M. Judd has been constructing textile artworks for more than 20 years by experimenting with rust pigmentation, non-traditional dyeing techniques, and incorporating dense hand stitching that gives visual and physical texture to her work. Each work is unique and her pieces can be found in many private art collections around the world. She shows nationally in fine art exhibitions, and is represented by several art galleries across the United States. Her artwork, process, and more can be seen at jeanjudd.com.

Why I Make is a guest series exploring the human impulse to create. Read more posts in the Why I Make archives or submit your own story.