Monday, May 14, 2012

Theodore's Wisdom

Unfolding - quilt detail

Our daughter came home from college for the summer with a quote she wanted to share with us.

"Comparison is the thief of joy"  ~ Theodore Roosevelt

This quote certainly gives one reason to pause and think!
In how many ways has comparison touched our lives, and not in a good way?
All of us have probably compared our looks, intellect, talents, or material possessions 
to those of others, at some time or other.

When thinking about my own life, the competitive quilt shows 
that I've been involved in the last eight years first comes to mind.
Although I have a whole box full of prize ribbons -
along with prize money, they are the signs of success in this game -
I know all too well the joy stealing element that comparison can bring.

For me, true joy lies in the creative process and
 no one can tell me if I've succeeded in my vision for each piece,
as only I know the answer to that.

So, Theodore's wisdom now hangs, magnetized to our fridge,
along side family photos and other stellar quotes...
reminding me to hang on tightly to my joy and 
ward off the grasping hands of comparison.

Wishing you joy in all your creative endeavors.
See you again in a couple weeks. 

30 comments:

  1. I love this quote. I am going to put it on my fridge. Beautiful quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anna, this quilt is absolutely STUNNING!! What a gorgeous piece of art. I loved the quote, so beautiful. Have a good week.

    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  3. Like the quilt, we are unfolding as we go along, and inner beauty shows through your work...

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a stunning quilt, Anna! :)
    That quote is so true, thanks for sharing.
    Have a lovely day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. An amazing and adorable wonderful quilt work ! And yes, in our creativity lies a deep satisfaction.
    Kind regards, Synnöve

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great post Anna, and there are not enough superlative to describe your beading here. Just gorgeous!
    Have a beautiful week ahead!
    xo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love that...and it's so very true. I think as I get older, I compare less because I care less what other people think and am happier with my choices. Still, though, I'm not immune to it and hate that feeling of envy.

    I miss seeing your beautiful work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your quilt detail is quite breathtakingly beautiful, Anna. I love that rich pink-purple colour. I spent ages just enjoying all the detail and love the tiny butterfly in the circle and the four dragonflies. I really like Theodore Roosevelt's quotation and it's so true... how wise to hear you talk about incorporating this wisdom into your own life. I will keep this famous phrase as a great reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your quilt is stunning and such a lot of work has gone into it. The colour is amazing. I'm wondering how many hours of work went into it.
    Wonderful quote as well - I've not heard of seen that one before. I think it's one I will try to remember.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such true words. Thank you for that great reminder. It's a constant to keep comparison under control once our artwork is outside of our studios...I want to focus on that deep, contented feeling when finishing a piece I truly love.
    Enjoy the whirlwind of your daughter being home! I keep telling myself I won't miss the mess. HA!
    xo
    lynn

    ReplyDelete
  11. That quilt is unreal! I've never seen a quilt anything like that. Those words are so true, I fall into that trap quite often myself, maybe I need to have those words on my fridge, too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a stunning quilt Anna!Great!
    Ciao Monica

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is a great quote! One of the things I like about growing older is diminishing feelings of comparison or jealousy. We need to focus on our happiness and confidence within. Life is easier that way! Your quilt is so stunning. Competitions like this are very healthy (I believe).

    ReplyDelete
  14. What amazing detail in that quilted image and what truth in those words.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is really stunning! Love the style and the colours!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. this is such a gorgeous post!
    so true!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow to your quilt. Wow.
    Wow!!!!!

    ( and I've heard that quote. I forget it often because I'm human of course, but it's so so true :) )

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh Anna!!! This is astounding work!! Such amazing creativity in the design, execution and finalization of art like this is truly beyond my comprehension. And this is only a small portion of the beauty! Awesome!!!!

    The Roosevelt quote is an excellent reminder, and will be posted on my mirror.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a powerful post. A friend and I talked last week about how much we love blogging - but also how reading blogs sometimes leads to comparison which isn't necessarily healthy. We both agreed it is hard to read posts and not think everyone else has a more perfectly put together life than we do. It is something I find myself battling frequently. I find I'm always telling myself that when I post I typically only post the good - and leave the messy bad off - and I don't think I'm unique in that.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love the quote... it's true, too much comparison does steal joy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Such a good reminder. Your quilt is stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  22. whoa, such powerful wisdom in this post - it blows me away. thank you for this Anna, it's a jolt I needed at just the perfect time. How many times have I allowed comparison to steal my joy? Or my courage? The quilt is beautiful - such exact handiwork and all the hours that must have gone into that work of art.
    happy day to you Anna. I hope it's warming in the northern reaches of the state. It must be beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  23. a good reminder for all of us! that quilt is truly amazing--such beautiful detail.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a perfect quote..and one I'm going to have to remember. Thank-you to you for posting..and to your daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love the quote and that quilt is stunning in its beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Had a few rough days, but then I remembered your post, so I decided to come back. I will print the and put it on my fridge. :) Thanks so much, Anna!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have never seen a more beautiful quilt—ever!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I wish I could have such Wisdom!!! Truly most beautiful quilt ever!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow, how beautiful is that? Impressive, touching warm .... nice! Love best wishes, Julie ♥

    ReplyDelete