Be Ready to present your Laser Statement to the World.

an abstract art quilt in blue fabrics with pops of color
Rogue Wave, an abstract art quilt
Lost in space

Be ready to present your Laser Statement to the world.

Being ready with a short laser statement about one’s passion or business is essential. By definition, random encounters can happen anyway and anytime. Such positive interactions keep life interesting. For many they can be a way to interact with the public in a new way.

A laser statement is a necessity for artists or others to quickly explain to a novice what they do. Art quilts are still a  new art form that many are not familiar with. Each conversation is an opportunity to share and educate. I didn’t expect a conversation about fabric to occur while accessing tech support. But I was ready with a laser statement when that happened.

Anxiety

Calling the tech support is always caused anxiety for me. This is mainly because I am not very techie.  I do maintain my own website. However, I am not always unsure of the words that describe what I do.   Knowledge of the vocabulary aids communication about an issue. That is what I lacked.

But I learned through use. I actually feel better now that I understand what certain words (browser, domain name,modem) mean.  I have learned a bit more about what they are talking about. In their defense, tech support is  always polite and patient.

Confusion, lost in space
Lost in space, the way I feel when I call tech support.

Caught Off Guard

Coming from a position of anxiety, these  conversations caught me off guard. Yet they left me pleasantly surprised. After my questions  had been answered, the tech support engaged me in a conversation about my work. I am always ready to share my passion for fabric art. It paid off to be ready to present my laser statement to the world.

This first conversation began when the male support person mentioned that he sewed costumes. He had several questions about making them.  He made the costumes for ComicCon which sounded appropriate for his age. We talked fabric. I mentioned that the shiny fabrics that the  costumes were made out of were the most difficult fabrics to work with. I said that 100% cotton is the easiest to work with. He caught on quickly and said, ” I should start with cotton, then, to develop my skills.” I agreed. He appreciated my willingness to share my knowledge freely with him. I thoroughly enjoyed this unlikely conversation.

Rogue Wave, an abstract art quilt
Rogue Wave, an abstract art quilt, a fav of one of my random encounters

Art Afficionatos are Everywhere

Another conversation took place when the male tech support  person asked me what an art quilt was. I was ready to present my laser statement to the world. I explained simply that an art quilt uses traditional quilting techniques to make wall art. He shared that he was very interested in art and loved spending time in art galleries.

I often refer people to my website. But it stuck me as funny to say “Take a look at my website.” Because we had literally just been working on it. It is fun to share my work especially to the uninitiated. He  was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. Feedback about his favorites was appreciated.

His favorite of my abstract pieces especially Rogue Wave convinced me that he was a true art fan. Hopefully, the art quilt world has a new convert. Maybe in the future he will be open to search out more art quilts and fiber art shows. There is much power in being ready to present your laser statement to the world.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/06/develop-your-art-style/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts

By Ann

Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She received her education from University of California, Irvine (History, BA Elementary Teaching Credential, Masters in Teaching Spanish) Her first quilting class was in 1975. She retired in 2012 after working 30 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher in Watsonville. After making over 300 bed quilts, she turned her attention to art quilts. Ann is passionate about using repurposed materials often from the San Francisco Design Center. She has won several awards for her work. Kaiser Permanente has purchased five pieces for their Santa Cruz County facilities. Her work has been juried into shows all over the country including San Francisco and Chicago. She participates in the juried Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour. She is married and has two daughters. Ann Baldwin May Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St.#4 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 baldwinmay49@yahoo.com 831.345.1466 annbaldwinmayartquilts.com Facebook- AnnBaldwinMayArtQuilts@annbaldwinmay Instagram-annbaldwinmay

<1001centerstreetsantacruzca>