Sew Thinky Thursday: The Creative Mind

So I have decided to join in on the Sew Thinky Thursday posts. Basically every week there is a question posted and you get to answer it. I am sad that I missed last weeks, but since I am on vacation and I am able to catch up on everything and decided to join in. 

This weeks question is: 

What is one regular thing you do for yourself to keep up your creative mind? Do you go to a guild, out for coffee with a friend? Are there people / activities you do regularly or as needed? 

For the past three years or so I have been running/leading the Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild. Going to the meetings each month and keeping up with modern quilting trend has definitely been helping my creative mind and keeping my ideas fresh. It has been a lot of fun meeting all the creative minds that have joined or group of the past few years.

1. May Meeting Melody's, 2. Zig Zag Pattern, 3. HeartPillow.OnBed, 4. Newtown Auction Pillow, 5. Tula Pink Grannys, 6. Pebble quilting, 7. SMQG July 2012 Meeting, 8. Habitat Challenge piece " Nordic Star", 9. Saltwater Quilt  - ALL pictures from the SACMQG Flick Stream

However, I have given over my role as leader this last month. It was strange attending the meeting and handing everything over to someone else. Nice in some ways. Sad in others. I feel like a stress has been lifted off me and I can concentrate more on my own creative process and just enjoy the meetings now. Sad because the role had somewhat defined me as a quilter for the past few years. Now it won't, but I kinda feel like that is a good thing. 

I am really wishing I was going to QuiltCon as I feel like that would be a huge inspiration. This year was just not the year for me to go. We have too many weddings to attend. Including one in Hawaii. So that will be taking all of my vacation funds. Maybe I can find some inspiration there. :)

I also often feed my creative process through reading everyone else's blogs, flickr and pinning to pinterest. Oh pinning you creative inspiration space that often takes away from my creative time.   

Speaking of taking away from creative time. I really should be going so I can go get everything I need to get done and get back in my sewing room.