SBQ: Mastering the needleart

This week's

Stitching Bloggers' Question

was suggested by Ternezia and is:

What for you means to achieve mastery as a stitcher?

To be honest I doubt that I will ever achieve that level of mastery as a stitcher that I could say that I have obtained the mastery.
Some could say that I am too harsh to myself, but as a person with pedantic character I am not pleased with anything else than perfect knowledge and as I am a mere human I know I will never know everything. (This reminds me of a short conversation I had with one elder gentleman from my Hebrew group after last Tuesday's class... others think better of me skill-wise than I do.)

But when it comes to the road to mastery the basic steps are these (in my opinion) - in no particular order:

• Ability to analyze the designs.
  
  
  1. Why is it aesthetically pleasing?
  2. Why I, as a stitcher, like it?
  3. What are the flaws in the design? (You can find flaws from any design, it doesn't make the design any less worthy.)
  4. What are the designing highlights (i.e. good sides) of the design?
• Ability to adapt the design.
  
  
  1. To have the skill to use parts of the design to create a unique piece of needleart.
  2. To have the knowledge to change the fabric and/or used (i.e. ability to calculate and eye for colours and materials).
• Constant "education" of the eye.
  
  
  1. Keep your sense of aesthetics in good working order by being curious.
  2. Visit art galleries, exhibitions, keep your eyes open in department stores, out in the country... everywhere you go and educate your eyes and mind to see and understand why you like/ dislike something.

• Be aware of what you do.
  
  
  1. Even if you stitch just for fun be aware of why you choose certain method of stitching, certain needle size, certain fabric, certain floss and a certain design - dare to compare the results and filter out the best ones.
  2. Strive to evolve your technique.
  3. Try different techniques.
  4. Never underestimate the path as it may be more important than your goal: the finished item.

As far as I am concerned the mastery in everything comes from the willingness to understand, from the willingess to evolve. Which actually means that I have already achieved the mastery, I am just being too harsh towards myself.

(Cross posted to Solarium Sublime.)