Labels - and not the kind on the back of the quilt!

Just a little think exercise for you - answer the questions in your head, or in the comments, or you can just have a general response to my musings! There are no wrong answers :)

How do you view yourself as a quilter?
Modern? Traditional?
The list goes on: modern traditionalist, art quilter, minimalist, improv piecer, civil war quilter, etc.......

Do you find the label helpful or limiting?
As in, are you making projects you want to make - or do you limit yourself because you're worried it won't fit into a mold?

Have you joined a guild or other quilting group?
Do they have a decided slant?
If so, do you find yourself showing only quilts at the meeting that have that same slant? Are you ok with that?
Do you find yourself making more quilts with that slant than you used to? Are you ok with that?
Have you abandoned one style or another because it's not favored by the group you're in? Are you ok with that? Or do you miss it and want to get back into it?

Do you ever feel embarrassed to show one of your quilts to a "certain group" of quilters because of its style?

It really doesn't matter how you answered any of the questions, as long as you are happy with the answer.

Where did this all come from? This amazing post addressing the purpose - and the limitations - of labels. Here's an excerpt:

"There are labels we attach to ourselves...These labels are useful descriptors, up to a point, but none of these can describe a person in his entirety, and none should limit what we can expect out of ourselves.

Can you label yourself without hesitation?  Then something may be amiss.  And more importantly, does it cause you great stress and anxiety when you feel or desire something which does not neatly fit into that label?   Then something is definitely wrong.  You may have started to rely on labels as a substitute for actual experience -- or even as a defense against it.

Quick before it's too late, skip the information and just live your life!"