I learned to quilt from my friend Jeannie. She had quilted for years and made such pretty quilts. She taught me all the basics, and then I started taking classes and just quilting my heart out. It's very relaxing for me, and I feel like it's the only time I have any ability to do "art" or be creative. I'm also a huge fan of giving gifts and love to my family and this gives me an outlet for that. lastly, my job is extremely stressful and often very negative. (I'm a divorce lawyer and deal with some very intense custody cases) Quilting takes me to my "happy place" and that's worth it's weight in gold.
I love hearing all your stories. Common thread seems to be a love for the art. :)