So I'm a quilting novice, I've made a couple, but hand pieced and quilted, and I wing the patterns for the most part. My family is very encouraging and impressed with my work. But... my dad won't stop insisting that I should turn it into a business and my sister gives lots of "advice."

Do any of you feel your creativity can be stifled by too much input? Do you have an artistic temperament? How do you deal with criticism?

i love critique. i feel it helps me grow as an artist. i am in an art group and often ask for their critique.

my DH is also an artist and many times i have dragged him into my studio for his opinion.

when you work outside of the box most of the time it helps to be surrounded by other artists that can look at your work objectively.

my family did encourage me to sell my work and it was the best thing that ever happened.

i love what i do for a living and it pays the bills and puts money in the bank for savings.

what more could i ask for.

I have a "back off" mentality. Is that the same thing? ;)

Do what makes you happy. Thank your family for their support and encouragement, smile and nod, then ignore everybody. It's your art!

I definitely do NOT have an artistic temperment. I also, like you said, can sort of wing this and that on my quilts but I cannot think up a brand new technique or pattern as the published quilters are able to do. That to me is artistic. Without finding a pattern that I like which was created by someone else, I cannot get started.
And so many of the people who I know (and who've have never made a quilt) tell me to turn it into a business. They don't have a clue. I'm very slow at getting a quilt done and none of my quilts would ever win a ribbon etc. There are minor things that others would "fix" but I don't. My quilts are good enough to be used and loved and dragged around by children etc. Not "business" quality but definitely "love" quality.

When people tell me I should make things to sell... I tell them that as soon as I HAVE to do it, I WONT do it anymore.... there are plenty of things that are on my HAVE to list. I like my quilting to be on my WANT to list. :)

FOr this sis with advice, is she a quilter? If not, I would take it with a grain of salt. :)

With tongue in cheek, ask them to look into it for you. You would of course want to pay the household bills, eat and make a profit so you know you can't sell yourself short, etc., etc., etc. My guess would be that once they do they'll get the picture. Hand quilting is so time consuming it is not a moneymaker.

Yup- totally agree with this!!! Your Dad sounds like he's really impressed with your work, which is nice, but unless YOU want to turn it into a business........
And your sister is being a sister- I have one LOL :D

That is the part that aggravating as anything, my dad doesn't believe me that it wouldn't be profitable.

And I don't mean to complain... much. They are very encouraging. The part that's hard for me is that even if I don't ask for it I get comments..."Shouldn't that be more symmetrical?"... "You sit there all the day and do that?! I'd be bored..." Sheesh.

And last night I was laying out some 4patch posy squares and my sister came up and started re arranging them...

I have a love of hand work of any kind. I have did somethings for money but the folks want you to give the stuff away, not pay you for your time. I like working for myself and giving my handwork away to friends and family who appreciates my time.

Yes, I tell them to leave me alone. It steals the joy out of it for me.