My Wish LIst for Rug Hookers

The Geo Journal Rug

This is a list I wrote at least 10 years ago. It has been the basis for speeches, classes and grand permission to do as you wish.
It allows me the freedom to create what I wish with drawings or plans or expectations like my journal rug !


Be an inspired hooker who challenges expectations and explores their creativity. Be self expressive, learn to listen and relate yourselves to your viewer through your rugs. Hooking with heart and meaning will create and inspire emotion and your ideas will spark others.

Let your rug speak, find out what it wants to become. If you get a niggle of an idea, that is your creative self giving direction. It is your intuition, follow it.

Make mistakes, lots of them , enjoy them. They are the ground work for growth. If you aren't making mistakes you aren't making anything.

Explore and luxuriate in colour, learn to understand the science and the dynamics of colour. This is all hooking is really about. Try something new. Take cues from your surroundings. Start to observe the colours in things not just light and dark.

Create something ------ anything, make a move in that direction , you will be amazed at your abilities and how they will grow as your self confidence does. What have you got to lose by trying?

You are a wonderful interesting, original being, have everything you do reflect the fascinating person you are. Your originality is a gift! Do something with it.

Take a lighthearted humorous approach to rug making, let your sense of the ridiculous surface from time to time.

Treat yourself like a hot house flower, give yourself plenty stimulation, food for thought and quench your soul with beautiful things to look at. Take a course that interests you, everything you do will enrich all facets of your life including hooking.
Having space you can call your own even if it just a sketch pad it will be so beneficial to your artistic growth.

If you are not sure how to find out what and who you are as an artist start keeping a scrap book and paste in the things that excite you. Cut from magazines, wall paper samplers, fabric, flyers, basically anything that can be glued into your book. A pattern of your favorite colours,shapes and styles will start to emerge. This pattern is about you.

Give yourself permission to be all you can be. Remember to enjoy the process.