Episode 21: Ricky Tims
Ricky began designing and making quilts in 1991, and has been named one of the 30 most distinguished quilters in the world. He was selected by the readers of Quilters Newsletter Magazine as the most influential person in the quilting industry, and was profiled on CBS Sunday Morning. Ricky is passionate about sharing his creative experience and enthusiasm, and encourages individuals to cultivate self‐expression, to reach for the unreachable and to believe in the impossible.
His discovery story is rich in details. As he takes us on his journey, he shares that he was smitten with the process of quilting from the moment he made his first quilt in the privacy of his home. He says, “I wasn’t aware of the “quilt police” when I made my first quilt…and while it was pretty pathetic in many ways, I wouldn’t be where I am without that first quilt, so I’m not ashamed of it, and I usually display it when I’m doing my seminars.”
When new quilters come across his path, Ricky tells them that he doesn’t want them to be perfect, and that they should simply enjoy the process, knowing that through the process they’re going to get better. Ricky believes that making a quilt is a journey and while you’re making the quilt, life unfolds, and as it does, those events, those moments, go into the quilt. Whether it’s a struggle or a celebration, those memories are fixed in the quilt so that when you look at it, you’re not just seeing a quilt but remembering the things you experienced in life. (7:02‐11:40)
Ricky refers to himself as a creative soul, and shares that he’s happiest when he’s creating. His first creative outlet was music; he learned to read music before he learned the alphabet. Then photography and quilting came along, and now he does all of them. Ricky doesn’t want to be a “one‐trick pony,” and wants people to engage with him whether he’s talking about quilting or music or photography or things that happen in his day‐to‐day life. His overall message is one of inspiration and positivity, and he genuinely believes that we can all be more than we ever imagined possible. “I want my legacy to be that I’ve inspired people, entertained people and hopefully educated them along the way.”
Ricky waxes eloquently about the ebb and flow to creating, and how different art forms inform and influence one another. He believes that quilters can become better artists through photography, saying that photography can teach us to see the world through new eyes, and once we do, we’ll never see it the same way again. (17:45 ‐ 21:28 )
Whether he’s sharing the adventures of “Lizzy Albright and the Attic Window,” his young adult novel set in the 1960’s, his special bond with ravens, or his pull to live in the mountains, one thing is clear: Ricky is passionate, colorful and inspirational. When you listen to the podcast, you’ll learn that his theme is “Carpe Diem,” and you’ll understand that he not only seizes the moment he embraces each and every one of them. (35:20‐37:14)
To keep the inspiration going, visit rickytims.com, or check out his Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages.