Liz Alpert Fay hired me several years ago to make her create. I say that somewhat facetiously, although there’s an element of truth in it. It’s the same reason I pay my coaches and service providers money–to hold me accountable to that which I have previously procrastinated, avoided or languished over.

Sounds kind of crazy, but without the financial commitment and respect for the professional I hired, I had not preciously achieved what it was I set out to do.

Liz is an extraordinary artist with an extraordinary vision. A few years ago she added on a working studio to her New England home. One of our summers working together involved her first committing to specific numbers of studio hours each day. That meant saying no to many requests from the outside world. This is significant. In order to accomplish your visions and goals, saying no is essential. Even if it means turning down a day at the beach, lunch with your mother-in-law or being first in line to see Eat, Pray, Love. People who accomplish big goals have had to say no to hundreds or thousands of temptations along the way.

Back to Liz, who is a master of focus and dedication to her art. Not only did she commit the hours a day to studio time, she also broke out of the mold of the traditional rug hooking medium in which she had achieved such success. Although the images here are small, the tree skirts surrounding the interestingly shaped tree stumps, are all created using fiber arts and textile techniques.

Liz’s work is on exhibit now at the prestigious Peters Valley Craft Center a vision come to fruition through creating the dream, putting in the hours day after day, saying no, showing up and letting the world know what she was up to.