Resolving Doubts, 2016 the Winter Solstice I
Written and photographed by Lin Hsin-Chen

How fortunate we are to participate in the collaborative project!
However, the only thing lacking is comfort and perfection. How come?
“A gentleman is like water, which takes the shape of the container into which it flows. He is comfortable in any situation.”
We shall learn from water and adjust ourselves to different circumstances.
The graduation project let us know the deep knowledge of needlework.
Your success is proportional to your effort.
Perhaps it is, as the saying goes,
"It is hard to cook for a large group, but everyone loves to have a meal."

Our fish are swimming freely in the boundless sea.
However, the quilters who made them are limiting themselves in a small aquarium and narrowing their views.
There is a huge gap between the creative picture and the creators.
Although I had spent a month to remind them and give advice, it is still difficult to reverse people’s deep-rooted concepts.
It is truly a problem that should not be ignored.
It is regrettable that we did not study the project seriously and let the boundless sea purify our hearts.

I immerse myself in sewing and I teach a variety of different courses.
My acuity of sewing is like alien antennas.
My life experience sharpens my vision.
Such capacity was accumulated from my working experience when I was young.
There is not much difference between leading a team and leading a collaborative project.
The only discrepancy between them is that one is an artistic behavior whereas the other is a commercial behavior.
Except that, all the concepts are the same, including preparation, accuracy management, responsibility, precise procedure setting and solutions to mistakes.
Furthermore, sewing also enhances my powers of observation and guides me to look into details.
Just like a marathon runner, I practice and boost my brainpower anytime.
It reminds me of the situation when office workers say, “How did the boss know?”
In fact, it is nothing to do with snitching.
Instead, it is because of the leader’s intuition.
Sewing is like how we behave around others. Only the wearer knows where the shoes pain.
Therefore, the maker’s characteristic can be seen in her works.
The 630-centimeter-wide work not only teaches us to create, but also guide us to relate to people and environment around us.
The project keeps challenging and influencing us everywhere and anytime.

Learning is like entering a dark forest where you have to break open a way through bramble and thistle in order to move forward.
Keep learning, but have no ideas about what is there awaiting us to explore?
The overall situation is unpredictable.
Sometime you might feel anxious or frustrated.
In order to avoid such situation, overall planning and working gradually is necessary.
Read the written instruction very carefully and discuss with the leader.
And feel free to give your feedback.
Please do not make your own interpretation alone.
An individual action can undermine the entire plan.
The key point to a successful collaborative project is making everything clear and positive.
It’s a pity that we are forced to accept the final result because of a few people being selfish and self-righteous.
The project is still considered to be successful. It is also an important life experience.
However, it is terrible that the one who interrupt the teamwork doesn’t seem to learn the lesson and make corrections.

When we learn to see things from multiple angles, we are enlightened.
Everything happens for a reason.
Immature people often doubt others.
They don’t solve problems by understanding.
Over time, such behavior will become a barrier for us to observe the world and get along with others.
The world is colorful and beautiful and there are lots of wonderful things await us to discover.
So, just open your eyes and mind.

Hope everyone has learned a bit from the wisdom of sea and applied them to your life.
Be soft as water so that you can adapt to all kinds of situations.
Strengthen your mind and broaden your horizons.
Besides, may seawater will fill our hearts that were once occupied with desire.
Although the Happy Sea project is coming to an end and there is nothing we can do to change the facts, we can make slight adjustment to make the work better and look into the future.
This is what a wise man should do!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the hard works and cooperation!
Best wishes to you all!