Five Tools for Creative Inspiration February 20, 2008
Posted by Angela in : Inspiration , add a commentEver get stuck in a creative funk? It happens all the time. You know the feeling. You get all motivated to make… something. So, you dig through your stash, your pattern books, even your UFOs… but nothing “trips a trigger” so to speak. So, what do you do. We all know that when you get the “itch to stitch” or scrap-happy, it’s tough to shake. So, where can you go to get inspiration when none of your reliable stand-bys are working? Here are some ideas that have helped me:
1. Take your camera and do a “walking picture” session. Let me explain. There are times when I am feeling a bit restless in my creativity, so I grab my camera and just start snapping. I don’t focus the camera, I don’t line up my shots, I don’t plan a single image. I just start pushing the button. I stop periodically to see how much space I have left on my digital card, but for the most part, I just walk and snap. When I’m done, I load my pics onto my laptop and see what jumps out at me. Sometimes it gives me inspiration for a layout or for a new project. Even if I don’t get that “wow” moment, I at least feel good because I’ve gone out and done something.
2. Invite a friend over. The more the merrier when it comes to crafts. A lot of times just taking my mind off my work or current project allows me to open up and relax a bit to actually let the inspiration come in. Not so easy to do when I’m feeling pressured to get something created!
3. Try some creative writing exercises. I know what you’re thinking. I’m a quilter. What does writing have to do with it? The fact of the matter is that sometimes our brains are so wound up with everything that happened in the day or just cluttered with bits and pieces of everyday life that there is no room for inspiration to flow. Writing and getting the creative juices flow could jump start the whole process. It’s like how exercising releases endorphins. Personally, I like the exercises and thought provoking writing of the Artists’s Way.
4. Play. Another thing that the Artist’s Way taught me is that my “inner artist” needs to play. This could mean going to the movies by yourself, or an art museum, or even a junk yard. Whatever floats your boat. I once spent two hours antiquing (not something I’ve been known to do) and came out with at least 6 different project idea. Getting them done is a whole other story.
5. Imitate someone else. The point is to create anyway. Even when you don’t feel like it. Just picking up the needle or opening the paper stash box can work. But you never know unless you give it a try.
Hello Fellow Crafters! February 16, 2008
Posted by Angela in : General crafts , add a commentEver since I was a child, I’ve been a “creator” so to speak. I was constantly making up new stories, taking pictures, building forts out of books, spending hours in the art supply section of drug stores, and looking for ways to express my creative side. Now that I am an adult and I have children of my own, I am constantly looking at how I can better express that creative part of me that never seems satisfied. As soon as I have mastered one skill, I am hungry to learn another one. As soon as I learn one type of craft, I start exploring the others that are related to it. If I read a book about a craft or a woman who does a particular craft, suddenly I want to learn about that.
My motto in life is “create something beautiful today.” That can be a picture, a blanket, or even just a beautiful moment. Bringing a smile to someone’s face is beautiful and that is why I started my blogging journey with Unexpected Art, a Positive Blog. That evolved into A Fresh Perspective, a Positive PhotoBlog. Now, I present Craft Life. We all know that lives are made up of daily adventures and there is something about a Crafter’s Life journey that is exciting and invigorating, especially to others that share this passion.
So, thank you for starting this journey with me. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do and I hope to see you in other virtual crafting communities as well as in real life. Please feel free to comment and share your own experiences, tell me about your crafting sites, and invite others to view your work! And be sure to create something beautiful today!
