Feature ~ Words of Wisdom

some days…

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… it’s just nice to pull out my colored pencils and outlining markers. Go through all the images on my computer and just sketch.

Creativity is a funny creature. Sometimes it likes to play nice and give you oh-so-many lovely ideas and motivations. Other times it goes to hibernate and hangs a big ol’ “do not disturb” sign on it’s door. This year has been a huge growing period for me in understanding how my creativity works, that it sometimes goes into remission and that it’s okay to give it a rest to recharge. For long periods of time I’ve been uninspired by my ideas. I’m grateful to my sister especially (who is another creative soul) for encouraging me to keep doing things, even though I felt the ideas were sub-par. Not to let it go completely, but to gently cultivate it even though there wasn’t much to cultivate.

It actually wasn’t until quite recently that things started to feel less forced and more like the way I remember them. I finally finished the sketchbook I started in January (I usually go through 2-3 big sketchbooks a year). I had been picking out sewing projects that inspired me and also were useful to fill gaps in my wardrobe. I gave myself “permission” to just create something if it caught my eye (and I had the time to do so). Even seemingly mundane, daily tasks like doing my hair or makeup I tried to view through the lens of being creative in a small way. Infusing that sense of wonder and excitement back into the littlest things was important.

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I know many others go through dry periods too (whether or not you are “creative” in the art sense, or your talents lie in another area!). We all hit bumps in life that throw us a bit harder than we expected and sometimes it isn’t as easy as getting back up right away and dusting ourselves off. Sometimes you just need to lie still and heal a bit. I’ve come to realize that that’s okay and not to censure myself for feeling any less than 100% creative. But to enjoy and be thankful for it when it’s there.

Have you ever been through a “creative dry spell”?

~ Hooo boy, have I ever!  The reason I’m re-posting this post I found on Casey’s Elegant Musings is because I do find that I go through long creative ‘dry’ spells and it frustrates the heck out of me.  I hate it when you sit down with a pencil and paper and find that the ideas just won’t come…   You prod, you probe and you try desperately to seek out that elusive being known as “Inspiration” ~ but alas, if you push too hard it flies away faster than you can chase it and your left sitting in the dirt otherwise known as writer’s block (or artist’s blank). 

I have heard the theory that if you refuse to succumb to the dreaded block (in whatever form it may appear – sewers know it as ‘losing the sewing mojo’) and keep on pressing on, eventually you’ll get into the habit of just working through it and then it won’t bother you any more.  I’ve also heard that changing projects is a good idea as well.  This is the first time I’ve ever heard of someone saying “Just let it be.” 

To be sure, Casey isn’t saying to drop it altogether, but rather to gently work on what you can, and if you can’t do much, not to see it as the end of the world.  I really like this point of view.   ~ I’ve come to realize that that’s okay and not to censure myself for feeling any less than 100% creative. But to enjoy and be thankful for it when it’s there. ~  The main reason I like it so much is that I’m always beating myself up for not being 1oo% creative all the time!!  But just like I’m slowly accepting the fact that I am never going to be able to focus on just one particular medium to express my artistic creativity through, I guess I can learn to accept the fact that neither am I going to be able to burn the flame of inspiration all the time.

And this is why it is important to be connected into a community of like-minded people.  They can help you realize things that may take you years to learn on your own.

I can be a Michelangelo-type artist, but more importantly, I don’t have to be producing stuff all the time.  I can let the creative juices simmer away.  Maybe if I learn to let them rest I can create better end results with my projects!  In the mean time, I can not be afraid of producing mediocre works.  Somewhere along the line I have gotten the idea that each piece should be a master piece or it’s not worth it.  Rather, I think I want to start thinking of the average pieces as practising the lessons.   The results may not be the best, and I may never show them to anyone, I may even just screw them up and throw them out.  But at least it’s practise!

Thank you Casey for helping me work another knotty problem out.

xox,

b.