Finding your Creative Side
Questions, ideas, head space
Just mainly thoughts today, or not 🙂
I know we’ve probably had this conversation before but I do have so much trouble sorting out my ideas, my mind runs rampant sometimes with everything I want to do and I find it hard to make sense of it all. I don’t think theres a single day ( or minute) that goes by without me thinking of different ideas and sometimes my head swims and its so frustrating that when I actually sit down to do something I go blank lol I have so much trouble getting things out of my head
So my question is how do you get your ideas from your head to work through your hands
I want to do everything and because of that everything gets so jumbled and then I get so annoyed and frustrated that I have walk away for a while, I said to a friend once that I feel like I should open up the top of my head, let it all out , close it and start again lol Wish i could do that, so how do you all do it.
I think I know the first thing Ruth will say and that’s JOURNAL JOURNAL JOURNAL lol so yes im finally about to that, but first I have to make one that suits me and here it is , see the blank cover !!!!!!!!!!!!
After that little rant i have been just trying to make small things to keep me busy, our life is pretty stressed at the moment and i will explain that on the forum but for now here’s just some small things i did make !!
This little box and books are from a tutorial by Luthian at her Altered Alchemy blog, i really love her work so i decided to try one of these, orginally in copper but i thought i’d try first with some card stock, its only about 1 inch big and i had fun, then had to make some little books to go with it, made from leather.
Then thanks to my friend i scored a piece of copper so made a real one, trickier but so much fun again
Next i made a sheet of silk paper and then !!!
I wanted to make some sort of book of it, i used skewers for the binding and stitched in place
It has 5 pages and i have no idea what to do with it now lol i know thats not a good pic sorry,
So can you see my dilema, if i could work on one thing at a time and get it finished properly i would be so much happier but i seem to flit from one thing to the next because i cant wait to try everything, any thoughts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
32 thoughts on “Finding your Creative Side”
Oh Karen – a kindred spirit!! I understand and empathise! Perhaps I should make a journal too.
Your silk paper journal looks lovely, as does your copper miniature which must have been very tricky to handle, I imagine sliced fingers.
Right, a journal it will be! Now the only decision is what to make it from – perhaps if I make another journal to figure that out……………. 🙂
lol Thanks Judith, no sliced fingers yet ha decisions decisions decisions lol
Kaz, it comes with the territory of being creative! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working on lots of things at once or flitting between things. It’s inevitable that working on something will inspire some other ideas, and that ideas evolve and we discover solutions to something we gave up on long ago. I think the biggest problem is time and space, being able to leave projects out to keep them fresh and return to when we have the time.
The journal’s a great idea, write lists even if you copy them out again the next day and the day after.
The silk paper and the little boxes are really nice 🙂
Thanks Zed, I was starting to think it was just me being indecisive lol I do have a lot of UFO’s left out looking at me lol
You echo my thoughts I have so many ideas and directions to go I end up paralysed. I like the idea of journaling but some how it’s not my thing. May be just lists or ideas . I just am an awful sketcher I hate to ruin the pretty journal. I like the little books and houses. is the idea to use the book in the house or is it purely for decoration. It would be cute to put an inspiring poem in them.
Thanks Ann, Oh me to and its crazy, especially with so many idea’s but when it comes to actually doing anything, bam stop dead lol Yes I made the books for the house but I also just wanted to see how small I can make them lol i’ll use them as embellishments for other things to 🙂
There’s a great quote from Julia Cameron, who wrote “The Artist’s Way” and other wonderful books for helping artists clarify and reach creative goals. To paraphrase: Cameron wrote that if you put the QUANTITY of time into your creative work, your Higher Power (however you may define this) will take care of the QUALITY of your work… This being said, if you are feeling frustrated or scattered in your creative work, keeping a journal is a gentle way to attend to this discomfort. I bet you’re right around the corner from a creative breakthrough! Your post was wonderful, a kind of gift to others.
awww Thankyou wooly, I have just purchased a couple of really good books to help me in this way. I really appreciate your comments, thankyou 🙂
Hi! Karen! Being creative ain’t easy! I guess it all comes down to “doing it” every day.. What works for some may not work for others. Creativity is an energy that needs to be focused, directed. This can be done using notebooks, journals, lists, pictures, projects board, etc.. it all varies within ones circumstances. I find meditation, yoga and walking very useful in calming my restless mind and dealing with the stress of juggling many deadlines through out the year. It is not perfect by any means, it is a forever learning curve on which you have to find your comfort zone.
Thanks so much Mireille, Ive been that frustrated lately that I’ve actually just joined the local Gym, I thought that might help relieve some frustrations and as much as I don’t like exercise i’m really enjoying it lol I alos have been thinking a lot about meditation to so I guess its no more thinking and start doing lol thanks so much 🙂
OK – so I agree that I would say write down the ideas in a journal. But I agree with Zed, there is nothing wrong with working on multiple projects at once. Especially since you have a room where you can leave stuff out and since you’re doing things where you need drying time, you can do one step on one project and then go on to something different on another project. If you end up being stuck on one project, then just go do a different project and often you will come up with a solution for the first project. Nothing wrong with having lots of ideas 🙂
Thanks Ruth, I’ve been tending to do that lately but I was putting myself on my own guilt trip for not finishing things I start. From now on there all works in progress and i’ll relax about finishing things off immediately . I do like having lots of things on the go, it gives me variety and I can do something different everyday 🙂
I sooo empathise with you as I have the same problem! so many ideas – so little time – mind you, Pinterest is a great help for cataloguing all those ‘get round to’ projects. I am lucky enough to have a room where I can leave stuff out but it still migrates – went away for a ‘break’ recently – had more craft stuff than clothes in the case!!!!
Thanks Neecy, I does get very frustrating doesn’t it, I’m lucky to have a dedicated room to so I can have lots of things on the go, it was the frustrations of what to do next and where am I going with this that was getting to me. So now i’ll take a deep breath and relax about the whole thing, i’ll see where it takes me from now on lol
If you have an abandoned project that you really would like to finish but never seem to get around to, try this:
Promise yourself that you will work on it for just 5 minutes every day.
If it’s a bad day, then 5 minutes is probably all you will do, but that’s better than nothing.
If it’s a good day, then you may find you get into the project and end up finishing it.
Oh thankyou Lyn, that sounds like a good plan, my ufo’s that I would really like to finish just sit there looking at me, I put them there on purpose but then i’m a bit nervous about trying to finish them. I’ll actually do that and force myself to pick up one at a time and even if I spend the 5 mins holding it, I might get a clearer picture of what i’m doing. clever 🙂
I am the same type of person. Maybe it is OCD. One day, I decided that I absolutely had to control this or I would never perfect anything. I write every idea down. So, I can review them. But I only choose two to work on at any one time. I do not move on until this has been explored and then I can decide if it is worthwhile or not. Avoid the trap of spreading yourself too thin. You will never be really good at anything.
Judy your a wise women and I thank you, I think that’s exactly what Ive been doing (spreading myself to thin) so I absolutely will use a journal even it is just writing or scribbling things down. 🙂
I feel so much better now, Thankyou everyone you have no idea how much you’ve helped me xoxo
Kaz, another thing to consider is all us lot, we all try different things then talk about it here or on the forum, the next thing you know half of us are trying it (like the Silk paper!).
Also, there’s nothing wrong with just ‘trying it’, not everything has to turn into something, some things have to be tried a little to see if they might work or not, and sometimes they aren’t worth finishing.
Thanks Zed, another wise woman who makes so much sense 🙂
I think you must be confusing me with someone else 😉
Same boat, here! I’m glad I’m not alone, your comments are exactly how I feel, and apparently the other commenters, too!
If I were to get hung up on making a proper journal before I could write down ideas I’d be in some sort of endless chase with no end.
What I do is jot on scrap paper and tack them up in my craft room… “Try this next:….” “Color combos to try:….” etc. Then, when I’m sitting down to actually do it, I have it right there to jog my memory.
I’ve also tried the timer thing, but with 20 minutes. Boy, is that a challenge some times! I have to literally force myself not to leave the room. But I will say that it DOES work to get me into the swing of things, and usually I can go on for quite a long time after that initial 20 minutes.
Great post, it is nice to discuss problems we have in common and get others’ ideas on it!
Terri
Thanks Terri, Very good idea’s , sometimes when I go into my craft room I just sit and stare lol it can be frustrating but now I’m go in with a bit more of a purpose and pick something up, and that could be anything as long as i don’t just sit and contemplate 🙂 I do feel so much better about everything now !!!!
I’m a list maker. Like Terri, I would find making a journal to keep a list a little daunting. If I liked it, I know I’d never write in it! Instead I use a little notebook to keep notes. I like to work on several things at once. Sometimes it helps combine ideas, other times it’s paralyzing. I think creative work requires discipline for time and energy. Writers call it sticking your butt to the chair. Since having surgery a month ago, I’m restricted in my activities, but have found small projects to keep my mind (and hands) actively creative. I like to collect ideas and supplies for projects. Eventually, I’ll pick through it all and start something new. What has been great is seeing all the wonderful projects and ideas here on the forum. It has given me inspiration and plenty of ideas. Thanks. Of course, I’m chomping at the bit to get back to felting, but in the mean time I’ve found plenty tof ideas o play with.
Stay curious!
Thankyou Marilyn, I know i’m going to have that same problem, if i ever finish that journal i probably wont want to use it lol I thought that’s where my problem was initially lieing, in working on several things at once but now i see that i need to do that for me. Im more comfortable going into my craft room now and instead of just sitting i’ll pick the first thing that grabs me instead of thinking about trying to do everything . Much happier me 🙂
You’re welcome Karen. The book is beautiful you may want to use it as a table or wall decoration if you can’t write in it. It’s great you’ve found your comfort zone going into your craft room. Baby steps. We all have to overcome some obstacles in order to move forward sometimes. Congrats to you! Now I have to go work on mine. 😉
xo Thanks so much again Marilyn, Baby steps it is and i’d love to see what your working on if you’d like to put some pics on the forum, we do love show and tell 🙂 xo
I’m in the process of recovering from spinal fusion surgery and will not be able to do some “real” felting for a while. So, I’m doing some prep work for when I can resume felting. I am learning a lot of little things like hand rolled hems for scarves, silk paper, beading yarn, dyeing (I plan to try Ruth’s ice dyeing in a small batch) and try my hand at some small mixed media projects. I will gladly post pictures when I get something accomplished. Right now, I’m finding the forum very inspirational and educational. It helps keep me focused on being creative and has given me plenty of ideas for projects and things to try. It also gives me motivation to heal quickly (not that I can control that but it doesn’t hurt to be motivated) so I can resume doing what I love. Previously, I had been working on nuno scarves and wall hangings, just experimenting and learning. Im also a papermaker which is something i know will take much longer to get back to, but in the meantime I’m finding new uses for all my previous work. I appreciate everyone’s posts.
Oh sorry your having to go through all that Marilyn but it sounds like your well and truly on the mend and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, I’m glad your enjoying the forum, we do have some really wonderful people that love to share. We’ll look forward to seeing your work in the future and wishing you a very speedy recovery xoxo
Thanks Karen. I’m doing well and gaining strength everyday. I look forward to sharing. The forum has been very inspirational and everyone generous with their knowledge and encouragement. I’ve learned a lot since joining and am very grateful for the experience.
Thanks Karen. This is why I know about baby steps. -)
xoxo