HobbyMaker‘s Lisa shares her tips for what to do if you’re stuck in a creative rut.
One of the biggest things I hear from people is “I’d love to be creative, but I never know what to make”. We’ve become so used to doing things for a reason: We exercise to get fit; We work to earn money; We clean to make the house tidy.
Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that creativity needs a purpose too.
But creativity doesn’t always need an end goal.
Sometimes the purpose is simply to enjoy the process.
If you’ve ever sat down with a pile of crafty supplies and a completely blank mind, here are a few ways to get started.
Start with a colour
Instead of deciding what you’re going to make choose a colour you love today and work from there. Pull out everything in that colour – papers, paints, pens, yarn, fabric – And see where it takes you. You might end up making a card, painting a picture, or simply creating a page full of patterns.
The point isn’t the finished piece it’s giving your brain somewhere gentle to begin.
Copy before you create
There’s a lot of pressure to be original, but every creative person starts by learning from others.
Find a project, a pattern or image that catches your eye and have a go at recreating it.
Not to sell it. Not to post it. Just to practise.
Often the act of starting is enough to spark your own ideas along the way.
Make marks, not masterpieces
Grab a pen and fill a page with doodles, lines, circles, squiggles or patterns.
No plan. No rules.
This is one of the reasons I love mindful crafts like mandalas, neurographic art and Zen tangle inspired doodling. They give your hands something to do while your mind gets a chance to wander.
You don’t need talent; you just need a piece of paper!
Use a timer
Tell yourself you’ll create for 10 minutes and then stop.
When we think we need hours of free time, creativity feels impossible. 10 minutes feels manageable. Most of the time you’ll find yourself wanting to continue once you have started.
Follow curiosity
Seen a technique you’ve never tried? Give it a go.
There are plenty of tutorials all over the internet now, choose something that has caught your attention and follow along.
Maybe you’ve often wondered, “what would happen if I mixed this medium with that one”. Try it!
Creative play is often where the magic happens. Not because you’re aiming for perfection, but because you’re allowing yourself to explore.
Remember: you don’t have to make anything useful
Not every creative session needs to result in a gift, a product or something worthy of a frame. Some of my favourite creative moments have been experiments, happy accidents and projects that never left my craft room.
Sometimes it’s simply about giving your busy mind a break and letting yourself play.
And in a world where we are constantly expected to be productive, that might just be the most valuable thing of all.
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