In the meantime I'm looking forward to the creative pursuits neglected while I was running the shop. On my agenda is photography, sewing, possibly a Fall Mini Collection inspired by my good friend Tonya who has debuted her fine talents on her new blog, Rational Construct, and continuing home design. I have a few summer items I'd like to make and I want to finish the blouse which was intended to be my first project for The Sew Weekly blog. I've actually given myself a deadline, Sunday to wear on Easter, so looks like I'll be sewing Saturday if I ever want to make a single self imposed deadline.
I've been running around and around in my head trying to figure out how to find direction and inspiration. While the sources of inspiration are endless, I'm trying to hone in on the achievable and the fun and point myself in the right direction. Instead of a business venture, this time around my main goal is to have fun and bring art back into my life, to stop working so hard, and to start creating things.
Using sewing as my inspiration I used Moo cards to create new hang tags for the Vintage Markets. A bit of a cop out I know, but a slight nod to the Dame transition. These are the images I chose.
 |
| The Blouse I'm supposed to finish on Saturday |
 |
| Experimenting with pattern weights for the first time |
I'm curious to know how you find the time and the focus to work on your projects and how you choose which creative paths to follow when time and resources are limited. I'd love for you to share your projects, inspirations and tactics for finding the time for it all. I'm sure I have a lot to learn.
Hi Dany,
ReplyDeleteMolly Froelich, here. As a personal coach, most of my clients are creative people - I work with visual artists, musicians, writers, art directors, photographers, etc. I have also run goals groups for creative women.
Here are a few things these smart clients and I have learned together:
1. Notice your own timing rhythms for creativity/energy. Do you feel more energized to create at 9am or at midnight? Focus in on the time of day that tends to work for you..not for other people.
2. Set your materials and inspiring objects all around your enviornment. When you are moved to pick stuff up - it will be in front of you.
3. If isolation feels like a barrier sometimes, set up group creativity meetings/socials in which everyone brings their projects and works on them together.
4. On a similar note, even very solitary, introverted artists can benefit from having a check-in buddy or an accountability buddy to talk to once a day just about making time to create.
5. Find your people - sometimes finding ways to be in social settings with like-minded creative people is inspiring and energizing.
6. Calendar-ize your creating. If fitting projects in feels difficult, make your art a real appointment on your real calendar. Sometimes seeing in black and white (or digital text!) makes procrastinating harder.
That's my 2 cents! Good luck.
Thanks Molly, good tips. I think my biggest problem personally is that I always have too many irons in the fire. FOCUS is my current learning curve.
ReplyDeleteDany, I really had to think about this one! I'm not sure I've yet defined a creative process for myself. I spend a lot of time thinking about possible sources of inspiration. If I don't have something relatively distinct to focus on, I've found that my design projects tend to wander and become disjointed. Everything has to go down on paper -- or I forget! As far as time goes, I don't so much find time as I do make time. Other things are put off or let go as a result. I usually get a big boost of motivation when I finish something, be it a simple drawing or a whole garment. Whether it's reaching a big end point or an incremental step I've set for myself, the feeling of accomplishment keeps me going. The more I produce, the more I want to produce! Keeping an eye on what my creative friends are up to is also inspirational. You have been a great inspiration to me as well!
ReplyDeleteDany,
ReplyDeleteThe creaive process is an amorphous thing, which makes it so hard to put into words! Doing the '365 Creativity' journal everyday is what got me to actually produce art work. If I waited until I was in the mood, or had an amazing idea, nothing would ever get done. The daily practice, even small things, builds a body of work and keeps the momentum going. Newton's concept of a body in motion stays in motion. Not focusing on the outcome, and letting what develops be a surprise.
Hey guys, those are such great things to think about. Since I desire to complete more projects than I could ever possibly make time for, I will just have to focus on what gives me the most joy. That's my new mantra do what brings you joy. I'm just afraid of being too unfocused as a result, or doing so many little things that I don't become accomplished at anything. At the end of the day I think we would all like to feel a sense of accomplishment and joy. After focusing on the store for so long, to the neglect of so many other things, and feeling like it really was more of a drain than anything else in the end, I'm reluctant to put myself in that position again. I will try - focus=joy and see how it goes. :)
ReplyDelete