How To Have A Creative, Non-Fuzzy Day — A Continuation Of The Last T&A Post, On Not Being Stressed.
We all have days that are inspiring, creative… and others that are best described as “fuzzy.” Sometimes the idea of embarking on a new crochet project totally “blurs out” the mind. You start by looking through new patterns to follow, and develop snippets of ideas on new ways to put the skeins of yarn on your shelf to use. On these days, however, something — motivation, resources, weather, etc. — just doesn’t cooperate. More likely than not, you end up staring at the pile of yarn before you, wondering how to “transform” the material into something useful and creative… not exactly knowing how.
When this happens, you may be thinking (or stressing) about other things. Nothing clutters itself faster than the human mind; what matters is how to unclutter those thoughts and leave room to create. The idea is there; it just needs some “teasing” out of the brain.
My Mom’s advice: Have a root beer float.
My advice: Put aside all the thoughts of things that have to be done — unless it’s really urgent, in which case go back to crocheting or crafting after you’ve completed all the necessary day-to-day tasks. If it’s not urgent, you don’t have to have it in your brain while trying to work on creativity. Simple. (Well, not really, but let’s assume that it is.)
In previous posts, I’ve subtly — and not so subtly — mentioned the similarities of crochet and academia. Looking for patterns is like revising for an exam. You can’t expect to know everything in one go — that isn’t possible. Trying to absorb all the excess knowledge that isn’t always crucial will not leave much room for the more important bits that have to be known.
What I’m saying is, don’t flood your brain with more knowledge than is necessary for the particular project. Concentrate on what needs to be done (or what you’d like to get done) in the immediate future, and map out — in your mind or on paper — how to get there. Just by doing this, you’ll start to see your crochet brain cogs turning much quicker. (Which is not to say that they weren’t turning before — you’re now learning to use them in new ways. 🙂 )
On the topic of crochet and academia… there comes a time, during revision, when you get so “overwhelmed” or tired or frustrated with all the material, your brain says, “I need a break or I’m not going to remember anything I just reviewed.” Please, take that break. Plowing through more material nonstop won’t help, and you’ll feel as though your time and energy isn’t going anywhere. If you’re a student or if you’re working on a craft project and it’s getting tedious, do not continue working on it if a) it’s no longer fun; and b) you’re not retaining the knowledge due to brain overload. Read a book, watch a movie, blog, get some kind of other work done (as long as it’s not too distracting). Go somewhere, preferably outdoors, and immerse yourselves in other environments. You’ll get a fresh perspective as well as a break.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for the next T&A post! (This was my own little break from panicking revising for exams.) Feel free to comment and share your thoughts, and let me know if you found this T&A post helpful! How do you “de-fuzz” your mind?
P.S. To those of you who are taking exams soon: You. Will. Be. Awesome. Don’t let the stress absorb. Stay calm, revise (and revise and revise), and keep being you! 😀
