Well, it’s that time of the week again! If you were here last week, you’ll remember that there wasn’t a whole lot of written insight to go along with those photos. Admittedly a lot of things were going on behind the scenes… which isn’t to say that this week’s been dull either, because it’s been just as busy, if not more so, than the previous week. But, well, I guess now’s the time to spice things up a bit. So let’s do this, shall we?
Content-wise, this post is going to focus on inspiration, regarding crochet. If you’re a writer looking for inspiration on how to write, specifically, not to worry. I’ll have a post about writing coming very soon, presumably by next week. Though for now, this is to all the crocheters out there who may be drawing a blank for what to pursue next in crochet endeavors.
Oh, and for clarification… overall, these Weekly Wonder posts aren’t just photo shoots of random natural creations. There will be tips and advice with each post. Just as a heads up for the future. 🙂
Now, gather around, fellow crocheters. You’re in for a delightfully long post today!
This evening, Mom showed me a collection of unpublished blog posts I’d written back in the spring of 2014, around the time of my first participation at an Arts Festival. At the time, I was still getting used to being a teenager. If there was a specific, tangible aspect of life I felt at that particular moment, it was the liberation, yet insecurity, of being an unpublished author. The freedom of comfortably typing away on the couch, being able to write anything that came to mind; mixed with the potential pitfalls of having to be tactful and cautious, and not being too outlandish. (This also tells you how long it took to actually get a blog running, from then to now, from ambition to reality… hehe.)
Overall, I think I handled it fairly well. Writing has always been a favorite hobby and pastime in my life, and will continue to be for a long while.
Why is this important to the overarching matter of crochet inspiration? Because sometimes it helps to look at something a little differently, with perspective. There’s that ominous word, right? But it’s true. For instance: Before reminiscing in those entries from long ago, this post would have been entirely different. In fact, it wouldn’t have been about inspiration, of this particular nature. But now after going back and reconnecting with my younger self, in a sense, I feel compelled to pull out some of the things I wrote in the past about finding crochet inspiration, and integrate it here.
So here goes! A brief encounter with a much younger Orchid. 🙂
Also, for purposes of visual enjoyment, and because Weekly Wonder is also about nature photography, I’ve added some photos taken from Wednesday, the day of Caoimhe’s first adventure.
“Inspiration is everywhere. But sometimes, it can be a little bit difficult finding the right kind to get you started on another project. It can be as easy as looking out the window, or going on a grand adventure to a distant land. We’ve had lots of inspiration over the last few years, and the dolls have asked me to give you some tips on finding inspiration for your crochet project(s):
I. Take a look outside your window. Most inspiration comes from the scenery outside. If you live in a place with a view of a mountain or valley, it won’t take long before you jump out of your chair and exclaim, “I know exactly what I’m going to make!”
II. Take a long walk through a field, meadow, park or somewhere where nature is all around. It must be a very quiet spot, or all the noise around you will disturb your thinking. If you’re not near some place like that, close your eyes and think about where you want to be, or what makes you most happy about that place.
III. Bring along a journal, bought or made (handmade is best), with all your ideas, patterns, and notes about your most recent projects. You’ll find that, just by doing that, ideas will flow through your mind, and you’ll be full of new inspiration on how to make, improve, and modify a project.
IV. It also helps to bring the actual project with you. Don’t be afraid to pull out some stitches, and go off the beaten path. Make sure to record what you’re doing, so you don’t forget and lose the inspiration. (Unless you can look at a piece and figure out how it was made. That’s not too hard, but might take some time to practice.)”
And so concludes my advice from back then (the rest was unfinished). Well, well. Back to present times:
When being creative, and experimenting with news patterns and designs (on any item really), after a while you tend to find a rhythm that you feel most comfortable with, and end up sticking with it, at least for awhile. That isn’t a bad thing, but after some time it may limit your creative variety, and make all future patterns seem the same. If you have a touch of crocheter’s block right now, that may be part of the reason. Then again, it may not. Whatever the case, now’s the time to help make sure you don’t draw too many blanks in future.
V. Think about what makes every place you go to unique. Are there different kinds of people who inspire you, make you laugh? What about those grumpy old men who glare at you? Do they have any effect on how you enhance or adjust your work? How does the scenery, the architecture, the overarching landscape of the places you go change? How can that be incorporated in the realm of crochet? Keep in mind that there are no limits to crochet, and being artsy–you can do anything you want, in any manner, and no matter what you’ll end up with something unique and special.
VI. Take a moment to sit back and ponder: How has your own perspective varied over time, if at all? What may have brought it about? How can that be put into the pieces you create?
VII. Strike up a conversation with someone, anyone, anywhere, anyhow, at any point in time. Not somewhere embarrassing or awkward–somewhere that seems like a good opportunity to get to know someone. To reiterate, it can be anyone… even one of those grumpy old men (there’s bound to be at least one person akin to that in any place, right? 🙂 ). Just be yourself, and see how that experience in and of itself sculpts your own motivation.
VIII. If that doesn’t work very well, sit back and quietly observe others. Don’t be nosy, and don’t make people feel uncomfortable. Simply, look for certain actions, expressions, even the tiniest of gestures, and see where that takes you. Once your imagination is evoked, you can start pairing anything under the sun; for example, a dimple with the indent of a leaf.
IX. Don’t get too frustrated if you find the inspiration you’re looking for is not showing up. These things can take time. Remember, inspiration does not come at a universal speed. It varies depending on the individual, and also the individual’s openness to try new things.
X. Share your new-found knowledge and inspiration. Don’t keep it locked up, or it will ultimately lose its magic. To keep the creativity alive, pass it along to those who are curious and eager to learn–or even those who may not be so enthusiastic. You never know who’ll you meet along the way, or where the journey will take you.
Now then, hopefully that helped create a new spark of inspiration for you!
Ooh, and one last bit of advice: I have a folder on my desktop titled “Crochet Buddies Inspiration.” Some of these are a collection of photos, scribblings, or other ideas that will inspire me (and the rest of the family) to be creative when it comes to crochet. We don’t use any form of social media beyond this site, so it’s like our own private platform for creativity. (Those images, of course, don’t go anywhere and don’t get re-posted–it’s merely for purposes of sharing within the family, nowhere else.) If you have or use social media, you can set up a page solely for crafting inspiration, if you haven’t already. Though handwriting tidbits of knowledge in a journal is just as effective.
I really, truly hope that this has helped you in some way. If it has, please let me know! As always, I’d love to hear what others have to say, regarding crochet and anything in general (provided that it’s always courteous, well-meaning and polite).
Until next time!~
Orchid
