The messy middle

The 'messy middle' is something that we don't talk about very often. It's a term often used to describe the creative process - whether that process is knitting, or writing or anything else for that matter.

You've got the excitement of the fresh start out of the way. You have a clear idea in your head of what you want the end project to look like. The only trouble is that what you often see in front of you doesn't really match up to that ideal.

It might do, in time.

But in truth it often looks more like a bedraggled duckling rather than the majestic bird that you envision in your minds eye.

That's a lot of words really to explain why there hasn't been a lot of fresh knitting content on the timeline this week. Everything on my needles is currently in the 25-50% done phase. A phase that's often accompanied by thoughts of 'oh, this just isn't working' - and sometimes swears are said.

It's so tempting at times like this to just throw your hands up and cast on for yet another mitered square blanket - or a pair of socks - after all, you know where you are with a pair of socks.

But for now I'm restraining myself with a bit of therapeutic journaling (aka a written rant) and a packet of biscuits.

Although I'm not ruling out a new cast on later on tonight.

What do you do when you hit that 'nothing is working' phase? Do you grit your teeth and soldier on or give in and raid the sock yarn stash? Let me know in the comments.

Journaling prompts to boost creativity

I think we have all felt a bit stuck in a creative rut at one time another. Particularly when I’ve reached the end of a long project or I am at the stage where I can’t (or won’t) make progress on long standing WIPs. There are times when, frustratingly I find myself with time on my hands and the desperate urge to create something, anything, but yet I’m almost paralysed by indecision and choice.

I tell myself I’ll just have a look through my yarn stash but an hour later I’m still there. Pawing through my stored yarn, thinking of plans, maybe starting a few but then ripping back and ending up back where I started. Just with a busier brain.

I’ve found that keeping a super long-term project on hand is really helpful for times like this. My giant granny square blanket for example can always be added too and it can keep my fingers busy and my brain distracted.

My other go-to solution is my journal. I grab my trusty notebook and pen and either free write (great for releasing frustration) or use a prompt that appeals to me.

Anything to get words and feelings out of my brain and to free up a bit of space for me to be me again.

If this sounds like something you might like I have put together a short, free PDF containing 5 of the prompts I use most often when I’m feeling in a creative rut.

You can tap the button below to download it, or save the Pinterest image for later.

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Creativity Matters

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have”

Maya Angelou

This is one of my favourite quotes on creativity - so much so that I have it written in the front of my journal where I see it every day.

Journaling is a big part of how I connect to my creative side - through words rather than images - which sounds a little strange at first. Often when we think of creativity and art we think in terms of painting, drawing and other visual representations - and with that can come a whole set of baggage (complete with wheels and a carry on bag) about stories we have told ourselves over the years.

That we ‘aren’t good at art’ or that we aren’t ‘the creative type’.

I’ve written about this before - You are creative, even when following a pattern - and it’s something I feel really strongly about. I believe that we all have the capacity to be creative, we just might not recognise it in ourselves.

If this sounds familiar to you, I thought I would put together a couple of the prompts that I use regularly in my journaling practice. I find that they help when I’m feeling a bit stuck or I feel that my brain needs a creative boost. I grab a notebook and pen (coffee helps) and let the words do the talking.

If you’d like to have a try at journaling for creativity, please just tap the link below.

You are creative - even when following a pattern

I don't think we say this enough. I hear so many people dismiss their own creativity, every day, on the grounds that they are just following a pattern. And yet it's totally untrue.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

As a knitter (or crocheter, or crafter) you are inherently creative. It's what you do. In fact you probably do it without even thinking about it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Yes, you might be following a pattern but your choices of colour, yarn, needles etc are all coming together to create something totally unique, something created by you. Something that wouldn't exist if it weren't for you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

You take sticks and string, wave your hands around a lot (OK, a real lot) and actually produce something that wasn't there before.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

And if that isn't the definition of creativity then I don't know what is.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Please share this with someone else who needs to hear this today.

Creativity with nowhere to go

Snapshots of March 2021

I keep having the same feeling I used to have as a young child. Desperate to do something creative, I would follow my mum around the house. “What can I draw?” was my constant question.

I felt a strong urge to create something, but I had no idea what. And my mum being busy with the house and siblings wasn’t in the best place to help.

Looking back, that changed somewhat once my Nana taught me to knit. For those years before I discovered ‘going out’, knitting was a really valuable creative outlet at a time when I didn’t have many other ways to express myself.

Now, after a year of living under Covid restrictions. I find myself thinking very similar thoughts. Desperate to create something, to come up with something new or exciting. I find myself wandering around the house, picking things up and putting them down. Opening the laptop to write…and then closing it again. Nothing seems to scratch the creative itch as it were.

Partly I’m suffering from a lack of meaningful downtime – as we all are. And partly I think it’s just a lack of inspiration. There are only so many times you can look at your own four walls and as someone who normally takes a lot of inspiration from the natural world, it’s been hard to have that removed.

What will happen when the lockdown is released and we can suddenly do all the things and visit all the places. Will there be a creative surge, with all those untapped ideas suddenly all fleeing the nest at once? Or will it be a slow trickle as I gradually learn how to be creative again.

Or, horror, will there be nothing left? Just a whizened shell where my creativity used to live.

I suspect that the truth will probably lie somewhere in the middle. I’m hoping that with the careful application of some fresh air and a change of scenery – and yes, bribery with cake – my creative self can be persuaded to play out again.

Partly as an antidote this and partly to persuade myself that I have actually done things during the month I started to create monthly collages of snapshots. I used to do this regularly, back in the day on Instagram but I’ve sort of got out of the habit. It was a surprising amount of fun though - and helped to reinforce that I have actually achieved things, despite living through the weird concertina time warp that is Covid.