What do you do when your creativity seems to have gone walkabout? When no matter how hard you try, the creative spirit seems to have departed, and you despair that it will ever return?
Will you be locked in this soul-less desert where you are forced to watch TV and do sudoku to while away the hours? Or even worse fall into the habit of doomscrolling?
Now, I’m not going to go into the whys and wherefores of why the Muse departed and left me feeling bereft over the Christmas period, but I do know that it happens to all my creative friends from time to time.
At first, I tried forcing it. Find a project online and just DO it!!!!
Well, that didn’t work – just ended with a greater feeling of despair, and a pile of wet wool chucked in the corner.
It seemed that my left logical brain was fully occupied and the poor, old right brain wasn’t getting a say in proceedings.
I sought advice from my friends and here are some of the wisdom they imparted:
- Go online to websites you find inspiring and really look hard at the work. Imagine you are making it – how would you do it, what colours would you use, what technique, how could you make it “yours’?
- Look through previous successful projects – and enjoy the feeling of success.
- I work through my sample box looking at all the techniques I’ve used in the past.
- Give your work space a thorough clean. De-clutter. Having a clean and organized workspace might just tempt the Muse back into your studio.
- Teach someone else.
- I decided to follow some of the advice above and did a really good clean of my office. It made me feel I’d achieved something – but didn’t assist my creativity.
Scrolling online at all the amazing creations of other felt makers didn’t help. If anything, it just made me feel depressed.
I tidied my sample box and thought about some of the samples I’d made in the past. Anything there that got me off the couch and away from the TV screen? No – no joy.
Before Christmas I’d agreed to a workshop with the art society teaching Fibre as an Art Medium. I needed to do very little preparation as I’d taught similar courses before. Then just the day before the course I decided I’d better double-check the weight of roving required just to make sure, I had allowed enough for beginners. The quickest way was to lay out a rectangle of wool similar to the workshop requirements.
And then she returned. The Muse peeped over my shoulder and whispered into my ear. Before I knew it, I had an art piece on the go and was busy working out what fibre I was going to use.
I was ecstatic and the workshop was a success. I was able to inspire my students because I was feeling inspired.
It seems my way to refresh my creativity when I am feeling uninspired is to teach someone else.
- I’ll be holding face to face workshops in February and March: Hat making, Market Bag and Cobweb Scarf. Watch this newsletter for details.
Cant make a face to face workshop? My courses online are available and I enjoy zooming with you to inspire you throughout the course.
