Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes and every crafter has their own secret when it comes to getting inspired. Whatever you do as your go-to craft, inspiration strikes in the strangest ways.
As creative people in the information age we now have more avenues to get ideas and share creativity thru social media, Etsy, Pinterest, on-line music, videos, blogs, you name it you got it! #Instantideas
Mine typically happen at three places: when I am running I seem to get lost in a stream of creativity, when I am washing my hair in the shower I think the massage of my scalp must trigger creativity loose, and finally, when I am at a concert, I get inspired when the lights are flashing and music is blasting.
But what happens when you have a brain freeze, a creative block that takes hold, and, literally the craft giants, Pinterest and Etsy, can’t even help you? If all your own foul proof creativity-generating hacks don’t work, try these five creative crafting escapes:
1. Unplug.
Turn off the computer, put down the phone. Just. Stop. Thinking. about being creative and let it happen. You’ll be amazed at what comes to you when you are just being you.
2. Take a vacation.
If you are used to working with the things you can find in and around your house go somewhere else and find things you can’t find at home. For example, if you live in a big city or the desert, go to the beach and scoop up a bag full of shells. I bet creativity will find you there!
3. Shop in a garage sale.
It’s the season of garage sales and that means one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Why not UpCraft your garage sale find? Take something old and make it into something new. You are sure to get inspired there. There is no better feeling than when you breathe new life into the hum-drum drab and lonely.
4. Be a tourist at a craft fair.
Yeah, so you thought you were the only one with these unbelievable crafting skills? Not so fast, sometimes it’s beneficial to see what else is out there…get inspired by what your peers are making. Don’t just talk to these artisans, listen to them, you may soon find yourself back in the craft room again.
5. Organize!
When our craft spaces get out-of-control our brains get overwhelmed and we lose focus and can’t create. This simply means take the time to put tools away, put like items with like items, that way, when you need something specific you can recall “that place” and know exactly where it is. I encourage you to have LOTS of crafting stuff, lots and lots of crafting supplies, tools and even scraps – and this tip doesn’t mean your craft space has to be clean and neat – just organized! Ben Franklin said, “there’s a place for everything and everything in its place.”
Whether you are an expert crafter or just starting off, we all experience crafters block. So just put these easy tips to practice and get the creativity flowing.
Happy crafting!
