DISCLAIMER: Some folks cruise along through life, uninterested in matters of personal development - and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that if you're one of those people this blog post probably isn't your cup of tea. No problem! Consider this a reminder to get back to that WIP that's been in time out for however long. Let us know how it turns out! We love a good FO pic for sure!
For those of you who are endlessly interested in untangling the yarn barf of life, it's more likely this blog post is for you! So, intrepid explorer of your own human experience, read on.
As a yarn shop owner and avid knitter who ends up helping many people overcome crafting challenges, I have noticed many ways crafts like knitting, crochet, weaving, and spinning can ultimately help us learn more about ourselves as people. Having taken the Myers-Briggs test, Clifton Strengths test, and others like them, I'm aware that most of the ways in which we move through the world are the result of a combination of wiring, patterns of behavior developed throughout our lives, and environmental influences. The crafts we love so much are no less indicative of our true nature as individuals than those fancy tests and can be so helpful in any efforts we make to grow as people.
Here are three things for you to pay attention to as you craft, so you can learn a little bit more about yourself, and potentially get more enjoyment out of your crafting experience:
- Nobody is going to give you a permission slip. Our shop was created as a space to encourage creativity and creative exploration, primarily through the mediums of fiber and yarn. We've heard SO MANY people say things like, "I'm not good enough to make a sweater," and "I tried to knit one time, and I couldn't do it."
Here's the thing - your relative "goodness" at something is yours to proclaim. Unless you're entering some sort of extensive certification program or getting an advanced degree in textiles or...*gasp* competing against Tom Daley in the Knitting Olympics (what...it COULD happen), then there is no reason to decry your own ability. Oh, and trying one time does not an effort make. Give it another shot. You'll either find you're getting better at a very complex skill, or you'll find you simply hate it (which is fine too...) and you'll move on to some other endeavor you'll hopefully enjoy better.
- You're the only one with the key to your creative prison cell.When people come in and tell us they're "not creative" it makes my heart ache. EVERYONE is creative in various ways. But, since our society holds up rock stars, actors, screenwriters, influencers, and the like as "creatives" and because the term "creative class" has come wafting up from the sewer grate capping off the swampy underground pipes through which flow human division of all kinds, you may think you're not "one of those creative people." Pardon our French here, but that is absolute BULL MERDE!
Just liken the word "creativity" to the word "sports." Just as someone might not find the skills associated with tennis to come naturally but might find football to make complete sense to them, you may not enjoy knitting, but you might take to crochet like a fish to water. Oh, and when it comes to color? Fear not. Make that hat. That sweater. That water bottle cover/phone holder/fanny pack thing! Make it in the color it's shown in. Or NOT! What's the worst thing that can happen? You might make a thing you decide is not your fave, and then you gift it to someone who will love it FOREVER more (or at least until they can regift it to someone else).
Which brings us to our last point for the moment...
- Failure in crafting does not a life-threatening situation make. If you epically mess up a project you won't go *poof* like the cruddy witch on the Wizard of Oz, or dissolve like an antacid tablet in a cup of your own salty tears. Nope - not gonna happen. Your ego might get bruised a bit. You might utter one ofyour favorite swear words. Or not. Heck, you might even say something powerful like, "wow - that didn't work. I guess the next time I make a thing, I'll try something a little different on that part, so it doesn't end up with two neck holes and half a sleeve hanging off the lower hem."
We know - doing something you perceive as suckish, or that (HEAVEN FORBID) someone else perceives as suckish, is not comfortable. But, like Kitchener stitch, everything has its purpose. Even your own discomfort. Who knows, you might get more comfortable with that momentary discomfort, allowing you to be more adventurous with your crafting!
You never know...!
Happy crafting!
Ladianne