Just thinking... about creative inspiration!

I think I'm starting to turn into my computer's filing system. I have been thinking, sort of mulling over in my mind, off and on all day, what I was going to write about tonight. I have lots of options, as you may imagine.

I could write about the weather. (Odd, the weather I mean. I missed Tai Chi this morning because the driveway was so slippery, I decided to stay home and walk on the treadmill - I feel guilty when I miss Tai Chi, but walking 5 km on the treadmill was a help... I felt like I got some exercise - which I did, AND I spent an hour downstairs doing it instead of 2 hours downtown - assuming of course that I didn't just slide in my BIG green sled - otherwise known as a full size pickup truck - right into the ditch.) It started snowing just as I was ready to make up my mind about leaving or not... That was the clincher...

I thought I was going to write about my next Quilt Musing, and I actually put that in the name of the blog - but I usually have some bolt out of the blue for that. I have one started which I might just continue, or I might start a new one. Sometimes when I get a couple of paragraphs in to a Quilt Musing it sparks a 'better' idea. Then I will save the original idea and restart with the new one. When I continue one that I have previously started,  I have usually forgotten the original point (or I may not have HAD an original point, which may be why it didn't go anywhere in the first place) and so it sparks another thought and I either end it or restart yet again. Anyway, I started by writing "Just thinking about my next quilt musing", realized I had no idea what to write about that and changed it to "Just thinking..."

And I swear my brain went up a couple of directories and more topics opened.... It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time...

I will tell you something that I have been thinking about lately though. I have been thinking of inspiration.

I was particularly thinking about getting inspired to quilt, or write or create something... maybe I've been thinking of creative inspiration...

I don't generally have trouble with inspiration. And I have a theory about that!

Yeehaw, I can hear you think - she has a theory, and now she is going to share it with us.

And I am, of course, but in my own round about way...

I think that there are several components to creative inspiration. And I don't necessarily mean creative, as in "I designed this, I thought it up, it is entirely my own, original, never done before... " (For one thing, I have a theory that a lot of things that are original are not completely original -- as in, they are a result of other things that went before them.... things that SPARKED a new idea, sort of like my Quilt Musings.)

But if you are creating something, even if you are following a pattern, YOU are doing it. You picked the colours or the kit, you are making the stitches, you are guiding the sewing machine or the rotary cutter, or the needle. Or the pen or pecking away on the keys; writing the story, the letter, the email, the status.  That's YOU doing the creating.

Okay, back to my theory... I have the self-confidence to know what I like. I have no problem going into a Quilt Shop and coming out with fabric. (I might drive the lady or gentleman who is helping me nuts.) I may have a BIG pile of bolts stacked up, it may take me awhile, but I am confident that I will find a fabric (or a bundle of 'em) that works for me. I don't need someone else's opinion (although  I welcome them) and I have the sense that my colour choice will work out (if only for me...) So that's the first thing.

And I have an awareness of my own abilities... You ever look at things at a Quilt Show or on Pinterest or someone's blog and you think, "Man, oh man! I will NEVER be able to do THAT!"? I will admit that there are things that I look at, and I think, WOW! It'll be awhile (if ever) before I will ever be able to do THAT. But I don't leave a quilt show feeling overwhelmed or depressed because someone's work is so awesome that I know I will never be able to do it. It gives me, rather, something to aspire to! It makes me feel that I haven't reached my upper limit yet. So I think that ability to see that you can improve, even if it is only by small increments, is a help to inspiration...

I think that a sense of perfectionism is a hinderance to creative inspiration. I think that people are often afraid to try because they think they will ruin whatever it is that they want to do. And I have to tell you, that when you are starting out you need to take classes and practice whatever it is you want to get good at. I'm pretty pleased with the quilts that I am making now. I will be pretty pleased with quilts that I make in the future assuming my skill sets continue to improve and heavens knows I have lots of room for improvement.  But if I compared my very first quilt (a baby panel that someones' mother bought for me in Canada when we were living in Lahr, W. Germany, that I hand quilted on a frame in my living room in 4 days because the frame was at my 3 year old son's eye level!) with something I aspire to - say, a New York Beauty, I would never have made another thing... I made that quilt 30 years ago in November... I still haven't attempted a New York Beauty, although it is only a matter of time! But I have no doubt of improvement through practice! And I also have no doubt that I will never make anything that is perfect... Just good enough.

Okay. Back to inspiration. I think a lively and inquiring mind is an aid to creative inspiration. I do think that that can be a hindrance to completing things! There are SO many things that I like, so many things that I want to do... So many projects, so little time!

When I was working full time and had two part time jobs (how, you ask, did that come to be? A topic for another day, I'm afraid!) I went into the Lewis Craft store in the mall. And I looked at all the wonderful things - cross stitch, tatting, knitting, clay stuff, kits to make small things that would be done quickly, and in despair, I looked at the lady behind the counter and said, "I don't want a project, I want some uninterrupted time to WORK on the projects that I already have!"

When I was working, I found I got more done in less time, because I was motivated to get things done when I could.  Now that I am retired, I have discovered that it is really, really easy to think that I have all the time in the world! So a bit of discipline is a help too. A deadline, even if it is self-imposed helps the creative process. Oh, and sometimes a time limit for working on something too.

Sometimes creating something is overwhelming simply because it doesn't look like it is ever going to end.  I find a list helps with this. A list can break a long creative process down into steps that are small enough to seem 'possible'.I also find that a reward works. Posting pictures on here or on facebook makes me feel wonderful. Crossing things off of a list keeps me focused, reduces anxiety about forgetting parts, AND I use pretty coloured highlighters to cross things off - so even the list is a reward. (And then I take a picture of it and post it on facebook.... ) LOL

So here's the thing. (Now I'm going to try to sum this up... this should be good...) (I'm not great at summaries - so here goes.)
I think the things that help creative inspiration...

Oh darn, I forgot one!

I find that having access to encouragement is a BIG thing. THAT's why I like to post pictures on facebook - not because I think I should fill their servers, but because my facebook friends tell me what I great job I'm doing. I often ask for opinions, or suggestions or outright help - and I always get them. I have the best facebook friends!

Okay. The summary.
 I think the things that help creative inspiration is a lack of fear, an awareness of your capabilities (or your future capabilities), the ability to do something that is good enough, a lively interest in lots of things, motivation, self-discipline, rewards and encouragement. Phew!

I also think that a source of ideas is a good thing! And, maybe a good search engine! LOL

In any event. That's today's. I hope it makes sense and that it gives you some inspiration!