Happy New Year! Although 2016 has come to an end, I’m more interested in pushing ahead than reflecting on the past. This year I’ll try to be motivated rather than fearful, to create rather than consume, and to speak up instead of remaining quiet.
Crafting Connections
These days I’ve been thinking a lot about how we create to make connections with others, both online and in person. This year it seems more important than ever to nurture our sense of community and connections. As humans, we have an innate desire to connect through storytelling and shared experiences. Whether we make art for personal fulfillment, to make a political statement, or to share with others, our motivation is simply about making connections.
With the ubiquitous presence of social media, it’s easy to become entangled in what others are doing and forget about your own creative practice. I unfollow accounts that make me feel inadequate and only pay attention to those that inspire and motivate. When social media becomes a passive exercise, it no longer serves its purpose to build connections. As I guide my two middle school daughters through the pitfalls of the digital age, I am learning that even in my forties, I still fall victim to time-wasting and negative emotions. As we continue to build our online creative community, let’s commit to engage and encourage others this year.
In addition to a strong and supportive online community, we have the comfort of connecting with others in-person through our creative efforts. This weekend, I’m excited to host a knitting event with like-minded crafters to make hats for the Women’s March on Washington. And I’m giving several talks this year, including one at QuiltCon in Savannah next month, where I look forward to meeting new people and creating meaningful connections.
For me, one of the most important aspects about creativity is the need for intrapersonal connection. Creating allows us to reflect and build self-awareness. The ability to fail up, or make mistakes and learn from them, helps us grow as experiential learners. As I begin the year, I am prepared to fail often as I learn new techniques. My tutorials will focus more on the messy process of experimentation rather than the tidy end result. Taking the time to build and strengthen our creative communities will pave new avenues for the positive connections that we so desperately need this year.
January Tutorial: Freezer Paper Stencils
I love making freezer paper stencils, a quick and easy way to create one-of-a-kind designs on fabric. Find the tutorial here.
Knitting Meet-up in Atlanta
Links
Join me for my talk at QuiltCon Savannah on Thursday, February 23 at 10:30 am.
Beyond Patterns: Explore Your Creativity with Fabric
Read my 2016 Newsletter Archive with access to all the tutorials.
Money Talk (a post about fast fashion and sustainability) from Elizabeth Suzann .
Slow Growth and the Internet Gold Rush from Abby Glassenberg.
Morning Makes: Start Your Day by Creating, Not Consuming
by Cheryl Arkison for the Craft Industry Alliance.
New Fabric Coming Soon
Look for these new double gauze metallic prints in my Spring collection for Kokka! Shops: please email for photos of the entire collection.