Mindset and Creativity

sewing-with-patterns

I don’t know anything. This is a reminder that I need daily. Although I’m wary of pop psychology and cynical about self-help books, I finally picked up a copy of Mindset by Carol Dweck after my 12-year-old told me that I had a “fixed mindset.” What a timely book for me to read.

Basically, the idea is that we have much greater potential when we approach the world with curiosity and try to solve problems rather than accept failure. We get better at things when we give ourselves the opportunity to keep trying. This open mindset is called the “growth mindset”, but those who believe they have limited potential and often seek the path of least resistance may have a “fixed mindset.” The growth mindset opens us up to more possibilities when we realize that if we simply work at something, we can improve. Almost every time I listen to artists talk about their creative process, they mention the hard work that they put in daily. Often creativity isn’t a bolt of lightning, but a series of failed experiments. So there may be artists with innate ability, but without time and effort, they won’t achieve success. I need this reminder to simply show up and try even when I’m feeling uninspired.

At Quilt Market this past weekend, people frequently walked into my booth, saw the cool bags that Kokka had made, and asked for a pattern. I looked at these bags and said, “Well, it looks like a circle with tabs on it — you should try that”. After every market, when I talk with the Japanese team at Kokka about developing patterns for their bags, they seem a bit mystified by the need for a pattern. Japanese craft books, even through the translation, often have fewer and less detailed instructions. I wonder if this need to follow precise instructions is an American phenomenon?

Now these shop owners know their customers — if they hang a quilt in the shop, they need to have the fabric and the pattern for people to make that exact item. Why do some people insist on always using patterns? Perhaps it’s lack of time, fear of failure, or a need to follow the rules? A pattern made with the fabric you see in front of you requires little vision and should guarantee success, right? Well, maybe. I’m not sure exactly what is driving people to stick to the rules, but I think it could relate to this issue of fixed versus growth mindset. If we approach sewing with a growth mindset, I think we can learn more. I would never recommend ditching patterns altogether because of course you need basic sewing skills before you can improvise or figure things out on your own. Or if you’re looking for something to sew quickly and efficiently and don’t have much time, a pattern is often the best choice.

But maybe once in a while we could focus on process, step out of our comfort zone, and try to make something without a pattern. A good place to start is with deconstruction. Try taking apart a piece of clothing to see how it’s made and then sew your own version. I think if you can figure out how to make a sleeve pattern by yourself, you can rule the world! Or sketch out ideas for a bag and the pattern pieces that will transform your flat fabric into a three-dimensional object. Maybe you could just make a few improvisational quilt blocks and see where it takes you. Stretching your brain in this way will improve your sewing skills.

Anyway, I’m going to have a growth mindset and do some new things in the next year. It feels good to keep learning and to realize that we’re never finished. Maybe one day I’ll be an expert in physics and golf. Who’s to say I won’t?

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Having said all that, if you are looking for patterns for some of the amazing things that Kokka sews for Quilt Market, check out the Kokka blog. Doing metric conversions and making your own paper patterns should still stretch your mind a bit! And check out this interview with Carol Dweck: Talent Isn’t Fixed and Other Mindsets that Lead to Greatness and watch this TED Talk: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve.

 

Fall Quilt Market

Rough-Cut-for-KOKKA

If you’ll be at International Quilt Market this weekend in Houston, be sure to stop by the Seven Islands booth #354/454 to see my new collection for Kokka! The collection is called Rough Cut because I began the process with paper cut designs. It features six patterns, each in three colorways. Again for this collection, three of the designs are in linen/cotton and three are in double gauze cotton. This time I used a few neon colors! The collection will be in stores in a few months, so look for more details soon.

Pumpkin Pincushion

pumpkin-pincushion

I’m enjoying the cooler weather and glad we finally have some sun here in Atlanta after days and days of rain. Someone recently asked me to post the instructions for this pumpkin pincushion that I made a few years ago, so here it is! Download the  instructions here. There are two sizes of pumpkins here and obviously you could make them as a pincushion or fall decoration.

pumpkin-pincushion2

I’m busy getting ready for the upcoming Quilt Market in Houston, where I’ll be showing my new collection in the Seven Islands booth #354/454. More details soon.

Have you heard about the Craft Industry Alliance? If you are a maker or craft business owner, this community will provide you with lots of great advice and information. Head over to Crafty Planner to listen to a podcast with Abby and Kristin talking about their new venture. This is a great opportunity to empower us by providing more transparency in the industry.

Monochrome

monochrome-pouch

My Monochrome  fabric collection for Kokka is in stores now! In Atlanta, you can head over to Intown Quilters to check it out. Here’s a list of stockists in the US.

monochrome-fabric-collection

Monochrome collection. Photo credit (above): Intown Quilters.

paper-cutting-fabric

Meanwhile, I got the strike-offs from my upcoming fall collection for Kokka. For this collection, I tried a new technique. I hand-cut paper, then scanned it and then digitized it. I thoroughly enjoyed this process and I think it will lead me down new paths in my future collections. I like the idea of permanent mistakes. Once I had cut something that I didn’t like, I was forced to keep going and incorporate it into the design rather than discarding it. In digital work, it’s too easy to start again and I think it expands your creativity to commit on paper. I didn’t do any sketching beforehand, just sat down with my exact-o knife and card stock, which I found to be a very meditative process.

block-experiment

That’s led me to thinking about mixing paper and cloth. I’ve been experimenting with blocks of sewn paper, vellum, acetate and different fabrics. I’m interested in the texture, but also want to explore ideas. Here I printed tweets from different people emphasizing the disjointed ways that we are connecting with each other online. More on this later.