When I first started designing knitting patterns about four years ago, I thought that creativity was something innate. I thought you were born with it, or else it was something you’d always struggle with. The last four years have taught me, though, that in fact you can learn how to be more creative.
I’ve been on a journey since leaving law practice to nurture my creativity more. I pushed it aside for so many years, but now it feels like creative practices are part of everyday life. It wasn’t always like that. I had to take intentional steps to make room for creativity in my life. Some of them are obvious, I think, but some are a little counterintuitive.
Make Sure To Get Rest
We have a weird workplace culture in the US (probably elsewhere, too, but I’ve only ever worked here!) that really valorizes sleep deprivation. But it turns out creativity thrives in a well-rested mind. So as much as you can, prioritize sleep. Let your brain have some rest. That rest will refuel it and re-energize your creative powers.
This is one of those things that might seem counterintuitive. If you’re the sort to think of creativity as a flash of genius that strikes when it’s ready and not a moment before, the idea of practicing to build your creativity may seem strange. But it turns out that practice is key to growing your creative skills. For example, to take inspiring photographs, you have to practice with your camera until you are familiar and comfortable with it. But it’s just practice. Don’t be a perfectionist about it. Just practice.
When we are trying to grow our skills, it’s easy to look at other people in the same medium for inspiration. That’s a good starting point, but it can’t be the end of your inquiry. For example, when I design knitting patterns, I keep an eye on what other knitting designers are doing. But I also looked at photographers, interior designers, historians of material culture, painters, museums, and so many more sources of ideas and exploration.
Allow Yourself To Fail
I’m a recovering perfectionist, so I know how difficult this one can be. Allowing yourself to fail is one of the most difficult steps for some of us in learning how to be more creative. But creativity never springs fully-formed like Venus from the sea foam. It’s more like molding dolls out of clay. You’re going to come up with some rather oddly-shaped and lumpy forms before you get to something that feels right. That’s okay. It’s part of the process.
When I was in high school, my English teacher liked to remind us that sonnets are cool because there’s almost infinite expression within very rigid rules. As I started experimenting with knitting design and photography, I found that when I set parameters for myself, and then let myself play within those parameters, I could find untapped creativity and sources of inspiration.
Learning to be more creative isn’t about having to become a Michelangelo-level artistic genius in 48 hours. It’s a process of growth and exploration, one that never ends, but one that thankfully also has infinite room for discovery and growth. If you’re never done, you’re always learning and growing and improving. What an exciting and expansive opportunity.