this is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links.
. and that’s exactly what I needed to know in order to ever get this post written.
I have felt for a while now that there are a lot of things swirling around in my head, things that I haven’t been quite able to put in order, things that I have wanted to share but haven’t been quite sure how. things that I wasn’t even sure how to write down.
I feel like the things have gotten all twisted and tangled up and the questions have clouded my ability to be creative or enjoy inspiration.
I spent yesterday morning reading through Carrie’s book, first devouring words and paragraphs and ideas, and feeling the energy of them filling me up. until the questions started… well, now what do I DO? can I do it? out of all the tangled-up things, the questions all started to say the same thing. “NO!”
I started to skim through the rest of the book, finding myself observing rather than participating. it was hard to concentrate, and I sort of wanted a snack, and … eventually I walked away and just thought, “I’ll look at it later.”
last night I played around with some graphics and hand lettering projects I started (but quickly abandoned) a few weeks ago. I wanted to make something, but I wasn’t feeling like sewing and I was sitting at the computer anyway, so I just started messing around. I thought I was wasting time, honestly.
but something felt different. the questions that have been clouding things lately were easier to ignore, like maybe the twisted, tangled mess of things was moving somehow. or maybe just because I didn’t think I was really doing anything important, and it allowed me to be free to make mistakes, to try new things, to make a mess. and then when I woke up this morning, I was excited to get back to work on what has now become a project.
the questions, my fear and self-doubt and (as Carrie so perfectly dubs them) the crazies, they are all saying “no”. if I view my creative voice and inspiration as saying “yes”, can I translate that into something constructive? sort of like an algebra equation for purposeful making…
if I translate “I feel like the questions have clouded my ability to be creative or enjoy creativity” using questions = no and creativity = yes, I get this:
the “no” has clouded my ability to “yes”
this new project, I don’t know where it’s going, it might not be “good”, and it will likely never make me a dime. but with every moment spent creating, I am practicing my “yes”. the “yes” says keep going and I need that voice right now. time spent creating, whether it leads to a finished product or not, is not wasted because all of those moments make it easier to put away the “no”.
learning to put away the “no” doesn’t mean the questions get thrown away. there is absolutely a place for the questions themselves, separate from fear or self-doubt. but the existence of the questions needn’t get in the way of my ability to make, to be inspired, or to find joy through the creative process.
more about The Little Spark:
You were born with a creative spark inside. Do you look at yourself now and wonder if the spark has gone out? Ignite that inner fire with the 30 engaging exercises, fun activities, inspirational images, and motivating ideas in this book. Learn what your Little Spark of creative passion looks like, how to capture it, and how to make room for it in your life. Read the book cover-to-cover and use it as a month-long creative roadmap, or just dip into the exercises as your time and inclination allow. Either way, you will change your life.
our creative journeys are all different, but I do think that every one of us could use a little inspiration (and maybe a nudge) now and again. and this book is a perfect place to find that. you can get your copy here on amazon
happy stitching!
xo, rachael
*I received a free book from C&T Publishing in exchange for writing this post. although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. this post contains affiliate links, which means that I receive a small commission for products purchased through those links. read my full advertising and disclosures policies here.
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