Setting and Keeping Creative Intentions
Keeping your word to yourself about your creative projects
Listen. Full disclosure here, ya’ll. I’m a non-monogamous creative.
In fact, I wrote a whole blog post about revising my relationship with WIPs (works in progress) and UFOs (unfinished objects), for which I received lots of positive feedback:
I have ADHD, and I’m a bit of a magpie. Over time, I have learned to (mostly) curb the urge to try ALL the crafts. This has been a challenging process because hand crafts bring me so much joy! After being freshly inspired by a blog post linked on Pinterest, I used to go out and buy a bunch of supplies for a new craft, only to find my interest waned quickly.
Once, when I was on my way out the door to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, my then-husband stopped me and (only half-jokingly) made me promise not to bring home any sheep. He’s the reason I managed to curb many would-be creative meanderings because he wanted no more craft supplies taking over our home. Needless to say, he’s no longer my husband.
Unless you’re a professional artist and making things is how you earn your living, most of us must divide our time between the work we must do to keep a roof over our heads and body and soul together, and the things we do because they bring us joy. So, the challenge is that our creative ambitions cannot be contained within the limited time we have left to work on them.
The other day, I shared this Note:
It got more than 68 comments, and I have been doing my best to respond to each one as they come in.
Here are some of the things you’re working on from the comments I received on that Note:
Rug hooking projects
Designing quilts
Finishing hand-stitched quilts
Embroidery projects
Knitting with handspun yarn
Finishing scrapbook covers
Organizing fabric stash
Organizing calendars to make time for more crafting
Mending and repurposing clothing
Setting up new art studios
Making more time for art
Scrolling less and creating more
Finishing a cross-stitch kit
Knitting Latvian mittens
Setting up a sewing space
Embroidering on linen garments
Continue creating as they complete chemotherapy
Making children’s quilts
Crocheting a scarf
Making a start on a colorwork sweater
Whew! And so much more.
Setting creative intentions that you’re more likely to keep
Now, let’s explore a few supportive ways to get better at setting intentions and keeping your word to yourself regarding your creative projects.
I’ll begin by saying that each of us is different. What I’m recommending are things that have worked for me to tame my squirrelly, magpie brain. Take what’s helpful and leave the rest. You’re welcome to leave a comment if you’ve got helpful recommendations.
I’ve written about how the first question non-creative types ask when they see an artist at work is, “how long is that going to take?” Unless you’re creating something to sell, it’s unlikely that you have any idea how much time you’ll be investing in creating a thing, but it’s something you want to consider when starting a new project. Will a multi-colored, steeked, Faire-Isle cardigan hold your interest for the next three or four months? Or, will you be able to stick with that hand-stitched EPP hexagon quilt kit you’ve had your eye on for the next six months or more?
I think we sometimes forget that, as much as our brains love novelty, they also crave predictability. For me, as an artist, I like to have several different types of projects going at a time, which can range from something simple that I can work on while I’m on the couch watching a movie, to something intricate that requires me to concentrate because it requires that I learn a new skill.
If we take a moment before embarking on a new project to consider the opportunity cost of that project, it might keep us from starting a bunch of things that some part of our brain knows we’ll never have time (in this lifetime) to complete.
Once you’ve counted the financial, time, material and emotional investment, and you’re still determined to begin, take a moment to set an intention for it. Consider how much time you’ll be investing, how many other things you will not be able to do because you’ve committed to this one, and what, if anything, you hope to get out of completing the project.
Tips for making it easier to keep your word to yourself about your creative projects
Once you’ve fully committed to a new project, you’ll ride that dopamine wave that new projects give us in the early stages. Ride that wave as long as you can and make some good progress. To avoid hitting a slump in the messy middle where the end is nowhere in sight, try these tips:
Keep a journal for all your projects. Write down the start date, and whenever you remember, log each time you work on it, along with a few notes about where you left off.
Keep everything you need to work on the project in one, easily accessible place if possible.
If your project is portable, bring it with you to work on in your downtime when you might otherwise find yourself scrolling on your phone.
Connect with a fellow creative and agree to hold one another accountable for your projects.
Most important of all, enjoy yourself. There are so many people who wish they saw themselves as creative types. I believe that everyone is creative; it’s just that some of us do not allow ourselves the freedom to explore until we find our “thing.”
This video by embroidery artist Cathy Hay discusses delayed gratification and doing hard, long-term work and I thought she captured what I’m trying to say about our relationship to the making of our creative work.
If you take anything away from this article, I hope it’s this. Please keep creating. You are adding beauty to this world by what you create and by the impact what you create has on you and everyone else.
Keep indulging in what the kids are calling “analog activities.” The quilts that come to life from an idea in your head, the sweater you knit by hand for your niece, the wall hanging that you’ve been embroidering for the past 18 months- none of these things can be created or duplicated by a robot.
Every time you create, you are pushing back against the enshittification of everything, since people have relegated their creativity to robots.
I’ll leave you with this:
Create.
Keep creating.
Keep the promises you make to yourself and to your craft.
(If you can’t, then don’t be hard on yourself, either.)
Share your work.
Support your fellow creatives.
Creative expression brings joy to the person making the thing and to those who see the completed object. The world needs more people who are creating joy.
Great advice Beatrice - I'm going to save this so I can re-read it when I get stuck or lose my way on a project
I love your last statement “The world needs more people who are creating joy.💝