Stories with Stitch People

Got a case of designer’s block? Jessica Savage has a simple solution to get those creative juices flowing…

Greetings! Another month, another pattern! I love that I make patterns for a living but sometimes I hit a point where nothing seems to work. My designs its, waiting for a burst of creative brilliance from me. But nothing happens. I have ‘designer’s block’.

This cursed state affects all of us –whether you’ re creating art, negotiating deals, or working on an equation that will provide the answer to life, theuniverse, and everything. Sometimes, inspiration skips out on us and doesn’ t look back!

As someone who creates for a living this is something I need to have a work able solution to. So I will share my fail safe method for getting past this blockade of the mind! It’s safe, works100% of the time, and requires only your project and yourself! Ready? When I find myself suffering from a case of designer’ s block, I: keep going.

That’s it. It sounds silly, butthe more you‘ do ’, the more you get done. By that, I mean if you don’ t do anything to your creation, your creation stays stagnant. If you keep making changes and trying new things, you’ re more likely to do something that reignites the spark.

In the case of designing patterns, often times I find that trying something– anything– with the design is the best way of getting past it. Often, I’ ll make a change that gives mean idea, which gives me another idea, which leads me back down the road of inspiration.

If it’ s particularly frustrating, I throw myself a little tea party and sit away from my work for ten minutes. But then it’ s straight back to it. Time spent with your eyes and mind off a project you’ re stuck on can be a good thing but, for me, staying away from it for too long benefits no one.

As the wise king said to Alice :“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

This works well for me, but do you have another suggestion? If you do, please let us know on social media using@ stitch people. Happy stitching! Jess