Feeling uninspired and stuck in a crochet rut? Miss the crochet craft, but lacking the motivation to pick up a hook? Honestly, we’ve all been there; no matter how much you love the craft creative blocks and crochet-ruts happen! While these ‘ruts’ are normal and tend to resolve themselves with time; there no reason you have to ‘wait it out’ and stay stuck. Below are my top 15 tips to help you power through and rediscover your creative inspiration:
Below are my top 15 tips to help you power through and rediscover your creative inspiration:
- Go Shopping: Visit Your Favorite Yarn Store; be it Hobby Lobby, Joann’s, Michaels or a local business it’s impossible to wander down an aisle of beautiful yarn without getting the ‘itch’. Slow down, take it in and see what inspiration comes to you. Sometimes finding the ‘perfect’ yarn can lead to the perfect project.
- Surf the Web: Browse your favorite crochet websites or blogs. Just a few minutes browsing Ravelry or Pinterest can fire up your crochet cravings.
- Read a Book: Visit your Library, Barnes n Noble or local bookstore to browse Crochet books or magazines. While the web is fantastic; sometimes this can lead to pattern ‘overload’ and it’s can be hard to know where to start after a rut. Something about paper can help you to slow down, focus and find your motivation again.
- Refine your Vision: A vision board may be the perfect visual and creative space to put up yarn, patterns, pictures, inspirational quotes, and other items that get your creative juices flowing.
- Get Connected: Getting connected with a group of other crocheters can be immensely motivating. Find a local group, or start one with friends; or connect with a group online. Something about sharing crochet projects and inspiration with other Crochet lovers can help you power through the worst rut.
- Follow Along: Join a 30-day crochet challenge or Crochet Along (CAL). There are so many amazing CALs to be found online, pick a theme you love (holidays, movies, or a favorite TV show) and find a CAL that you love to help you get moving and back into the habit!
- Find a Quick Win: Start a new, ‘quick’ project or alternate between two projects every other day. Sometimes taking a step away to work on a ‘quick win’ can help give you the motivation to tackle a big project.
- Crochet for a Cause: Crochet has the power to spread warmth, hope, and love in a way that few creative mediums can replicate; so finding a cause might help you re-discover your crochet passion.
- Learn, Do, Teach: Sometimes learning a new technique, or stitch can inspire you to try it out on a new project. Similarly, sharing what you know with someone else and feeding their inspiration can be contagious!
- Get Organized: Research has shown that clutter in our environment can negatively affect our mood, our stress levels, and our self-esteem; none of which good for creativity. So tackling that big organizational project may help you tackle your next crochet project!
- Just do it: Pick one of your unfinished projects and finish it! Set a goal to crochet for a few minutes every day; the process of completing a task can give you momentum and keep it rolling. So make a date with yourself and get to work!
- Treat yourself: When you’ve been working overtime on creative projects, sometimes you just need to take a few moments for some chocolate, talk a walk or to enjoy a nice hot bath. Treating yourself to some overdue ‘self-care’ can help you re-energize.
- Take it with you: Make a change in environment, or go out in nature. Sometimes our best work happens while sitting on a beach or a bench taking in the fresh are and sunshine!
- Make it Entertaining: Find music that motivates you or the perfect show to listen to while you work. Make it a movie date and invite some friends for an evening of entertainment and crochet!
- Find your rhythm: Similar to other natural cycles, focus and motivation has a rhythm or flow. We all have time a time of day when we are more focused and get more done. We also have limits around how long we can focus on any one task. Find the rhythm or schedule that feels best to you and try to get a few minutes in and don’t forget to take a break when you need to recharge and refocus.
While motivation naturally, ebbs and flows, you don’t have to wait it out. Give some of these tips a try, and get those creative crochet juices going! Have some motivational tips and secrets of your own, leave a comment below and help another reader rediscover their passion. Happy Hooking!
