Creating through a rough patch.
Cyanotype Paper Prattle Vol. 8
Heading into this winter season, it’s going to be a bit of a quiet year! I ended up not doing markets this year, and even though I’m missing seeing everyone’s faces, I do think I needed the rest period more than I realized.
To be honest, it’s been a bit of a heavy month around here - my spouse was on strike with the Alberta teachers, and navigating that experience together has taken up a lot of my mental space this month. I do feel like I’ve gotten better over the years at still making art when things get tough, but sometimes I still struggle to get into a flow when things are hard.
When I’m feeling blocked on patterns and stationery, it helps to try a new adjacent type of creating. It helps me find new ways of getting into a flow, and learning new things always gives me a creative boost, too. To do this, I’ve been taking another shot at crochet! There are lots of inspiring patterns and textures in textiles, and I often find myself drawn back to them.
I’ve tried a few times to learn how to crochet, but this time I’ve managed to actually understand how it works - I learned how to do the basic stitches, as well as a mesh-stitch and increases and decreases, too. Something about following a pattern or recipe always awakens a desire to go a little bit rogue and make my own changes, so I’ve been trying to stick to the instructions (at least for the most part!)
I have still been working away on my paper craft. The list books are almost ready to go - I’ve been working on the first batch, and an update is coming soon for where to get them in person this season!
Hopefully through the next month, I’ll have more updates to share. See you next month, friends!