Being Creative = Nurturing Creativity

Sometimes creativity needs a boost, you know? Something to help it along, to inspire; and adequate time for an idea to take root in your mind, and pester you until the mock, the very first one, is in your hands.

Since the hiatus over the summer, I’ve been feeling a bit out of practice, creatively speaking. I’ll often sit down to blank paper to brainstorm ideas, and sometimes can’t seem to pull what’s in my imagination out onto the page. But instead of getting discouraged and feeling wretched, I decided to fix it: by seeking out creative avenues and small simple projects that allow me to think in a more artistic way, and totally outside of all the handmade loveliest we produce for Quill & Ink.

It was during a trawl of artistic blogs on the internet that I first discovered Keri Smith, who has formulated the most wonderful creative prompt list – you can find it here.

It didn’t take me long to begin rummaging through boxes to find a blank journal, and to steal Lou’s coloured pencils and begin sketching; and it felt wonderfully good to be doing this simple creative thing that wasn’t for anyone else but me (and now you).

And best of all? It’s fun.

The challenge today: to draw all of the things in my bag. Paper is slightly scrunchy because the kids wanted a better look at what I was up to.

Sometimes there are a couple of weeks between entries, other times it’s a matter of hours. I’ve not bound myself to a strict deadline, which ends up freeing the experience even more. I just pick out a square at random, whenever I have the time, and think of a creative way to do what it says.

I have noticed though, that slowly, very slowly, a small creative spark seems to be elbowing its way back to the forefront of my imagination. And there have been some strange little ideas born over the last week that I’m all curious to try out. I guess that’s the best thing about having a creative break; you never know what direction your rested imagination will take once it’s put back in to action…

How do you ignite or restore creativity in your own life? Or, how do you deal with creative lulls?

Nat

Win Me!

On the fifth of December, Quill & Ink Handmade will be a whole year old. Even as I write, I’m thinking of the year like a mother contemplating the galloping of time, and remembering our first tentative steps towards a more creative life, the joy of selling our carefully crafted goods, and the loveliness of being surrounded by other like-minded creatives, who put their whole hearts into the treasures that they make.

It’s been a rosy, glorious year for us, furnished with lots of new ideas, some tears (born from frustration and tiredness), tricky juggling and a whole lot of coffee and cake, but I look at us now – a well oiled creating machine – and I’m so proud I could burst. Sometimes taking a step into an unknown can be the best thing, you know?

So, we’re celebrating.

And we’re thanking you, our wonderful customers, readers, and followers, for all your support, by hosting a fun photo competition to celebrate all the Quill & Ink goodness that’s been bought, given, passed on and delivered this year.

It’s so easy to win! All you have to do is take a photo of your Quill & Ink Handmade item with its new owner, post the image on our Facebook page, and ‘Like’ us (if you don’t already) to be in the draw to win a $50 Quill & Ink Handmade gift voucher to spend on whatever takes your fancy in our Etsy Store. The loveliest photo will win – simple as that!

Entries close 6pm on 5^th of December – just in time to have your Quill & Ink parcel delivered before Christmas.

Hurrah! We just love giveaways!

Nat

Ps. Image from here.

Finding Inspiration

I find inspiration in everyday places.

Whether it’s walking into a material shop stocked to the hilt with beautiful fabrics, or brainstorming about what new thing I can make for my sweet niece or handsome nephew for Christmas, small slices of inspiration can be found hiding in every nook and cranny. You just have to know how to hunt it down, and how to recognise it when it’s finally found.

To help my inspiration process along, I collect things – beautiful buttons, ribbon, material, or interesting knick-knacks that I come across. I’ve often found that having these little bits around can spark an idea, remind me of something precious from my childhood, or just give me the nudge to try out a new idea.

And something I’ve always loved – drawing and sketching – also plays a big part in my creative process. My house is filled with bursting journals and random scraps of paper covered with little images, which may (or may not) become the beginnings of something in the future. I’ve often found that the practice of sketching can lead down a path which may not have been planned, but which sees the creation of something you may not quite have imagined yet.

Sometimes plucking an idea out of the ether seems like a total impossibility. And sometimes creativity gets… stuck. When all things fail, I always try to look for a need (which somehow relates to your area of skill), and attempt to fill it in a different way. Like, for example, I noticed that when I started making our Quill & Ink dolls, that there were only a few options on the market for dolls for boys – real boysy cuddling companions (who like getting dirty, climbing trees and making mud pies almost as much as their owners do). And after a little thought, finding some old fashioned names, and sourcing the perfect fabric, it was a lot easier to take the leap to make Charlie.

Charlie, Spencer, Luca & Thaddeus

My two-cents worth of advice?

1. Enjoy the process! Creativity, imagination and making something new are amazing things.

2. Take notes while you’re experimenting and making, so that when you’re happy with the final product, you can re-create it.

3. Don’t worry if things go awry; few things ever go smoothly first time around, but you’ll learn lots of valuable lessons, and what not to do for next time in the process.

How do you find inspiration?



Kim

A gorgeous autumn market and new homes for our beloved dolls…

I’m playing point and shoot this weekend – want to see what we’ve been up to?

Our lovely Mathilda’s Market stall…

After lots of last minute sewing, a long checklist, and a temporary panic regarding stock levels, we packed up the car and headed off to our first Mathilda’s Market yesterday morning.

Mum’s beautiful new cot quilt – available on our Etsy Store this week.  

We met so many lovely customers, received so much positive and encouraging feedback, and just loved watching the way people tentatively decided which doll they were going to take home (while holding three or four in their hands). After watching Kim spend hour upon painstaking hour lovingly crafting her dolls, it was the best reward of all to see them so universally loved – it makes my heart swell with pride for her.

Happy market faces!

I also lost track of how many times I heard beaming customers murmur (as they leant in close, studying each doll intently), ‘there’s just something about them…” – I’ve been smiling at their sentimental warmth and all morning. One delightful customer remarked that our dearly loved dolls were just so ‘wholesome’ – isn’t that the loveliest way to describe them? For me, this was the absolute highlight of the market; with our children growing up far too quickly, it’s so nice to be able to give them a slice of honest-to-goodness childhood through a friendly little doll – someone who hears all their whispered wishes, provides small reassurance in the darkness of the night, and is a universal sharer of afternoon teas, doctors visits, muddy puddles and long car trips.

So, to all our customers who gave our beloved dolls a new home – thank you! We hope that they’ll be a source of joy and comfort in the lives of your little ones. Please feel free to upload a photo on our Facebook page – we just love seeing our dolls being loved to bits by their new owners!

Nat

To market, to market...

After weeks and weeks of sewing, planning, making, and sourcing, our stall at Mathilda’s Market is almost here! We’re thrilled to be a part of the first market for 2011, and are so looking forward to meeting lovely customers, other wonderful stallholders, and being in the most delicious creative environment.

Three sleeps to go….

Nat

1000 Journals Project

Journal #981 by Whitney Sherman

I watched a documentary a little while ago about the 1000 journals project – did you see it? It was about an experiment that started more than a decade ago, in which one person ‘launched’ 1000 paper-based journals, destined to travel the globe, to be written on, illustrated, passed around, poured over, and loved by total strangers, before being posted to the next recipient (or writer) on a very long waiting list.

Some of the journals were amazingly beautiful pieces of art; others a brief written insight into the lives of the people it came into contact with. There were a lot of sob stories, bad poetry, and tales of frustration, heartache and joy; there was also a journal that simply went missing, which the project managers are still searching for.

The 1000 journal project became so popular, and the waiting list to receive a travelling journal so long, that organisers recently launched another initiative, inviting people from all over the world to launch their own travelling journals, and for others to sign up to receive them.

I was so excited when I found the site again yesterday, that I signed up on the spot – I’m now waiting on journal #4818, and I’m 15^th in line, which is not too bad at all! It was released in Australia in November last year, so it may be a while before it gets back to me; but sometime in the next couple of years, I’ll get a random parcel from someone I’ve never met, and I think that’s worth the wait.

Nat

Ps. To join up or to read more about it, go here.

In the beginning...

The quest for a new doll starts out as just a pile of oddly cut but beautiful fabric, threads of all colours and sizes, and the noisy whirr of my 20 year old sewing machine; but, it isn’t until I attach the two wee shiny buttons for eyes, and a wide, deep pink smile that these little treasures come to life for me. Add to that a cute pair of shorts or a high waisted skirt, their hair neatly done, and a beautiful old-fashioned name, and look – they’re alive!

Old fashioned names have always evoked a sense of nostalgia and charm for me, so all of the dolls I make get a specially selected, carefully matched name. But, like a new parent, sometimes the hunt for the perfect name can be a long one. Does he look like a handsome little Hudson who can’t resist jumping off the sofa in an attempt to fly? Or does she look like a carefree Collette, who would love nothing more than to spend a hot afternoon jumping over a cool sprinkler in the backyard with her dog? 

You see my predicament?

What is never hard is finding absolutely mouth-watering fabrics from our local and interstate suppliers.  My heart beats a little faster, and my eyes get a little wider when I step into their stores, or go to a bustling fabric fare. I must admit, I have bought fabric for no project or purpose other than the fact that it is so beautiful - but, more often than not, a little red headed boy with a cheeky smile, or a daintily and perfectly dressed blonde girl slips into mind - and I can’t wait to make them, name them, and see them with a special little someone I know - being hugged tightly, or curled up for bed with their new best friend.

Sleeping Lou and Bonny Bea

The first doll I made was for my darling niece, Lou, for her first Christmas. As I made it, I hoped that little Bea would be a perfectly-sized friend for her, and something she would love and treasure for years to come. I hoped that she remembered Bea fondly as she grew older, and I put my heart into the making of her.

I’m pleased to say, that she is still a favourite – she’s been chewed on, hugged, tossed and washed more times that I can count, but Lou still loves her, and won’t sleep without her (and the rest of the entourage – Bea was joined by Charlie, Audrey and Millie all before her first birthday).

Lou also tends to claim every doll that enters the house as her own ‘Bubba,’ and it warms my heart to see her take one wherever she goes - tucked under her little arm as she waddles about.

 Kim

Ps. Bea, Charlie, and Audrey are all available in our Etsy shop now. Millie is in production and will be available online soon.

 

  

Simple Pleasures

When I was little, I had a small box of paper dolls that I painstakingly handmade and gave personalities to. I’d cut them all out together in one big long paper doll chain, then give each one a different hairstyle and clothes with my bright coloured felt pens. They were all named after characters from my favourite childhood movies, had complicated, busy lives, were always getting into romantic scrapes, and the girls always needed to be rescued by one of the ‘handsome prince’ type figures.

I loved those paper dolls; they were my most favourite and for some strange reason, an entirely secret game. Maybe I just liked having a creative outlet that was all my own.

I also remember being really upset if one of them got too fragile for use and I knew I’d have to make a replacement (which was never quite the same or as good as the original).

I saw a paper doll for sale on Etsy this week, and it spurred the memory of my own; and then in searching for some to go along with this post, I found these which I actually wouldn’t mind owning myself…

Miniature Moveable Valentines Dolls by Hollandsworth

Summer Fun Paper Doll set by Little Mo and Friends

The Cat made me Steal by PaperThinSaga

I kept my paper doll box until I was well into my teens, and then just before moving out, in a fit of grown-up-ed-ness, I threw out the lot. I regret it now - having a small daughter of my own, I can’t help but imagine showing them to her when she’s a little bit older – a small glimpse into the childhood I can barely remember.

 

Nat

A second 'home' among the gum trees...

I have this wonderful fantasy that I’d just love to indulge in – a purpose built studio. Just one small room, with wide doors looking out onto the garden, tucked into the back corner of the yard near the fence. And I’ve been obsessing about it for years.

Currently, my ‘studio’ is in the dining room on our big, wooden table. It’s noisy, hot, and at the centre of the house; it’s also perfect for my two small fidgety children, who like to pull off and run away with anything I happen to be working on. Not ideal, to say the least; but I’ve managed so far, and will probably manage for a good while longer.

To keep me going, I dream studios. I imagine being in a space all my own, with all my creative bits and pieces housed neatly around me - a place where I always know where things are, and where beloved items never mysteriously disappear into the void. I dream of filling orders, playing with ideas, and drinking tea, of planning out the week, working late into the night, and listening to the sounds of the garden.

If I was allowed to dream up a space that was all my very own, this is probably what it’d look like:

Image from readymade

And on the inside? Shelves brimming with the sweetest stacked vintage prints, neatly folded, just waiting to be used; a big wooden table to work on, a comfortable old-fashioned fabric covered chair, a beloved sewing machine. Shelves with new beautiful stock ready, waiting to be sold; draws with all the patterned papers and cardstock we could ever need; a blackboard for notes and reminders, an ipod dock and all my favourite songs, and the afternoon to work away uninterrupted...

Nat