Be Creative: Turn off your Brain


When I started to work on Cory, I thought that I knew what I was doing, but as we got going, I realized that I really had no clue what I was doing. I mean technically I knew what I was doing, but I just wasn't really loving it. And I didn't feel like the two of us were talking... but I just kept moving forward, trusting that someone a solution would develop.

From april 2012

I took Cory off of the loom and was less than enthused. I just didn't really like how it looked, so I decided to do some stitching. Well this seemed to just make it worse. I was sewing like a drunk mad women. There was no real pattern, plan, path, or really anything. Hmmm well I couldn't take the stitches out, so I needed another plan, but Cory wasn't talking to me, or I wasn't hearing her. So I decided to go and lay down. My best ideas come to me right before I go to sleep, when I'm waking up in the morning, or during yoga. Basically when I'm not really using my brain, I can come up with ideas.

It turns out that there is actually some science behind the concept of getting good ideas, while dreaming and or at rest. To be truly creative you need to be able to turn off and ignore the prefrontal cortex, that's the part of our brain that filters our ideas, and keeps us from making what seem like crazy connections and decisions. It also holds us back from truly expressing ourselves. This can be a good thing at many times in life, but it hinders creative thought. 

To come up with great creative ideas, your mind needs to be allowed wonder, it needs to be given permission to make what at first glance seem like crazy connections. Everything idea and thought has to have a chance of survival. This is what takes place while we're dreaming. 

So I really can't tell you what I thought/dreamt about when I laid down. All I know is that when I woke up, I was pretty sure that I had a solution. And I went to town. I took yarn that was left over from other projects and began sewing it onto the surface or Cory, which added some really fun color and texture, and I was having a blast. I then used my brand new snap tool, and added snaps to each end, to give more options on how to wear Cory. Disaster averted!

If you're really stuck on a project, problem, or idea the worst thing that you can do, is sit there are stare at it. It's probably not going to talk to you, because you're actually not letting it. You have so many road blocks up in  your brain that the only idea that you can think of is the bad one that you already had. If you really want to find a solution, walk away, take a break, even better take a nap. Who knew that napping could be so productive!
From april 2012

Cory reminded me that I have to let go when I'm frustrated, that if I beat myself and try to muscle my way through something, I'm just going to make it worse. Cory also reminded me to let go of pressure. I put so much pressure on myself to make great things, and to have 10,000 new ideas every second, (crazy I know). I was trying to take control over the piece, I was going to make it perfect, and instead I kept messing it up. Cory didn't speak to me, until I let go, I admitted defeat, and said please take over. I think that I could hear Cory laughing at me, like really, why did it take you so long to listen to me. Why are you so stubborn sometimes.

Cory became a bright light in a bad week. I realized that I was transferring everything that had gone wrong during the week into this scarf, and this scarf was not willing to accept all of the negativity. Cory wanted me to let go of the negativity as well, and to admit that it was destroying me. All I was doing was hurting myself, and this poor scarf in the process. Once I let go, I mean really let go, Cory spoke, reminded me of my purpose. To bring Joy into a sad and hard world, and with that joy flowed throughout the studio. And through Cory it became something that I could actually touch.

I'm so thankful for this reminder
From april 2012
From april 2012
From april 2012
From april 2012
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2 comments:

Barnicles said...

Love this post, i might link to it in a blog this week if thats okay?

always great to hear your creative process.

Barnicles

fabricatedends said...

Barnicles, sorry that I didn't respond sonner, It would totally fine if you linked it in blog post.

Blessings