When Creativity Stalls, Build Your Toolkit

Sometimes the Muse eludes us, but how can we make our time valuable when the Creative bug isn't biting? We can build our toolkit so we can be better prepared for when the Muse returns. How can you utilize the time to learn a new skill to pull from when you need it? Peace out.

Reviews

Always wise to regularly build your toolkit in whatever field you’re in. I can broaden your musical analogy to yarn arts by saying that I strained my forearms once really badly. I was trying to speed up my knitting and was eventually told (after I went to the doctor and then to the physical therapist) not to knit for six weeks. I was really saddened. But I distracted myself by crocheting which used different muscles, I thought. We all learned that the muscles were related, and I was told that crocheting was delaying my healing. So no crocheting either.
So I’d sit there trying to figure out what to do. So I tried to resume drawing. Yes, similar hand and arm muscles — so I couldn’t do that. I think I tried another art and was in pain from that as well.
What I ended up doing was finding resources online that could teach me more about my yarn and other hand arts. And I would download references and patterns for future projects.
Yes, I’m actually knitting better because of it as well as crocheting in part because I found better crochet hooks for my disabled hand that makes it easier to hold the hook and as a result my stitches are more uniform making my end product even better. And by knitting And crocheting as alternatively as possible, I don’t strain my arms as much. I’ve even sold a few of my baby sweaters and plush toys to the delight of their new owners.
So don’t “just sit like a bump on a log,” go out do something that will help you do whatever you do.
As a relatively quick accounting related analogy, when I was an accountant trying to be a CPA (Certified Professional Accountant) from January through May auditors in CPA firm would join ranks with the tax preparers to crank out the tons of tax returns that would jam up the office until they were finished or extended by April 15th and clean up work till May then we’d return and prepare our toolkits and audit bags with CPE (Continuing Professional Education) required as a standard by our field. We would work similar crazy hours we did during tax season to finish all the audits due during their various deadlines while taking the CPE of the tax law changes for the next year’s upcoming tax season.
It was a crazy dance but it really utilized time very effectively.
Thank you for the talk.
Blessings to you and all on the journey.
Warmly,
Anne