Sewing Inspiration: How to Reignite the Creative Spark

If you've misplaced your mojo then you're in good company - trust me, it happens to every creative! Our blog posts and social media accounts may look like we're super productive, but we all struggle with creativity on a regular basis. One day you can't tame your passion and your throwing ideas out there left, right and center, and the next day creativity is....wait, what's creativity again? ;)

The first step to reigniting your creative spark is to relax and be kind to yourself!  Your priorities have been redirected in other areas of your life, and for now, that's where they need to be. Don't beat yourself up or feel guilty, relax and embrace the phase your life is in right now - it's a watched pot never boils scenario, and stressing and forcing yourself to create only leads to frustration and a waste of good sewing supplies!

Step away for a while and take the time you need to reignite your spark. Focus on something completely unrelated and you'll come back with fresh eyes, new ideas, better focus, and your creativity will begin to flow again, I promise!
 

We all do it! We jump on social media and scroll through all the pretty pictures and our mojo sinks further into the abyss. Comparison is the thief of joy, people! Reigniting your imagination has nothing to do with what others are doing. Comparing our creative journey to someone else's serves us no purpose, and we need to stop doing it...today!
Being creative should be fun, rewarding and an opportunity to build our skills and express our ideas, and there's no timeframe on that...it’s our journey.

Having all the latest tools and supplies or a huge personal crafting space does not make us more creative. Sure they're fun to have but sewing is not an elitist sport - pioneer women stitched clothing scraps and feed sacks together by candlelight, and their quilts are still admired in museums today.

Social media brings crafting communities together but it's unhealthy if it makes us feel like underachievers. When your mojo is low, switch off for a few days and you won’t be influenced by what everyone else is doing. Don't fall victim to the pressures of social media. Be the boss of your creativity and steer it in your own direction. You've got this!
 

If your mojo is off on its own little vacation, it’s time to reconnect with the things that make you feel creative. Inspiration can come from anywhere and when you ground yourself with your surroundings your eyes, ears and creative soul will awaken and bloom.

Step out into nature and be mindful of how colors and textures coexist in our landscapes - make sure you take photos, that's inspiration you can put in the bank! Take a book to the park and watch how the kids play - their imagination is not limited by fear or comparison, they're too busy having fun! Head to the beach and watch the consistent ebb and flow of the tide - your creativity moves through the phases of your life in exactly the same way, embrace it!

Family is my strongest motivator. They enjoy my creations, they provide inspiration, and offer perspective when I'm in a rut. They're quick to offer suggestions and support, and they love being a part of my creative process. Spend time with those you love and I guarantee you'll be sewing again in no time!
 

Sometimes our mojo takes a hike because we're feeling overwhelmed with the projects we're working on, and we don't have the time to make consistent progress. That happens to everyone - apparently, that extra hour in the day we keep asking for is not going to happen!

As little as fifteen minutes a day can make a huge difference in a week - an hour and forty-five minutes to be exact. That's valuable sewing time right there, grab onto it with both hands!

Slow progress is better than no progress, so commit to a small window of time every day, and be as consistent as you can. Show up even if your mojo fails to make an appearance, you just might lure it out of the shadows.
 

Boredom is just the ticket our mojo needs to go searching for greener pastures. When you fall out of love with a project, it’s hard to find the motivation to keep working on it and it creates roadblocks in our creative journey. Something that started out bringing us joy can easily turn to torture when your just not feeling the love any more.

So what do you do when the very thought of working on a project makes your mojo run for the hills? It’s time to be proactive and take the necessary steps to make peace with this project - unpick it, unravel it, destash it, organize a sewing bee to finish it or pass it on to someone who will give it their own injection of love and creativity.

Don't let one project hold you back and don't look at it as a failure, sometimes we just fall out of love with projects and that's perfectly fine!
 

Goal setting is an action plan intended to motivate, plus ticking things off a list is the best feeling in the world, right?

Be realistic and start small. There's no need to overwhelm yourself right off the bat, take it slow and make it fun! Break down larger projects into smaller lists to make them more achievable and less daunting, and give yourself plenty of time to complete them.

Discuss your goals with your family and sewing buddies - they're your biggest supporters and they'll help you stay on track and keep you motivated.

Small wins snowball and bring you closer to your goals, but you just need to take the first step!
 

No one loves praise and attention more than your mojo, so celebrate every milestone of your creative journey no matter how small - a fist-pump can be quite cathartic I assure you!  

Take some time to really appreciate everything you accomplish - we jump from one project to the next and forget to give ourselves the occasional pat on the back. Remember how it felt when a teacher or an adult admired your school artwork? Your feet barely touched the ground and you put even more heart and soul into the next masterpiece. Positivity increases motivation and productivity.

Celebrate the victories large and small, and your creative journey will start to look a little brighter.


Our mojo is never truly lost forever - creatives will always have that urge to create. If it’s just not happening for you at the moment, take some time, relax and be patient and most importantly, be kind to yourself. You're talented, expressive, and an inspiration to others and your creative spark will burn again...maybe even a little brighter than before. :)