I’m not sure if this is a Lounge topic or an Art topic. I would like to hear if you have any rituals, practices, etc. to take yourself out of the day’s goings-on and switch over into artist-mode. Any particular prayers/meditations, music, scents? How do you prepare within yourself (as opposed to preparing your supplies)? Have you set boundaries with the people in your household to have that time to yourself?
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The crafting space is in the attic, and kids are not usually invited up there at all. My partner takes my art quite seriously so will tell them to let me be when I am “working”, he even makes sure they keep pretty quiet.
Honestly, I usually begin with tidying up. Once I have the space, or a spot on the table, clear with supplies at the ready, I am also mentally prepared. Sometimes though I need to know I haven’t got errands waiting on me or I just can’t get into the groove. I try to keep the house very tidy and organized and we will do errands and shopping on our lunch hour just so things stay running smoothly. It helps me relax if there aren’t a bunch of other things demanding my attention.
I also put the Simpsons on. It’s a very silly show but I’ve been doing it for years and it’s the magical background music I craft to 
.
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First I usually plan a day where I’ll have no reason to leave the house or have any other distraction like chores or cooking. Art days are popcorn for dinner days haha. Then I also have to clean up my space to get in the groove and also because I never remember to clean up once I’m done with a project. Then I put on some music, either light a candle or incense, spray some Aveda chakra (inspiration!!) spray on my head and start doing whatever I’m doing. I’m usually on my own during the day so there’s no one to bother me besides the cat and dog.
So basically daylight, good smells, good tunes, clean space and permission (from myself) to create.
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So funny, because I start cleaning and putting stuff away…sometimes rummaging through a basket or organizing beads or paint…then something will strike me…I keep cleaning but the idea grows so I might stop to jot a few notes, pull out some fabrics or paint…the idea becomes too great to ignore but once I start, I am obsessed to finish it…
I have to turn on lots of lights since most of my creative time is at night…I usually put on some Netflix series, maybe one I have seen over and over like Supernatural or Travelers…it is just background noise…almost white noise…
If I get stuck, I look at something on Pinterest and go down a rabbit hole for a bit…once I am overwhelmed by all of the clicking and saving, I stop, focus on one item and start…the starting is the hardest part for me…
I also tend to go in phases…I get into an altered art phase, or a TM patch phase or a knitting phase…then I am over it for a while
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I too start with cleaning, but with usual house chores. I just can’t get into the groove when I know I have dishes to do. Those chores only take a little bit and it clears my mind and gets my blood flowing so I can relax and enjoy the crafting process.
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eeep - don’t talk to me about cleaning, I am so far behind it. It probably is part of my block right now.
But what has helped me in the past - yes the cleaning so that I can have a good canvas/blank space to create in - but also a palette cleanser so to speak Either making a go-to craft which is a no brainer. Or prepping bases for art tags, ATCs or something else. Or inspiration from real life - such as a swap or craft-a-long that gets my attention. Pinterest or web surfing used to be a good source of inspiration too - but I found that some of my favourite bloggers are more active on faster platforms (instagram, etc) and not as active on their blogs, or more interested in selling themselves than sharing creativity, or the web is just a time sucker.
So I think I just have to clear off my massive oak work table and get to making some bases again.
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This is such an interesting and enlightening thread to read! Since I am mostly making craft rather than art or doing DIY around the house I find that when I am planning a bigger project it can help me be ready to actually do it by kind of planning out all the steps in my head ahead of time. I do that while falling asleep. It actually helps put me to sleep rather than keep me up, so it accomplishes two things. It’s definitely more of a long game strategy, but helps me a lot when the time comes to start the project if I have actually have kind of done it in my head a few times. I’m less intimidated by the starting of it.
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As for switching over into artist-mode, my problem is I can’t switch it off! To make matters even more complicated I need to learn new methods or ways to be creative all the time; it’s never-ending, else I get antsy and impatient with whatever I am currently working on tho the thing generally will turn out “ok,” it could have been better! Then again, if I happen to have come across some new technique and plan on giving it a go, next time around, that bodes well for the current project because it will improve the results, ten-fold…because just knowing I have a new experience waiting for me in the wings, fires up ALL my burners!! Sometimes I have 3 or 4 new methods on hold, each waiting its turn. It may even be something I have to research a lot, so be it! Tho, these days you don’t have to go much further than YouTube…whatta God send!!! There are days when I am on YouTube for 4, or 5 hours! Just hunting!!! One thing leads to another. My next stop after that is Pinterest. Between the two I get all I need. Then, too, because of Pinterest, I threw out my ref morgue, and let me tell you, that compilation had been built up over a period of 40 years!! So you had to know it had been quite extensive. Threw out the file cabinet, too! Didn’t need either, anymore. Pinterest has billions more photo refs than my morgue ever did and took up less space to boot!!
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I was an art ed major in college, and big parts of my getting into the zone was leaving my apartment and using the art studio, even for some things I could have easily done outside the studio. Prepping my materials to work with was a big one. My focus was ceramics at the time, so wedging clay and pre forming balls for wheel throwing was great to get me into mindset for creating.
Having a dedicated space is important to my creative process, but unfortunately I have had to use my craft room as a home office while we work from home during Covid-19. I don’t have a work laptop that I could take into the office down the hall, so I’m using my personal computer in my craft room.
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I’m bored, or I can’t sleep, what can I make?
Then sometimes I look in my ideas notebook, sometimes I pick up whatever materials catch my eye.
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