Creativity in Hiding
Hi! I’m back!
I feel like I’ve been having to say that way too much lately. I’ve done a lousy job of posting here, as I’ve had a lousy time creating anything. I’m in a major creative funk, you guys. 🙁
I’m trying to slog my way through it, but it’s really tough. I’m used to being able to create new exciting things without having to try very hard. But lately, when I look at my refashion rack, I don’t see endless possibilities for fun and play. I’m struggling to see the awesome frock hiding in the frump these days, and that sucks. I’ve taken breaks. I’ve been working on other creative projects and find myself struggling just as hard with those.
The last time I was in a creative crisis of this magnitude, I started my 366 Day Project.
Maybe it’s time to do that again…
I really don’t know. Seriously…if you have any advice, it would be most welcome.
Anywho…we’re starting to get a few warm days here in SC, so I thought I might lighten my dour spirits with this fun little number:
Fun, yes?
I like those fun little dots and the tiered skirt could be really terrific. But I am so completely and utterly over sleeves, okay?
Wave buh-bye, little sleeves!
I hemmed that top raw edge…
The old tuck ‘n pin!
Whirrrrrrrrr!!!!
I put it on my dress form, and saw the top part was going to be waaay to baggy and saggy to work for what I had in mind. Soooo…I took in a smudge front he back.
This also removes that now-functionless zipper!
Okay, so that top edge is closed up, but so what? It’s still not going to stay up that way, now is it?
I know what I said about hating sleeves, but I thought they might come in handy after all!
Do you see where I’m going with this?
I took one of the sleeves, and pinned it to the front and back of my new dress like so:
Inside-out front!
Inside-out back!
I stitched the sleeve down, then used my pinking shears on the back section to trim off the extra fabric.
Check it out now!
Not too bad!
I wore my cute new dress for a fun brunch spent sharing photos from a recent vacation with my favorite people! 🙂
The cruise may be over, but our fondness for delicious slushy beverages remains!
Erin is up to no good…
…which is why she’s friends with me! 🙂
Close-up of the front…complete with really awkward facial expression!
Thanks for bearing with me as I try to get my mojo back. I promise I’m not quitting this blog…just trying to get re-inspired. You’re awesome for tolerating me. 🙂
Life was easier in paradise…*sigh*
Cheers!
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Tags: Year 4
That turned out really well. I hate being in a creative funk. Hope it lifts soon!
I think that when you’ve been running an intensely creative blog for as long as you have… you’re totally allowed to have a period of funk. I’m having trouble digging into my refashion basket lately and the same piece has been on my dress form for weeks! It makes me sad to type that.
Whenever I have trouble coming up with topics for a new post, I go back to old posts for inspiration. Maybe go back to your favorite refashions or look at some past refashions and tell us what you might do differently if you did them today?
Welcome back and good luck!
the dress is awesome, and I believe all artistic people get in a funk and it feels awful, like someone has stolen a piece of you, just remember it is usually temporary
I am in LOVE with this one Jilly Bean!!!! I am in the same dis functional crafting rut lately… I call it winter! Good luck girl, you’ll get it back you just need some sunshine & happiness! Keep on blogging girl we all love it!
Don’t push yourself too hard – it’s meant to be fun not a chore 🙁 Just enjoy the refashions when they inspire you and maybe do one every week or fortnight? Whatever you do, we’ll still be here!
Sometimes doing things for other people totally changes your out look. What if you went to your friends closets, male and female, and refashioned their stuff? Love your blog. Keep it up!
sometimes when you get in a creative funk it helps to bounce ideas off someone else. For example the dress you just made I believe the strap is too wide and heavy looking for the dress, it needs to be only a third that size, and make a matching one on the other shoulder. It would also be kind of cute if the strap was just a little bit off shoulder. Instead of a big black belt a smaller white would work better.
Also you could choose some lucky teenager that could be your muse for awhile, that would help her have some clothes that are unique and different, and give you a different view. Sometimes designing just for yourself puts you in that rut.
Another idea is to remake clothes into hospital gowns for long term patients.
I would love to see you refashion prom dresses into prom dresses for some lucky teens.
The bottom line is whenever you start serving others your gifts of design and creativity bursts out the seams (so to speak).
good luck.
I love the idea of Refashing prom dresses, it’s so ‘Pretty in Pink’!!
I know what it’s like to be uninspired and in a slump. I’m currently in a middle of one now. I was getting inspired learning from you. I have not been in my sewing room for over two months. I tell the hubby that it’s too cold up there (my sons old bedroom). It is chilly, but it “could” be tolerated. I guess I’m making up excuses. I, too, went through a bad experience and maybe combined with out cold winters here in Buffalo….I’m just blah! I am a grown, educated person who should know better than to let things stop me in my tracks. I think I have a touch of seasonal depression disorder. Maybe when the sun pokes back out, we’ll both be recovered enough to say “ok. That sucked. I’m back and ready to participate in the world again”.
I hope that you find love and your happiness, Jill. You have TONS of people who aspire to have an inkling of your talent. But we follow you because we truly like you.
Hope that helps a tad. You’re not alone. It feels like it now, but when the gray sky looks blue again…we’re ready for whatever you throw at us. Peace, hugs and love from me to you. <3
Love the outfit! Would you be able to try an outfit with the sleeves added back with shoulders exposed? . Those of us who are older (or not in shape) need some coverage, even in spring.
You’ve done very well for someone who is lacking inspiration. It’s a beautiful dress! Don’t worry about losing your «mojo» in creating new ideas. It will come back, it always does! Keep observing. My art teacher tells me that you refill the inspiration tank by observing the world and playing around with your perception of it… like you did to me by changing my perception of fashion. I have read your entire blog and it gave me the comforting thought that there’s really awesome people out there. I have already started refashioning and it is a lot of much fun. I have been sewing with my mother and it was the first time in a long time that I had spent great evenings with her, just working together to make silly shirt and cute dresses. I am so glad you take the time to share your creations and lovely personality with us, strangers. I hope you know you’re making a difference. Lots of love!
I’m pretty sure it’s the long winter! That dress is quite cute, and yeah perhaps a smaller belt with heels might make it look very chic. Those are good advices from Ramona. Best wishes!
Ah, creative funks can suck the life out of you. Yuck! My own solution when I get stuck in the muck is to get out in nature and find my muse. Go for a hike. Wonder at the perfect proportions of a leaf. Listen to a stream or the ocean. Watch the sunset. And meditate on why I create – why did I start doing it in the first place? Maybe the blog has become a life of its own and “doing the blog” took over from creating from your original place of why. Figure out what you need. You may need to take a break for a while. Or you may need to revamp the blog and how you refashion and what you do with the refashions. Who knows? Endless possibilities and you are absolutely creative enough to do anything you imagine! Hugs!
Love your blog! Here’s a suggestion – pick a different theme for the week or month? Might make it easier to have a starting point on the refashes. And the theme could be anything from holiday inspired, to color, to a certain style.
This was a cute refash! The strap was a little wide for me personally but I liked the idea!
Hi, I just wanted to share that I’ve been in a creative slump recently so I decided to host a women’s craft night once a week. This way I get to share ideas/be inspired to craft with others and socialize at the same time! Had my first one last week & it was so much fun! 😉 Keep sewing, even if nothing is happening, it will come back. Browsing Pinterest also helps!
Hugs, Roxy
This is a very cute refashion! Don’t be too hard on yourself in the midst of your slump. We still love you! 🙂
One of my favorites, so cute
You’ve definitely got your mojo back!
I concur with both Chica and Melissa. Winter is just ending and all that cold and dark mutes creativity. I love your blog and totally enjoyed the recent posts from your adorable douglas puppy. I know i don’t know you, but I think your blog shows you to be a very creative person in general. I suspect you don’t give yourself enough credit on all the ways your unique creativity reveals itself. I googled “boosting your creativity”. Here are my top 2 picks:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-easy-way-to-increase-c/
http://lifehacker.com/5990617/nine-of-the-best-ways-to-boost-creative-thinking
Also, consider how your menstrual cycle may be affecting you. I am just in perimenopause and now that my cycle is wiggy I can clearly see/feel how where i am in the cycle affects everything – my thinking, my reactions, my energy.
And finally, I have found that it is extremely important for me to remember that ALL emotions are things that come and go and while I can take steps to influence that flow, I cannot just decide to “be happy” or anything else and when i feel stuck in some way just remembering that “this feeling will not last” is sometimes enough to unstick me. And if that mindfulness isn’t enough, I KNOW the weather will change or my hormone levels will fluctuate and eventually the situation will change.
*hugs* and thank you for blogging – your posts never fail to positively influence me.
Very cute!!! Always glad to see your posts.
I love the dress but would nix the strap. Looks like you added it just bc you had the extra fabric. Overkill. And you could rock the strapless look.
As for your slump. Been there just diggin my way out. I’m in NC and as in SC the weather is swinging back in the right direction. I like to take my camera, roll down the windows and just drive to no where and take photos of the landscape, architecture and people on the street. Don’t forget a thermos of pink lemonade!
Good luck! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next. You are very inspiring!
This is so cute! How about some accessories so it doesn’t feel like such a big project? Bags, belts, cuffs and collars? And am sure you have plenty of haberdashery bits ( I always think you must have loads of buttons!) to play with!
Good luck and keep your chin up! 😉
Well, my mojo is missing too! I think it’s frozen under a snow bank. Which is very likely this winter! Spring is just around the corner and with it are new beginnings. Keep on smilin’!
Very cute refash– I love the tiered ruffles. But I hear you when it comes to lack of interest in sewing/refashioning. I have no advice to give because I’m in that same place with my own blog right now…I hope we both find what we need to kick start our engines again!
Talk to KFox about it. She had a great reply for me when I was feeling in a slump. It has something to do with the normal thing that happens when you get so good at what you’re doing that it seems mundane. Something like that. Mine went away. Yours will too 🙂
That Kate is a clever one. 🙂
Oh how I wish u weren’t n a funk!! If only u knew how happy u made all of us…YOUR FANS!!! I think I would just leap for joy if u did ANOTHER 366 day project!! That was one of the GRANDEST things I’ve ever experienced! It’s what got me hooked on ur site! Good luck, best wishes n PLEASE KEEP US HAPPY
Oh- I SO SO SO wish you would do that 366 day challenge again. I looked forward to that every day -even though I seldom commented. I just could not believe you had the mojo to do that and still have a life. You are so talented and it is a shame NOT to use that wonderful creativity that you have in you! Just MY 2 cents! xo Diana
Reading your blog posts is the highlight in the slump of my day–they always come to my box in the middle of the day and make the afternoon brighter! I appreciate them whenever they come. I second what the others are saying. I bet it’s a temporary slump (ooh winter!) and the next thing you know you’ll be churning out blog posts left and right! But don’t force the creativity! We’ll be here!
This dress is great, I love it! I’ve often been in a creative funk. What I sometimes do is to create anyway and a lot. The outcomes may be absolutely awful, but eventually, my creativity comes back and I am able to do new things that are much better.
I find when I get in a funk that it’s quite motivating to do something for others. Sometimes I have to take the focus off myself. Why not try to do a refashion for a teenager in a group home or foster care that may need an outfit for or an adult in need that may be in want. Sometimes, we get glutted on acquiring things for ourselves. (This is not intended to say you are self-centred or greedy, so please don’t ready anything into it) I think you are great!
Hey do not worry, we all run into those periods of slow creativity and that is ok, I get crazy when I fall into the “ueber creativity” if you know what I mean, like too many creative ideas swirling around my head and not enough time to do them or not being able to decide with which one to start.
I am doing Spring Cleaning, although there is no Spring in Site in the larger Chicago Area, but blue skies and sun helps. So I am starting with my closets, everything out….
Clean the closet may be even a fresh coat of paint, and then separating it all
a) fits b) what fits put it together in outfits — hang all color coordinated in the closet
c) organize by 1. complete outfits 2. tops short and long sleeves 3. dresses 4. skirts
5. pants all types and length 6. jackets etc.
d) old worn, hate and can do nothing else with it off to donations
e)
and yes e) is my hardest part something about it is great the fabric the print something
but it does not fit too big, style outdated, too tight whatever so all on one
big rack to BECOME MY OWN REFASHIONISTA without any expertise…
Do you feel for me?
So my original plan is to just to the separation, and then decide what I can do with the
cannot detach myself from them items…… I am shooting for trying to combine tops with skirts/bottoms to turn them into fitting one piece items Anything you have you could
do and encourage me???
Good job with the last refashion, I wish I’d be as tiny as you….. but I am not so my styling will be a bit more difficult to accommodate the curves.
I cannot wait to see your next refashion….
Edith YourChicagoConnection
You rock, lady! I get a lot of inspiration from your site. I feel creative blah periods too sometimes – and it’s good to take time off once in a while. But if I’m looking to be inspired, I check out different refashion blogs to get charged, as well as browsing the thrift stores. While I mostly fix/refashion clothes for myself, I also get inspired when making stuff for others – friends and family. And making theatre costumes is such a blast! I’ve made a couple Renaissance costumes for Shakespeare plays – and lots of fairy costumes for them, too. Another thing that gives me a lift is checking out some of Bill Cunningham’s short videos. He has such a lovely eye, and optimistic vibe. It’s fun to see what people are wearing! Challenges, exchanges, and sewing bees can set deadlines that help push forward. And bringing other people in means you feel the group support.
Hope you shake the winter blahs and get back your creative spirit!
I love it! It looks country bumpkin chic. Lol
Jillian, I love the idea of refashioning for someone else. When I get in a slump, I refashion for my daughter. I also do sewing jobs for around the house (covering old pillows or making a new duvet cover). Works every home for me:)
Time not home…..
I love this one! It’s fun and funky and looks like summer. It’s -15 celcius here in Alberta, Canada today and we just got another dump of snow, so I’m really pining for summer and summer wear! As for your creative funk, how about working on something different, like making a swim suit, or refashioning a bridal gown, or some puppy wear! Although it’s probably too hot where you live for puppy wear, but you get the idea, do something completely different. Craft something for Easter, like maybe one of those old fashioned glorious Easter hats that women used to wear to church. Something fun and frivolous!
My advice would be, if it doesn’t feel like fun, don’t do it. If it does, do it, even if it’s just petting your dog. Excitement is a thread that leads to all other excitement and that leads to a fulfilled abundant life ; )
I love your blog in part because you’re so honest. Thanks for admitting to your real feelings. You obviously touched a nerve for a lot of us. And now we can move on. Personally I liked the surprise of the wide strap but then I’m a bit “older” than your average reader!
You could look up some ridiculous, avant garde, no place to wear it clothing and find something with a great shape, pattern or color and make a wearable version of it.
I know how hard it can be to get the creative juices flowing. Are you going to hit Ignite!, the Transformus sister burn in May? It’s a little less of a time commitment, and it might be a good jolt for you – you’ll get the Crazies you got in Mysteria last summer, and some of the theme camps you enjoyed, too. Make a vision board of your angsty ickies and let it go up in flames, sister lady!
Ah…I miss Mysteria. 🙂 Ignite might be just what I need. 🙂
One of my favorites! So cute!
been wondering what happened to you! sorry you are in a funk, keep those creative juices flowing- we all need your creativeness! cute dress 🙂
lovely, I watch old films to look at all the clothes, works for me.
I love the idea of refashioning for someone else! A friend’s closet, or prom dress refashion for a teen are great ideas. I also love your wannabe Wednesday segments. Keep doing just those 🙂 you’re doing great! Thank you!
Love this refash. If you’re running into a creative funk, I love the idea above of watching old films (20s, 30s, 40s) for some new and creative ideas. What about also considering doing 1 outfit a week for a needy family or children? Sometimes it’s easier to be wacky/fun/creative with kids’ clothes (or bags, or hats or toys) than it is with women’s clothes. Just a thought. You could even try repurposing fabric into stuffed animals (or monsters!).
I thought of you and your blog when I learned about this today: http://www.fashionrevolution.org/ Your blog has inspired me to think more carefully about cheap fashion I purchase, buy used clothing, and make my own clothing. You are truly an inspiration, so keep on, girl! Maybe remembering why you do all this in the first place might help light your fire again.
I highly recommend the book The Artist’s Way. It was written exactly for this kind of situation – creative blockage. You can download a sample on Kindle.
Lutsa hugs.
Don’t work too hard to get your mojo back. Just let it flow, watch good movies, read books, look at art, listen to music. Relax and creativity will find you again.
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