Why challenges help me get inspired to create
It isn’t always easy to just sit down and start creating, regardless of whether your painting, drawing, doing embroidery or like me papercrafting. Sometimes we need a little bit of inspiration to get our creative mojo going.
For me, this is where challenges help me. They challenge me to try new things. Whether that is new products, techniques or designs. It also gets me using stuff that I have that I otherwise get nervous of using. The main thing to remember is to have fun. Because that is all creativity is about. Playing, experimenting, getting messy and creating something to be proud of.
So many ways to be challenged
1. Challenges can be found through finding a group of likeminded crafters who create challenges through the month. For instance The lovely hosts of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge give us 2 challenges a month. These involve trying to incorporate something which is inspired from that particular months scrapbook kit into a scrapbook layout.
2. challenges might be set throughout an event. Victoria of Victoria Marie Designs gives great challenges for layouts throughout her virtual crop weekends. I love these as they really help push me out of my comfort zone. This year especially the different challenges have been based on a particular part of scrapbooking stash and has helped me use up lots of products I’ve had for years. It has been so good to finally use them on layouts. This month we have been using pocket cards. I have had these in my stash when they have come with kits and not really used them because I don’t really do a lot of pocket scrapbooking layouts. It has been great to use them at last.
3. There could be daily challenges such as the 100 days challenge. You choose something you would like to do for 100 days. There is a big online community on Instagram who share there creations if you need inspiration. Last year I committed to a small poem a day for 100 days. I enjoyed doing these and it kept me in the habit of writing. Others have done a watercolour painting, a piece of journaling or a sketch. IT is whatever you feel drawn towards.
This month I have been doing Scraptember. A daily scrapbook challenge created by some inspiratonal scrapbookers; Laura Alberts crafts, Scrappy sisters and Christys Beautiful Life. Each day of september they have offered a new prompt for inspiring a scrapbook layout. This has included some layout sketches, black and white, fussy cutting and using different products.
These daily challenges have been great as it has encouraged me to try new techniques and designs. I had never just scrapbooked in black and white before… Well until now. And I love how it turned out. I hadn’t used a cut file on a layout before. Definitely keen to use more.
Give a challenge a go… You never know what you’ll create
So maybe a challenge could get you out of a creative rut, or help you try something new.
You could set yourself your own challenge. To try something you’ve always wanted to do. Or create a certain number of creations over a period of time.
Most importantly though, enjoy the process and do not beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen. IF it adds too much pressure then it takes away from the enjoyment. Be gentle with yourself and enjoy the ride.
