I’m relatively new to making dolls.
But with the risk of being immodest I’m quite good at it. I’ve taken to it like a duck to water. Sometimes the needle appears to be working under its own steam as if I am just an observer to what it creates.
So… it feels good. But getting started is hard. I fear this one isn’t going to be as good as the last one and a creative freeze descends. But I push through. And it thaws. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days. I try and put myself in the mind space of when the making feels like the most natural thing in the world and that autonomic needle can’t wait to create more stitches and bring a character, a little person in softie form, to life.
If I project myself into that feeling of positivity that exists at some point along the process, it helps me push through.
Luckily yesterday the thaw started and I was able to start some sketching.
This morning I’ve run amok with baking paper, tracing this, tracing that.
I could feel the fear but I traced it anyway.
It’s a confidence thing, as so many things are. Sometimes we just have to dig deep and find some confidence or just do it anyway. Just do it. That’s the thing.
I’ll keep you updated on the doll progress. I hope two little young softie ones will be materialised soon. I think they will be cute, but I will let go of the idea that they need to be the best ever and just make and see.
Do you get creative freeze?
What tricks do you use to bring on the thaw?
Crafting Health 
That’s a thoughtful post you have here! I can plan and mull over an idea for days and hardly get anything done. Much more productive for me is to jump right in and work through mistakes and ‘oops’ moments and come up with something by end of the day.
Thanks Anne! Yes indeed! releasing the fear of mistakes is pretty vital in any creative process, seeing where it takes you is so much more likely to free up more creativity. Happy making!
I definitely get creative freezes.. I can totally get bogged down in the details, making sure I know *exactly* what I’m doing before I start, or sometimes I catch myself avoiding certain steps of the creation. When I notice that I’m avoiding, I force myself to do that part next, and if possible try to work that part (for instance I hate cutting leather or suede for jointing on dolls, I don’t know why I just do, once I stopped working on a doll for more than a month because I just didn’t want to bother digging out the suede, cutting and fitting it.. I think it took about 30 minutes to do, and once I got that done I finished the doll so quickly) into the process as early as possible (now I cut the suede into rough sizes and shapes at the very start of making a doll, or if possible make a design that doesn’t require it). Another thing I do when I feel a freeze coming is… get off the computer (sigh).
very very true – getting bogged down in the detail is something that I’ve certainly been guilty of, I often have to remind myself to come up for air and look at the bigger picture! great comment! thanks!