Creativity in Times of Uncertainty
Over the past few years, many have had to let go of their old life. The routine and certainty that was shattered in March 2020 left many rethinking their current life trajectory and for some, no desire to return to their old ways.
As the old orders crumbles and we feel like we have entered an abyss of uncertainty, the need to tap into our own inner creative potential has never been stronger.
Designer Emily Peacock sits amongst her needlepoint designs.
I am sure that many of us have had moments of reflection and we realise we’ve been on auto-pilot for so long, not really living with purpose. It’s amazing how the months and years can roll by without us questioning the path we’re on, or even our own sense of fulfilment. The path often pushes us along and we just do what we do, rather than being fully self-led.
I can speak from the heart about flux and change and it no longer brings me fear. In fact it has liberated me. A pattern in my lifetime has been to lose and then strip back, change, start again, reinvent – whether it be moving country, bereavement, isolation or worrying how I am going to financially survive. At the peak of uncertainty, I moved house (including from one country to another) eight times in ten years. I want to share what has been true for me and how if fits into today’s crazy World.
Designer Hannah Bass holds her stitched HOPE canvas above her dog Bert’s head.
If you have being paying attention – and I’m sure most of you have – the rate of change and ‘reset’ is breath-taking. I spoke to a friend a while back and I said, “don’t you just carry on with your day and yet feel a low-level constant heartbreak?” She burst into tears as if I had just given her permission to acknowledge it. We want to be strong, we want to be ok, we don’t want to be victims and yet we know we’re never going back to where we were. We are letting go with one hand and trying to reach out for something solid and familiar.
Despite the difficulties, I see the potential for something so positive happening right now.
Vive La Revolution needlepoint kit by Hannah Bass.
When everything is thrown up in the air, there is huge potential for opportunity. For example, did you know that more millionaires are created in times of economic downturn than at any other time? For decades we have been sold a sanitised version of How Life Should Be and material goals and aspirations that keeps us forever on the treadmill of trying to achieve. It’s utterly toxic and more and more people are seeing it. Furthermore, fueled by the phenomenon of influencers, social media is trying to keep up the idea of exciting lives, foreign holidays, meals out, home renovations… when so many are struggling just to pay their bills. Many accounts are just personal extensions of mainstream media - adverts for the self - and we unconsciously hurt each other.
I think there’s room for something more and I think that something more is the heart. Although the rate of change makes one dizzy… and God knows most of us are uncomfortable with change… is the biproduct of the chaos in fact a cleanse of some sort?
Designer Emma Homent from The Makers Marks stitches by the seaside.
When the first lockdown happened, many in my industry had never been so busy. The fear and trauma unlocked a basic need to do some sort of handiwork, a need for grounding and simplicity. Yes, a NEED. Baking, craft, gardening… so many went back to a simpler life and found joy in tasks they never had time for. What’s more, necessity and boredom became a breeding ground for imagination – it was as if many of us returned to a childlike state.
We all hold a creative spark and are currently being called to let go of old ways and traditions and instead reimagine and use our innate ingenuity. This means that what has always been done before is not necessarily relevant. In fact I would argue that we are all crying out for something completely new that has meaning and brings joy. Creativity is rebellion against our current reality. I truly believe that the heart can lead us at this time – what do people actually need? What brings joy and it good for the whole, not just those with unlimited finances? What no longer serves us? How much do we really need to be happy?
This Studio Paca Strawberry Milk needlepoint kit shows the joy in everyday items.
My stitching life has truly been a Godsend for me. It is my happy place and the antithesis of disassociation brought about by the overuse of tech. In fact the more tech enters our World, the more I retreat into the tangible World by working with my hands and inner imagination. I started up a local meet up for people to bring crafts along on a Thursday evening, have a coffee or glass of wine and just talk as we work with our hands. We are meant to be together, we can learn, collaborate, build community. We waste time and energy as consumers, rather than creators. Getting drained from social media removes creativity. The true wealth is inside us and when we come together as community, it's not found in a device or a bank account.
Thread and Mercury Bliss needlepoint kit.
Starting a small business or a concern does not have to be overwhelming. I battled for a while about the perception of being a ‘brand’ when I began 16 years ago. I have never thought of myself as a brand, nor wanted to be one. I feel the pressure of uniformity and consistency when I think of that word. I consider myself an artist/designer that works in wool and produces whatever I want, when I feel the urge, in whatever size and form I want. It took me a while to permit myself the freedom to embrace that. In fact the restraints we put on ourselves can limit what we produce. To question your assumptions and discard what doesn’t feel good, is healthy. It’s ok to start a small business or whatever you want to call it and just be… well… you.
Of course any venture requires risk, courage and turning up every day, but it is an opportunity to create what we want to see in the World. It means discipline and building in time to fail, and also means playing to your strengths and collaborating with someone who has what you lack. Of course, never copying, as that will only hurt you and others. You are unique, no one has the same story as you. You can combine your loves and seemingly unrelated areas of your life together and create something entirely original. I always knew I wanted to have my own ‘thing’ that really expressed who I am. I always knew I was a maker, but it was only when I chose to combine my background in packaging design, my love of stitch, my need for colour and visual drama that I hit on what has become my income. The love from my heart came first, before any idea of earning money.
Ruby the Giant Squid by Emily Peacock.
The more you work with your individuality, your authenticity, the more access you have to your own creative potential. What excites you? Are you having fun or just getting by? What is your inner essence? That doesn’t depend on what others think. It’s about wholeness, realness, the entirety of who you really are - not pretending to be an image. By being yourself you give others permission to step into their own vision and slowly, slowly we build the World we want to see.
The World wants you. The World needs you. Beautiful, quirky, messy, unfiltered you.
