New Pathways to Inspiration - Swaps
May 20, 2009 | By
This is the first in an ongoing series of articles dedicated to pushing yourself into new areas to find inspiration.
Everyone hits a wall sometimes with their creativity, even the most passionate artisan is going to sit in their studio or workspace one day and simply stare at the wall for awhile because the muse has left them. It happens to the best of us. I find it happens more often when you don’t take the time to fully explore all the possible avenues for creativity.
There are things you can do as a member of the handmade community to help stave off creative blockage. Namely; try new things. Every faction of the handmade world has its own dedicated group of people that work hard to keep their craft alive and up to date. One of the best things for crafters block is to surround yourself with those who share your passion. One way to do this is to join a swap that appeals to the sort of crafting you do. .jpg)
The website Swap Bot has swaps for just about anything you can imagine; everything from stamping to yarn, beads to postcards. I’ve participated in several swaps and I am always amazed at the interesting and unique things I get. Sometimes you get crafting supplies from your partner that are new to you, sometimes you just get a different perspective on the craft you have in common. It’s a great way to open up to new ideas; while sharing and receiving something as well.
My favorite part of sites like ArtFire and Etsy is that you get a chance to see the wares of other artisans similar to you, so here’s what I propose: go to the ArtFire forums and instigate a swap of some kind. Say you want to swap buttons; set it up! Take charge and make it happen and not only will you get to see what your partner sends you (and you can de-stash some of your own things that will never get used!) but you’ll also be able to see what everyone else gets with pictures and posts and explanations of why and what they sent.
All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior
written permission of HandmadeNews.org.
