3 insights about creativity

In the My Keep Calm Daily Craftbook we share seven insights to get your creativity flowing. Here are three of those insights. For example: who says it all has to be perfect?

Follow the flow

When you make something with your hands, you’re holding a mirror up to yourself. Remember: we’re all different. During the making process, someone may discover that they are a real perfectionist: that makes it hard to move forward because they think everything they make isn’t good enough. Another person might notice that everything they have created is covered in marks and smudges, and they may think: So what? These are both good approaches in their own way, but, like with everything else: within reason. The main thing is being able to get into that flow during the making.

Twice as nice

Being creative—whether it’s drawing, making stamps from an eraser or taking photographs—is a really nice way to clear your head. Focusing while you create something helps you stop your stream of thoughts: you end up in a flow. And when you are making something, it’s not just the right side of your brain that is active, as was once believed; it turns out that multiple areas all over both sides of your brain are stimulated.

Embracing imperfection

Making something yourself—drawing, cutting, pasting,  taking photos, etc.—is a lovely exercise in how to be less of  a perfectionistic. For example: beautiful Persian carpets and kimonos—handmade by people who are complete masters in the craft—must be flawed. Because in the cultures of these people, there is only one person who makes no mistakes, and that is God or whatever name you give your deity. Going easy on yourself is therefore also a useful quality in DIY. Because: making mistakes  is okay—who cares about holes or that page full of smudges?