Although I recently struggled with sewing beautifully on the sewing machine, I have finally gotten the hang of it. This experience made me think about slumps. Let’s talk about it.
How to get out of a slump
Sometimes, we want to get out of a slump. Although we have been able to do something well until now, it can suddenly become difficult.
In my case, it was about using the sewing machine. Until a week ago, I had been able to use it casually. Using a sewing machine is not difficult. However, once I started to pay attention to the beauty of the seams, I suddenly became unable to use it well. That made me struggle with how to sew beautifully for many days.
In such a case, one solution is to consider creativity as a part of curiosity. That might resolve our slumps. Today, I will explain why.
Creativity, curiosity, and life stages
Creativity, curiosity, and the concept of life stages are closely associated with each other. If you feel you have reached your limit with one of them, try looking at your state from another element. That might give you a fresh perspective and a breakthrough.
In my case, I suddenly became unable to use the sewing machine well, as I explained above. Although I wanted to create my current bag as soon as possible, the earlier I tried to finish it, the rougher the seams became, and I ended up having to redo it. I suddenly started to notice my messy stitches. I repeated sewing and unsewing many times.
One night, when I lay down in bed and relaxed, I realized I don’t have to be in such a hurry. That allowed me to see my state from another perspective.
From the perspective of life stages, I realized that my creation had shifted to another level. Until then, I could be satisfied as long as I made bags. I didn’t pay attention to the quality of the seams. However, I have now come to care about the beauty of the finish.
Changing my purpose
That told me I need to focus on another matter: a broader knowledge of sewing. I learned many things from my parents’ advice. A sewing machine has a characteristic that the layered fabric shifts slightly when it feeds the fabric. Soft and thin fabric is prone to sliding. I have to be careful about the direction of sewing to avoid fabric distortion.
After learning them, I changed my purpose from finishing products to experiencing those differences. I decided to focus on how to handle the sewing machine and treat the fabric. There was no problem if I failed to perfect it. I had already made many bags. Instead of finishing it, I considered the structure of the fabric feeding part of the sewing machine, how to hold the fabric, and how force is applied to it when I sew.
Since I realized I don’t have to hurry, my frustration was gone. That stimulated my interest in sewing machines and the thickness of the fabric. A few days later, I had become able to sew beautifully. Understanding the mechanism of the sewing machine was also enjoyable.
In other words, I changed my perspective from creation to curiosity. That allowed me to adapt to the current stage of sewing and advance to the next level.
Conclusion
That is an example of considering creativity as a part of curiosity.
Creativity, curiosity, and the concept of life stages are closely associated with each other.
If you feel you have reached your limit with one of them, try looking at your state from another element.
That perspective might resolve your slumps.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
