There’s an inner crafter hidden inside you. So why wait to explore your interests and talents? Many of us discover these skills early on; some of us stumble upon them by chance, and others have no idea whether there’s a craft out there that’s right for them. Many folks explore every new craft trend on social media, while others spend a lifetime perfecting a single hobby.
Wherever you are in the crafting journey, it’s important to understand whether a particular craft fits you. Your crafting personality could be artistic, practical, design-oriented, enterprising, creative, environmentally conscious, someone who enjoys working with their hands, or one who loves teaching others a new skill.
You may have taken up the craft to reduce stress, get some Me-Time for yourself, or like making things to give others. All of us would love to know what kind of crafting personalities we have. You could be an introvert or extrovert or fall somewhere in between. Perhaps you work better on your own, or you thrive in a group. Are you a leader or a follower?
Finding the craft that puts you in The Zone can happen at any time in your life. But there are things you can do to arrive at your destination a little faster.
Barriers To Creativity
Thinking creatively helps you in every sphere of life. When you develop that ability to think Out of The Box, you’ll wonder why you ever felt there was a Box at all in the first place.
The problem is there are so many hurdles to jump over in your quest to release that creative core inside you.
Some of the barriers include:
- Fear of failure
- Risk avoidance
- Laziness
- Poor time management
- Reluctance to move out of comfort zone
- Lack of exposure to creative exercises
- Too reliant on old and safe ideas
- Tight budget
- Have tried a few times, but it didn’t work
- Lack of appreciation for finished products
While these obstacles are valid and genuine, everyone has a solution. It’s your job to reflect and understand your own barriers, why they exist and how best to get around them.
You can use some of these tricks and tactics to blitz those barriers:
- Confront your fears and biases
- Examine the perceived problem from different angles
- Talk to a friend
- Choose a new way to approach the issue
- If you’re an overly analytical thinker, try exploring intuitive or instinctive thinking
- Look beyond functionality (Of what use is the final product?)
- Make changes to your daily schedule
- Explore widely and deeply
A Journey Through Popular Hobbies
A quick tour through the world of hobbies and crafts can certainly open up new horizons for you. Whether you’re a fresh entrant to crafting or you’re looking to add to your repertoire, there’s always the thrill of finding something that gives you joy and that adrenaline rush.
Hark back to your childhood and recall what gave you the most happiness then. Take a look at what you buy most – food, fashion, accessories, fine art, scented bath salts – this could give you an idea of where your interests lie. Check the newspaper for ads on crafting classes or groups near you.
Some crafts have existed for a very long time as cottage crafts. Hobbies such as knitting, embroidery, macramé, crochet, rug or tapestry making go back centuries. Others, such as painting by numbers or diamond art, are relatively modern.
The important thing is to find a craft that is in sync with your personality,
Painting By Numbers: This is the hottest trend in the hobby space today. These kits come complete with all the materials you need. You get a surface with a pre-printed design, brushes and paints. A multitude of designs such as exotic animals, magnificent landscapes, colourful flowers or custom paint by numbers are available on uk.figuredart.com, a popular website for DIY in the UK. All you need to do is follow the instructions and fill in the sections with the right shade. The final product will be a finished painting that you can frame. They make great wall decor and gifts.
Customized Painting: Many people want something exclusive and personalised instead of buying an existing artwork. You can choose the subject, colours and style yourself. You can work from a photo, print the design digitally, or create your own design. Customized paintings are great to keep for yourself or give away.
Diamond Painting: Also very popular, this activity is often called diamond art. You can buy kits from a regular hobby store or browse online for popular brands such as Figured’Art and get a design that appeals to you. Select an easier and simpler kit if you’re trying this craft for the first time. It involves sticking tiny resin “crystals” or beads on an adhesive-coated surface with a pre-printed design. The finished piece can be framed. It is shimmery and adds a touch of glamour to your walls.
Punch Needle: This is one of the simplest forms of embroidery. The skill levels are basic, and the process is fast. You can create a wide variety of things with the embroidery, such as cushions, rugs, wall hangings, tablecloths, bed linen, bags, clothing and more. This craft uses a special punch needle. You can purchase punch needle kits online or get one from your local crafts shop. What you need is the right fabric (monk’s cloth, linen or burlap), punch needle, thread to match the type of needle, embroidery hoop and an attractive design.
When you buy any of these crafting kits, you will get instructions on how to proceed. If you’d like to explore further, there are lots of YouTube videos that you can watch. You can also join a crafting group and learn as you go.
