Designing with an Open Mind

The hard truth is that sometimes things don't go your way. It's quite frustrating when it happens & it can wholeheartedly deflate a lot of my excitement when it happens. I've crocheted garments as well as accessories that haven't come out exactly the way that I imagined & over time I've learned a few tips to manage projects when they go astray from the beaten path.

My first step is to calm down. I have to remind myself that there's no such thing as failure because everything is a learning experience. I'll take a break, drink some tea, listen to some music, & I won't return to the project until I've cleared my mind. Creating Art is truly a mental game & I have to ensure that my focus isn't compromised when I do it.

The second step is to identify where I went wrong. Perhaps I miscalculated measurements or I ran out of yarn or the colors don't work that well together. Whatever it might be, it's important to figure it out so I don't make the same mistake twice. Crocheting is a beautiful art form & I work hard at honing this Craft and getting better. Critiquing my work helps me do that. 

The third step is figuring out if the project is salvageable. If it's just a small mistake I can correct it & progress, but if it's a bigger issue I'll have to approach it from a new angle. Sometimes, I'll go in a different direction than what I had originally planned. If I've run out of yarn, I'll use another complementary color, or sometimes the project will become something else. For example, instead of making a dress, I'll make a maxi skirt instead. It all depends on the situation.

The point of all this is to learn to be adaptable. Things don't always turn out how I expect them to, but that doesn't mean I should give up. What you learn from these mishaps can be just as beneficial as your immediate successes. You just have to keep an open mind, & who knows, it truly could turn out even better than you had originally thought!