How to Use Your Past Projects in Your Favor
The point of one’s handmade journey is to grow and become better than we were yesterday. When we continue to grow, we might look back at what we’ve done before and consider it lesser-than compared to the work we produce today, but that would be a mistake. There’s gold there in your previous projects, you just need to shift your perspective and approach them in different ways. I’ve done this countless times and it’s one of the ways that I sharpen my skills.
I always have a lot of ideas rolling around in my head and sometimes that can get overwhelming. I won't know what to do next and that's when I revisit my previous crochet projects. This act refreshes my mind and puts me on the right track. Sometimes I'll get a brand new idea, or it'll inspire me to choose between something else I had in mind, or I'll be inspired to recreate that old project. Regardless of which outcome, it’s good to take stock of all that you’ve accomplished.
Looking back on your previous work can be difficult. Sometimes I get judgmental about the level of work in my earlier projects, but that’s when I shift my perspective. I should feel proud about every part of my handmade journey because it brought me here. There’s no such things as mistakes as long as we continue to learn. The beauty of this process is that you can see the evolution of what you’ve created and how far you’ve come.
The next step is to reflect on your past projects. How do you feel about them? Do you like the colors that you used? What about the stitches? What worked and what didn’t work? Be honest in your notes and it might just inspire you to try the project again. You always get more chances to remake a project and adjust it to your liking. Using your newfound knowledge to improve upon your work will show just how much better you’ve gotten.
This idea has been the point of my Make With Me Videos. I’ve often returned to my old projects that I think I can revamp in an innovative way to test out my skills. I like the feeling of realizing my vision even better, and it feels like a tribute to the original piece. There are new techniques that I’ve picked up along the way and by applying them to old projects, I can create something I’m truly proud of.