Unleashing the Creativity Within

Last week I deleted some designs which I have downloaded from internet for the blankets I am making for my charity project. Most of the designs were sunset. I thought big and bright colored sun in the center of a blanket would be better and nicer. Because, this is my first year of making blankets; so I wanted to have some clear cut idea about how the complete blanket should be. When I sit down to make something, whatever it is, there has to be clear cut picture of it, in my mind first, before I start it. Just like sweaters. I start making sweater, only if; its color, blend and design  is complete in my mind.

As for the help in case of blanket, the only guideline I have in my mind was, multi color, square shapes made by wool which I grew up using as a child in Bal Mandir. So, when I first made one, it was a lovely mix of colorful blunder, which I will never repeat again. Although, I am blind when it comes for art and painting but Manish Lal Shrestha is my personal favorite artist here. I love his paintings because he too, use all those bright and vibrant colors in his paintings. It’s so calming and soothing when you look at his painting, despite his choice of bright and vibrant colors.  

Slowly, donation started coming in and I had money to buy wool of all colors. Now, I have balls of lovely, bright and vibrant color in front of me. When I saw it, I forgot everything I have seen for ideas. I started working on what was in my mind. Those color in front of me was my inspiration. As for the clue, I have what I had seen as a child. More I made it more the complete picture started forming in form of blanket.

 Things that makes my knitting easy :

Healing therapy : I keep saying this, knitting is mediation and is a cheapest therapy every woman can afford. If you know how to knit, you never have to go in a meditation program. Somebody said that charity work is selfish deed, because we do this for our own deep satisfaction more than the one, who is going to receive our good deeds. So, when we  are knitting for charity by giving our valuable time for others, this work of ours must heal us from deep within. But how can this be possible ! ? ! Let it go, let it go everything, when I say everything, the things we make and the things that is deep inside us. Let it go. All the creativity that is trapped inside us must come out, all the colors that looks beautiful together in your mind must see the sun on earth. Don't be afraid to let it out in your work and designs. Show the world what you are capable of. Be bold when you start your new project and see how it feels when your friends see it for the first time. Let everything out, share it with your friends and let it go from you. See, what all you can make and give. Enjoy the process of expressing yourself through color, blend and designs. Like I say I make my statement with color or my knit work says a lot about me. You know I look great when I wear the sweater I design for me. I never feel that good in the dress I buy from market. That gives me deep satisfaction. Just work on it.

Keep it simple : When I knit I have to keep it very simple. It has to be so simple that I can put my eyes all the time on TV and watch my favorite program while I knit. Watching romantic or comedy movies makes it so easy to finish my knitting projects.

Work on your favorite color : when it comes to wool, I love all colors with some exception. Working on colors which I like makes my knitting whole lot better instead of working on color which I don't like.  Working on colors which we don’t like drag the time of our project.

Creative mind creative work : remind yourself we are not working in Chinese factory. If we have a design in our mind, before we start our project then it excites us to see when are we going to complete the work in our hand. You are the boss of your new design and you are the boss of your color selection. No one can see it until it's complete so give yourself a chance. Let it out see how creative you are and can be. Yeah even when you know you are not the one, who will be using it once the work is finish.  

Give yourself a rest : in my case that rest is when I wait for more donation to come in. It's about two days at max, every time I need money to buy more wool. That rest time helps me to think beforehand how my next creation will look like. Then it's easy to move fast when my wool comes. Tired brain and hand can't create the lovely product that your friends appreciates truely !

Here are my six new designs of blanket which gave me enough confidence to delete the designs which I have downloaded from internet. This is how I say, I love all colors. Color selection saves time to speak much; yet I am telling you, this is my hobby, my project, my passion, my pride, my stress buster and my mediation. This is how I make statement when I let my creativity flow. For use of bright and vibrant colors in my work, I say my inspiration is artist Manish Lal Shrestha. For me this is more than a blanket; this is how I play with colors in my painting. 





And yes, Sabita, thank you for clicking pictures with your Samsung mobile.