How to Become More Creative

Photo from Jackie Egginton Dreamstime.com



Designers are often asked where they get their ideas from. Most often they quote their sources as fashion, vintage knitting, art, landscape and a variety of other visual inspirations. I often work from the yarn and my sewing background has been a big influence as well. I love stitch dictionaries and I spend a lot of time swatching using traditional stitch patterns as well as playing with them and making changes. I think people are really asking how do we get from the idea to a real knitted item because they are overwhelmed by the possibilities when they review the suggested sources. The sheer vastness of the available options limit their ability to make a single choice.

One of the other ways I develop an idea is to pick a technique (just one!) and read all of my technique books on that topic. Next I start swatching in an appropriate yarn and I play with what ever ideas pop up. If I wander too far from the targeted technique and have a great idea I note that one down for future experimentation and then I go back to my chosen technique. Essentially I force my brain to go down one path and generate idea's. It keeps me focused and gives me specific problems that I have to develop solutions for.

Krugle co-founder and CEO Steve Larsen says there's a reason that early-stage companies produce innovation: the financial and time constraints they operate under force people to come up with new solutions."These constraints breed creativity," says Larsen.

So give it a try and let me know how the constraint technique works for you.