Improvisation. One thing I’ll be conscious of from now on in regards to creating, for two reasons. Reason one, I’m a craft addict and so I find myself spending most of my money on new materials even when I have plenty in my cupboards. And two, I have so many materials that my cupboards are almost overflowing. Not just my cupboards here in Germany but also in storage back in Australia… Yikes.

I set myself a challenge this year to not buy any new items of clothing and so far so good, but the truth is, it’s not a challenge for me at all. My spending impulses rarely happen in clothing and accessory stores, they happen in craft and fabric stores and it’s really getting out of hand. I seriously need to start either using the materials I have, or “Marie Condo” my craft supplies cupboard.

I had a bit of a wake up call recently when I was in a moody kind of mood. It was a Saturday, cold and rainy and I guess I was just bored. Along with this I was witnessing myself whinge and moan to my boyfriend about how I was annoyed that it was cold, rainy and that I was bored… Anyway, out of desperation, the poor guy turns to me and says “How about we go to the craft store and we can have a look around?…” (yes I know, he’s a keeper). My face instantly started to glow and just like that my mood totally shifted. I felt ready for inspiration and ready to buy more materials (to take home and basically be friends with all my other materials). For the rest of the day I was happy.

Now of course I’m a big believer in doing what makes you happy, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s a possibility that maybe I could still feel just as happy, inspired and creative if I really tried to look for other ways to find inspiration. Possible ways where I’m not spending money on things that I basically already have like fabric for example, and actually make use of what I have. Maybe it just means laying everything out, and I mean all of it, the fabric, the ribbons, the cotton cord, the beads, etc. If I see it all then maybe that’ll spark something and I can move on to my next project. Deep down, I know I believe these supplies have the potential to turn into something marvellous, because why else would I have bought them to begin with? I must have had a grand idea for all of it at some stage.

Maybe along with buying nothing new (clothing wise), I could try challenging myself to buying nothing new in craft supplies, unless it’s something that I absolutely need such as specific materials for custom orders, or if I’ve actually run out of something like cotton cord for my macrame pieces. I think it could be fun because most of what I’ll create will actually be one of a kind. I’ll probably end up with a patchwork wardrobe from using fabric scraps but hey, it’ll add some character.

So there you go. Improvisation is my new pal. Let me know your thoughts! Maybe there’s something you’ve been collecting, something that you know you already have. It could be ingredients for recipes, clothing, materials, anything! I’d love to know! Maybe we can exchange ideas on how to improvise and use them. I like that idea!