Creativity with the Help of Crochet | Skyward Film

Meet?Tums and Pretty Jeff.?The one on the left has stomach problems and the one on the right has a very?fashionable hairdo. These fuzzy monsters are a type of Amigurumi, the Japanese art of?creating small animals. ML,?an artist and?a good friend,?crocheted these?little guys by looping thread with a hooked needle. Then he added stuffing and?sewed?them together to create formidable products.? (And with a charismatic grin, he?explains?how ladies?comprise 90% of his business.)

ML isn?t only a talented guy?he?s extremely creative. As a fellow entrepreneur, I?m fortunate to spend time around him and hear feedback?from his audience,?often a mix of?reverent?encouragement?and envious heckling.?His confidence is key,?eliciting a curiosity?and professionalism?in his approach to creativity. It?ensures his success.

Like ML, anyone can maximize their creative abilities by routinely relating different products and connecting them through an idea, also known as cross-referencing. ML?s stuffed creatures are prime examples of?a creative result. They display how a comforting toy (one idea) with a deviant expression (a second idea) can combine into something novel, maybe comic, or elevated to a new diminsion of comfort as a protective symbol.

ML?follows his own patterns for cross-referencing; yet this technique is nothing new. ML?browses around New York for something unique,?visiting The Strand?Bookstore at Union Square or plucking any articles of interest.?Here, you?ll notice a sample collection on mythology:?The Book Of Symbols, The King and the Corpse,?The Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Oedipus Cycle, and?even The Holy Qur?an.?To cross-reference, ML?writes notes, juxtaposes his thoughts,?and explores them.?With practice, he effortlessly forms his own opinions, interpretations, reflections, and decisions toward future action.?And it?s easy: The typical cross-referencing experience can involve a normal day, cross-referencing a book and a film.

While first seeming clich?, it?s important to consider that many people miss the value behind?such an?action,?placing a mental block on disagreeable ideas. For example, how many Cocktail fans now avoid a possibly good Tom Cruise movie, because once he converted to Scientology, he betrayed?their?preconception of the all-American hero? Without realizing it, the mind can close down and attach a limiting thought to a possibly good opportunity: Book clubs will seem like a meeting of emotionally-needy women; or reading the history behind a sculpture will appear like the act of snobbish intellectuals who lack any empathy for the?average or honest person.?Such thoughts are self-defeating. (You?ll see a positive example of this process during my next blog entry when I discuss two unrelated products and connect them through an idea.)

The usefulness of cross-referencing rests on two related principles:

1. The first principle, plain and simple, objectivity, suggests that you?re stepping out of your own shoes, out of the limits of your individual mind, and perceiving?an?outlook with the aid of an impersonal source,?like a website blog?that?alters your?interpretation of a movie. (Think about Casablanca?and the irresponsible main character as a newly responsible hero: ?Here?s looking at you, kid!?)
2. And secondly, we consider?anchoring, which?is a term used to describe a situation?when your mind automatically turns on a light switch of information?more often than not, to the wrong room of your house.?By actively observing this process,?the mind?illuminates?the?dark places,?fine-tunes?your attention-generator,?and?permits a?smooth,?creative flow.

Finally, remember to relax!?A person? overwhelms themselves with too many books and materials. The weight of responsibility?of remembering and processing rich content?quite literally clutters your mind. Intimidated by a stack of books,?a helpless feeling?develops into?an inert?state of?vulnerability. Seemingly simple worries like?a?large to-do list?fester and?irritate the spirit, diverting one?s?creativity?away from?accomplishing his/her?goals. So take your time; take pleasure in the process and reflect on what you?ve seen.?Stick to?a single well-chosen book, or if you must use several sources, at least articulate your reasons for cross-referencing unrelated materials. Accomplish this by writing down the reason on a sheet of paper, preferably somewhere visible, or rewrite the reason on a yellow sticky note.

There are other efficient methods, perhaps less relevant to creativity and more relevant to the mastery of a skill. If you?re attempting to pick up a new skill, a ?how-to? or ?self-improvement? book compliments practical experience. In graduate programs, academic curriculums will train students to balance their individual studies and group courses (visual/aural learning) with live teaching (applied learning) for the best results. This technique constitutes the foundation of my educational program for writers and filmmakers.

Philosophizin' writer, director, and cinematographer out of Manhatten, NY.

Source: http://skywardfilm.com/crochet-artist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crochet-artist

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