So, what does it take to do that? I started by exploring the why and the how of creativity. And that lead to another question - so what? How does understanding why and how I create help me design a pattern on my own? To be honest, I don't know. But it seemed logical to start by understanding the science and art of my medium well enough be able to translate an idea into an achievable object. In my case, that means coming up with an idea, writing a draft, and weaving a reasonable facsimile of the image in my head.
The science of this goal is that I must thoroughly understand the particular weave structure I want to use.
The art of this goal is whether or not I can do it.
So far, my weaving ideas have resulted from springboarding off a particular draft. I find a draft that interests me, start weaving, and then follow ideas from there. While I enjoy this process tremendously, I'm wondering whether I can take an idea and successfully translate it on my own to a finished textile. I don't know the answer to that, but it's something I want to find out.
4 comments:
Leigh, the only "art" I can apply your question to is writing, of which I have done a fair amount.
For longer works, what I have found is that while I often have an idea or even a plot in mind, it generally does not seem to survive the actual process. In the case of writing, it seems to be because the characters "develop a life of their own" and start wandering off on their own paths; trying to pull them back to the trail is difficult if not pointless at times. But we always seem to get to the end, they and I, even if is not the way I expected.
TB, I have heard other fiction writers say the same thing, which intrigues me immensely. It seems to point to an undefined element of creativity, something real but elusive.
First, you definitely can accomplish that goal of designing and creating a finished textile. But it will take some work.
I'm currently participating in a statewide guild "study group" about design. We meet via zoom...second meeting was last week where the question was posed: "What does the term design mean?"
My definition of design is that it is a series of decisions from original concept to the completion of the project. You decide what you want to make, then what yarns, what structure, what sett, beat, colors, graphic.....and so on, down to the finishing techniques.
If you want to make progress faster, the easiest way to do that is to put constraints on some of the decision points. Ie, always use the same yarns, or always use the same weave structure, etc. Then work within in those constraints.
By not putting some constraints on some of the decision points it gets harder to hone in getting the results you want.
Val, how timely! And interesting. I hope you'll update me on your study group and what you learn.
Defining "design" is an excellent idea. As a process, it needs defining.
I agree about constraints and have found them to be really helpful because they make me think beyond what I ordinarily would if I had more options at my disposal.
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