4 Phases of Developing Your Creativity

I think a lot about creativity and helping you find your creative voice.  I came across an article describing the 4 phases of developing your creative voice.  I'll share the phases and specifically how they relate to jewelry making.I think it's helpful to know that everyone goes through these phases when learning a new skill or trying out a new craft or hobby. When you're a beginner there is a gap between how well you want to do something and how well you actually can do it.The only way to lessen the gap is by doing.  You have to practice.  You'll probably make a lot of mistakes.  If we're talking about jewelry making, you'll probably make jewelry you don't like and it may even fall apart until you get a technique down.  One reason I'm always saying when you're first starting out with a new technique or something you haven't done before to use less expensive wire.  You may really, really want to use silver, but you will just be frustrated (and out a lot of money) when it doesn't turn out the way you want it to.  And chances are very likely that the first time you're trying something you cannot do it exactly perfectly.You may have already seen this video with a quote from Ira Glass that beautifully describes what I'm talking about.The 4 Phases of Developing Your Creativity(Or the 4 Phases of Learning a New Craft)#1 DiscoveryThis is the very first phase and as you may guess it's where you discover the new craft.  You may see other people doing something you want to do or you may become obsessed with a creative idea or different direction to take your work in.Most people do not get past this point.If you watched the video above, in it you heard about the gap between your taste level and your skill level.  You have great taste, which is probably why you're even starting to make jewelry (or other craft) to begin with, but your skill level does not match your great taste.It takes a couple of years (maybe even longer) for you to close that gap.A lot of people spend time on Pinterest pinning beautiful things that they never get around to making.  Most people get stuck right there and don't move on.A lot of the reason for that, as Ira Glass says, is because no one tells beginners about this gap.  The only way to get better is to practice.  It can be really frustrating to know how you want something to turn out and not have developed the skills to make it turn out that way.#2  ImitationAs I mentioned, the only way to improve your skills are to practice them.  You start out developing skills by following mentors and doing what they do to learn how to do it.Here at Emerging Creatively Tutorials, I share all kinds of jewelry tutorials and projects.  I encourage you to use my step-by-step instructions to make jewelry pieces.And I also encourage you to make changes to my designs . . .which brings us to . . .#3  Doing Your Own ThingAt some point imitating others will start to be not good enough for you to feel like you're expressing yourself. You will have mastered the skills you need to move forward and create your own thing.  That's Phase #3.In my eCourse Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry I provide you with creativity prompts to inspire your creativity. I give you jewelry lessons. And then we make jewelry.  In the class I also give you jewelry projects each week to help you, but I encourage you to use your own inspiration and create your own jewelry pieces with your own creative voice.  The class works whatever phase you're in.  (And you have access to it in the future, so you can revisit it at different phases in your creative development.)#4  FrustrationOnce you have been practicing a craft for a while it all becomes commonplace again.  You don't have to look for inspiration and you, in fact, stop looking for inspiration.You may feel bored or stuck.The key at this point is to find new inspiration and go through all the phases again.You continue cycling through the phases throughout your life.No matter what phase you're in, I'm here to help!  Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry eCourse is all about creative inspiration and finding your creative voice in making jewelry.  Each week get a Creativity Booster, Jewelry Skills Lessons and Jewelry Projects.Learn more here:  Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry eCourse.  (Opens this week for registration this week!  Be the first to know when it's open by signing up for my newsletter.)