Scrolling through Instagram this morning I saw a comment that read,

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul – Dieter F. Uchtdorf”

This made me ponder. We do yearn to create? I love to create. The sock dolls I design and create bring me “sew” much joy. Why do I create and what form does my creative process take? These questions began to roll around in my mind.

The creative process for me is more than a Hobby. Sure it started that way, but the evolution of the process and the product has turned into a business.

Makers have a saying “Makers gonna make” and that is “sew” true. I believe we are all makers. Whether we make music, make hamburgers or write code. In one way or another we create. Think of all the different areas there are. Sight, sound, touch, smell, intellect… the platforms for creating are endless. Some of us write on the hearts of others, creating smiles and memories. Some sit at a desk and create with words. I love all the options, don’t you?

I’m living the dream. I didn’t plan it that way. I would love to say that I did. It was inspired. My creative life now consists of plastic tubs of new socks. Lots and lots of odd socks. I know for some, that would drive them crazy. But for me the one last sock, the partner to a pair, it is a treasure. It has the potential and holds hope.

How do I do what I do?

Materials
I buy socks in the same way that some people buy fabric. Mostly I choose socks because I love the texture, the feel, the size, the colours, the patterns or I can see a great idea for them. When a sock works out to make a perfect animal, then I go back and hopefully find more and buy them out. I can’t bare the thought of not being able to make more. Sometimes the reality is, that that was the last pair. I find that another option will come along in a season or two. In the mean time, I am pushed to find other creative solutions.

Creativity
I remember being told once that creativity occurs within boundaries. I totally agree. I find I can make something work with the materials I have. It’s about reinventing and reworking the options, thinking outside of the box.

Ideas
Some of my best ideas come from my customers. I love that last week I was commissioned to make a woodland creatures mobile, and I was asked if the creatures could be superheroes with the colour palette of vintage Batman? That was a challenge. But I just love that when I started to look through my collection I had the perfect socks to make this dream become a reality. Then with a little designing and tweaking the Superheroes Woodland Creatures Baby Mobile was born.

Animals
I spend a lot of time investigating new animals. Google images has the most amazing photos of each animal. And when I am approached to make something like a cow, then Google images is my best friend. I love looking at the shape of the cows’ heads and the placement of their ears. The animals themselves are the best advisers.

That’s my process. I hunt and gather materials, ideas, images and then I talk to the customer if it is a custom order. We discuss their ideas so that I have a good frame work. I start to create. Sometimes I hit epic fails that make me cry with laughter. Other times I strike gold straight first time. It’s all about sticking to the process and reinventing or unpicking, when it doesn’t quite go according to plan.

The cuties speak to me as I sculpt them. I can sense their personalities forming as they appear out of the socks. Some are shy and reserved, others are bubbly and bouncy. One little penguin I was creating for the Go Shout Love Auction was such a little groover. I could just see him moving to the beat. He was a real music lover.

One last thing people really want to know is how I name my cuties. Mostly I get a sense of who they are and what they love. And then I pop over to the naming websites and type in a meaning, I search for the name that fits them and their personality. If you order a custom doll you get naming rights. You can tell me about the name sake too and I will create a doll that is tailored to them and would work together with them nicely.

Sew that is me and all my quirks. I love creating sock dolls and I would love to connect with you on social media. Instagram and Etsy are the best and easiest ways to communicate with me. I am @sew_in_the_moment on Instagram. The link to Etsy is on this blog.

Happy Making Lovelies.

Mim xx