100 Days of Tiny Stitches

I just finished this personal project that is pretty dissimilar from any I have ever done. This 12-inch embroidery hoop full of stitches has taught me so much. It taught my hands how to keep stitches even. It taught me how an impulsive, limited palette can be so refined and beautiful. And it taught me that learning about a new craft can inspire new ideas, and thus new work.

Seek small, daily creative acts. This is the statement I have come back to over and over again as I work on my sketchbook (though not as often as I would like), as I evaluate whether my daily work is fulfilling, and while I try hard to stay motivated and inspired. 

I think Grace Bonney said it best in her 100th episode of the After the Jump podcast where she talked about how continuing to grow and learn gives you the chance to fail again. 

"I think we learn more when we're not best at something and when we're not the tip top of our game. And when we're uncomfortable we learn a lot about ourselves.

When you introduce something totally new and foreign to your mind and to your hands hands, it lets you rediscover just how much room you have to grow and change. It also lets you learn another valuable lesson, which is there is never only one right way to do something. The best solutions sometimes come when something doesn't go as expected." 

Thanks to all my new readers for following along on my journey. All your comments on my halfway point post were incredibly uplifting. If you're interested in learning more about my embroidery project, you can see a lot of the 100 stitches up close with descriptions under the hashtag #100daysoftinystitches on Instagram.