Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Alpaca Open-Front Cardigan with Pointelle Details



I read an article recently that talked about the mantra of "Done is better than perfect," and it really resonated with me. I often find myself absolutely paralyzed in my creativity, simply because I don't know where to begin. And yet, logically, I know that that's the crux of the problem: if I were just to start anything, I'd figure it out. But my fear of failure, my indecision, and the overwhelming possibilities of what I could do take over, and I ultimately find myself putting off or putting aside projects for that intangible "inspiration".


But done is better than perfect. I know my human understanding of "perfect" is actually far from it, and even my definition of perfection differs from others. I am not a perfectionist. I am Type A, I do want things done right, and I do take meticulous joy in small details. But I'm not capable of making anything to perfection.

Here's a little tidbit, though: neither is anyone else.


And making something that is imperfect can lead you to do even better. Those imperfections are learning opportunities for next time. That in and of itself could be the inspiration you are waiting for! I need to keep reminding myself that it's okay to accept imperfection, as long as I keep doing. This has helped me lately to keep on getting things done. Starting is better than waiting, done is better than perfect. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! What motivates you? How do you find your drive to create?


Yarn used is from Blue Sky Alpacas. Knit by machine and by hand.

4 comments:

  1. Love the sweater! If it wasn't on your blog, I'd be asking for a pattern but I know where that came from: your brain!

    I especially think that the pointelle details are a great thing with something knit out of alpaca for indoor wear: letting some cooling air in.

    As for creativity and the difficulty of starting something, been there a million times. I don't think it's so much fear of failure for me. I don't believe that what I do or make is going to be perfect. More often it's feeling like I don't know how I'm going to get to the finished product. If I don't know every single step and how it will all work out, maybe I better wait. Now that really is silly! Figuring it out as you go really does work! I wouldn't expect anyone else to have all the answers, so we set myself up for that??

    Great post!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, that is such a compliment! I based the silhouette off of the sweater my mom made, since I get so much wear out of that! The pattern she used is the Georgetown sweater.

      I definitely understand that need to know all the steps before jumping in! Seems our brains try to make up excuses for us sometimes, even if we logically know better!

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