Resistance

According to artist Anahata Katkin, there are five stages to the creative process:

1. Bloom- the early stages where everything comes together easily in a project
2. Resistance- the point in which some people stop with frustration due to the inner critic causing self doubt
3. Ping Pong- bouncing to a new perspective to work through the resistance stage
4. Full expression- the moment you get through the struggle, when the project seems to come together
5. Completion- knowing when it's finished

I recently remembered her stages during my current project. I was really enjoying the process until it came to the background.  I thought I had the perfect plan for it but after I started it, the idea no longer seemed to work.  I became frustrated, and stalled out. But instead of letting that overcome me, I pushed through by creating different patterns to audition for the background.  Finally it came to me, I went in a different direction- stenciling a repeat pattern of a tree to mimic the machine stitched trees that I already had done. I loved the way it turned out!  I found my solution and worked through my resistance to get there.  That alone felt like even more of an accomplishment! As I stitch the outline of the stenciled trees, I feel strong and excited to see what happens next knowing that I have the answers within me...I just have to keep creating and they will come!