Writing and Sewing

A Creative Partnership

“The experience of creative living argures that hobbies are in fact essential to the joyful life. There is the hidden benefit that they are also creatively useful. Many hobbies involve a form of artist-brain mulling that leads to enormous creative breakthroughs. …Sewing has a nice way of mending up plots.” -Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

SEAMS Like a Story

If you’re new to my blog, you might be wondering about the name. Why “seams”? Shouldn’t it be “seems?” In fact, when my son-in-law helped me secure the domain, he suggested I acquire both names.

When I first retired from teaching, I wanted to pursue my two passions/hobbies: sewing and writing, and my blog Seams Like a Story was born. I find my two passions to be compatable, both contributing to my creative process.

(take a peek at my sewing/writing studio)

http://seamslikeastory.com/creating-a-space-to-sew-and-write/

Start With a Plan

Both writing and sewing begin with a plan, an idea, a spark of inspiration. Where writing pieces together words to create stories, the act of sewing involves the extra senses of touch and sight, colors, and textures as I piece together a garment.

Problem Solving

I’m halfway through a story or a sewing project and something’s not working. Time to rip out seams, sentences, words. Edit, revise. Take time to make it better. Try it on for size.

Unblock Your Creativity

It happens. Somedays the words don’t flow or I just can’t face the blank page. The act of sewing activates a different part of my brain and gives me a fresh perspective. Often, getting the creative juices flowing while sewing will jump start my writing. “Creative breakthroughs” Julia Cameron calls them. (for more ideas on overcoming writer’s block see http://seamslikeastory.com/4-ways-to-move-through-writers-block )