Embroidered | Just Dream Mandala rev 1.1
Tue, January 5, 2010 at 02:00AM 
Since my first embroidery project, experimenting with freestyle doodles a year ago, I kept thinking about embroidering a mandala but my brain over-analyzed the "effort" to get the project up and running. It made no sense. I had the floss, the fabric, and could sketch a mandala. But I'd have to re-figure out how to do the few stitches I'd learned & already forgotten. Ugh. It would take time away from drawing, from reading, from laundry, from the "stuff" we have to do. Ugh. Why do we resist something we really want to do, something good for us that we know we'd enjoy? I tend to see things as either-or, all-or-nothing. If I add something, I can't do something else. The truth is that you can accomplish a lot of things if you move your priorities up the totem pole. Or at least ON the totem pole.
Ultimately, I used SARKs concept of micromovements to trick my brain into doing ONE ridiculously SIMPLE ACTION: cut cotton fabric. Which lead to another SIMPLE ACTION: put fabric in hoop. Then I drew a mandala on the back of the fabric! It's like I had to get through that infinitely complex hurdle and then all was well.
SARK's micromovements get you started by breaking down what you need to do into the absolute tiniest imaginable steps. So tiny that you cannot talk yourself out of doing the next step. Something that takes less than a few minutes. Learn more in SARK's book Make Your Creative Dreams Real.
In Part 2 of this adventure, details about the project and work-in-progress shots!
Reader Comments (7)
That's very interesting - I recognised many of my thought processes in your description. I shall have to check out your links :-)
Happy New Year!
Yep, it's all about baby steps and not overthinking something! Sometimes I get stuck because I know something will take awhile to complete and I just want to make sure my effort is rewarded with something I like. I may tend to go too fast thru a project. I will check out that book from Sark and remember when I'm hesitating myself to just do baby steps too! Good post about your own struggle and a good reminder too :D
How fun that you're into embroidery Tammy, I will post a lot about my embroidery in the coming weeks I think! Micromovements are great, but sometimes more difficult than other tiems, like when you're going to write a text. You have to start writing - and continue...
That's a very cool idea!
I only know how to cross stitch though, so I don't know how to stitch those curly lines. I look forward to seeing how the project goes.
such good thoughts, all of it. why do we stand in our own way all the time? it feel so good when we stop!!
bravo for your mandala--i think i saw a bit of it on flickr, but i'm looking forward to seeing more!
Beautiful!
Happy New Year, Tammy. I have all of Sark's books. I was looking at her Make Your
Dreams Come Real yesterday, thinking I need to give it a reread. It is a great book.