Play, Explore, Discover

As a certified creativity coach and life purpose alchemist, I work with divinely-inspired artists and writers on their creative process, helping them sort through their many ideas so they can choose a project that’s fully aligned with their life’s work and their bigger authentic vision.

A lot goes into the creative process, from idea to planning to implementation to completion. And while it can be an exciting journey, it can sometimes feel like a lot of hard work.

This is where a creative mantra comes in handy. When we can set an intention that makes the process fun and inspiring, it becomes a joyful experience of exploration and discovery – from beginning to end.

Today, I’ve asked my colleague and former client Brecia Kralovic-Logan, author of The Spiral of Creativity, to share her creative mantra – Play, Explore, Discover – and how it has impacted her creative process and the beautiful work she has put out into the world.

It was this mantra that inspired her upcoming spring retreat, Creative Color Knitting Journey – being held in beautiful Guatemala April 20-29, 2017. This wonderful combination of colorful workshops is guaranteed to feed the creative soul of any knitter who is open to a unique travel experience.

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Tina: I love your creative mantra – Play, Explore, Discover! How do you weave this mantra through your book, The Spiral of Creativity?

Brecia: Play, Explore, Discover – this theme is integral to mastering our creative, spirited life. The playful approach to life that puts curiosity in place of rigid rules and fearful limits allows us to open ourselves to new experiences and ways of being.  When we are playing, we are relaxed, happy, non-judgmental and imaginative, so we are able to be our authentic selves. Then we really can break out of limited thinking and habits and enjoy experimenting in new and unfamiliar ways. Creativity is a process of constant discovery.

Tina: How has this mantra served you as an artist? And how has it inspired your love of color?

Brecia: When I’m in my studio I really feel like I’m a big kid in a glorious mud puddle! I do take a very open and curious approach to creating with dyes and fabrics. I’ve had the joy of creating color on cloth for many years and I’m still exploring new techniques and combinations that surprise and thrill me.  Of course, not everything I do turns out to be something that I love- that is the playful part. I try all kinds of new things and then see what works and what doesn’t. The knitting, dyeing, and collaging techniques that I teach have all been developed out of my playful experimentation.

Tina: How will the mantra feature in your Guatemala workshop?

Brecia: Travel is such a great way to open us up to exploring and discovering new things. This trip is designed to be a retreat from our usual day-to-day so we can tune into our creativity and expand our unique self-expression. Teaching creative knitting, I always invite people to play with color, shape and texture and guide them to use knitting in new ways.

Tina: So why Guatemala? What inspired you to choose that location?

Brecia: We will be visiting Antigua, which is a magnificent city noted for it’s colorful textiles and ancient Mayan culture. Everywhere we look we will be surrounded by vibrant color and our senses will be enlivened by sights, sounds, and smells that will inspire our knit work. WE will also stay near Lake Atitlan and visit the textile  artists there. Guatemala is an ideal place for an adventure that is both refreshing and invigorating.

Tina: Thinking back to the publication of your book, what inspired you to write it? And how has it served the work you do with clients and students?

Brecia: The book really developed over many years of writing articles, teaching workshops, and speaking about creativity. It serves as an interactive guide for people to access and claim their creative powers by exploring their own spirit, passion and intuitive wisdom. It’s a call to authenticity that my clients and students appreciate and some practical guidelines for making supportive daily choices.

Tina: What’s your best advice to a beginning knitter or basket weaver?

Brecia: Oh that would spiral us right back to my mantra: Play, Explore, Discover! In learning anything new, I invite people to adopt the most open, playful, fun attitude that they can and just be curious and responsive. Creating something with our hands is such a marvelous experience. As adults we benefit from allowing ourselves to take the time to let our minds, hearts, and hands all connect with the new materials and processes. So often we let our self-judging thoughts get in the way of having the joyful experience of exploring something new. Play!

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Brecia Kralovic-Logan is a fiber artist and knitting guru who is passionate about championing women’s creative courage. She is the author of The Spiral of Creativity- Mastering the Art of a Spirited Life. Brecia is a Certified Creativity Coach and Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She offers retreats, workshops, and coaching groups for women who crave claiming their creative power. For more information about her work, please visit: Brecia Creative