My engineering education served me well when I was doing knitting pattern design. It helped me create an efficient design process that I used again and again. Now that I'm taking a more artistic approach with my weaving, I need to think about my work and solve problems in different ways, so I started reading "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron for guidance.

One activity I liked from the book (even though it doesn't quite fit in with the way I work) is establishing a writing ritual known as Morning Pages. Essentially, it's just writing three pages of your stream-of-consciousness thoughts every morning to help spark your creativity. However, right now I have plenty of ideas for weaving projects flowing. What I need is a way to visually express those ideas, hopefully in more than one way, so I don't forget them and can untangle some problems before I head to the loom.

Rather than writing Morning Pages, I'm developing my own daily page practice that's about 1/4 writing and 3/4 sketching. I start with a single piece of paper and fold it into quarters. I use the first section to jot down thoughts for the day. Then I sketch out those thoughts in the other three sections. Like Morning Pages, I'm not seeking perfection or planning out every detail. It's all about letting the ideas flow. There's no need for fuss or judgement (or too much erasing).

Starting Your 4-Section Daily Page Practice

4 daily page examples

Here are four ideas to help you get started with a 4-Section Daily Page:

  1. Start with a word that's been on your mind. Write down the word, why you've been thinking about it and any other relevant ideas related to that word. Sketch it out in 3 different ways.
  2. Start with an inspirational photo. Write about the image and anything else that's on your mind. Sketch it out in 3 different ways.
  3. Start with geometry or abstract shapes. Write about the shapes, how they could be perceived and how color changes their meaning. Sketch it out in 3 different ways.
  4. Start with color. Choose 3-5 random colors. List the colors and what they make you think or feel. Sketch it out in 3 different ways.

I'm putting my daily pages into a notebook. Whenever I'm ready to head to the loom, I'll flip through to see which idea I'd like to study and develop into a handwoven design.

Removing Obstacles with a 4-Section Page

Another book I am currently reading is "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown. One of the chapters is about removing obstacles from your path.

An Essentialist produces more—brings forth more—by removing more instead of doing more.

I used my 4-section page process to help remove obstacles related to three items that have been lingering on my to-do list for too long. Again, as I do my page, I'm not seeking perfection. I just want to identify what's been holding me back and brainstorm possible solutions.

4 sections, 3 problems, 1 page

  • List 3 problems or troubling tasks. Write out what's bothering you and what obstacles or questions are preventing you from solving each problem or doing each task.
  • Tackle one problem/task per section. Answer the questions from your list, brainstorm possible solutions and determine which obstacles can be eliminated.
  • Triage the problems. Rank each problem in the order you plan to tackle them.
  • One by one, get them done.

I was actually surprised by how much more prepared I felt to tackle each task after just completing the first section of my page. Putting into words why each task was bothering me made me quickly realize that some of my concerns were not even worth my time. As I write this message, it has been less than 24 hours since I made my page. One of my troubling tasks is completely done, I will know how to proceed with another after a trip to the hardware store, and I have a plan for how to complete the third this weekend.