A creative reset for when your crafty mojo feels lost, and you need a gentle invitation to come back to your creative joy.
As December winds down, many of us feel the quiet mix of reflection and fatigue. Another year made. Another year learned. And sometimes, somewhere along the way, creativity starts to feel heavy and stagnant, instead of magical and inspiring.
I wanted to write a blog post for you to pin or save so when the new year crafty blues hit, it would be here to pull you out and get your creative vibes flowing. (or at least, give you some tips on how to get them humming.)
This post is for the moments when comparison creeps in.
For the times when you really want to create, but can't seem to pick up the scissors instead of your phone.
These are 12 Intentional Reminders for Makers to return to throughout the year ahead. Save them. Share them. Come back when you need a gentle, empowering nudge back to the joy of creating with your hands.
1. Slow Down
You don’t need to rush to be worthy.
Choose fewer projects. Let them take the time they need. The joy is not in the finish line, it’s in the living, breathing process of making.
2. Measure Progress in Peace
Productivity is not the same as fulfillment.
Not every season needs output to be meaningful. Let calm moments, creative satisfaction, and quiet pride become your new measures of success. Celebrate the small wins.
3. Choose Analog When You Can
Your creativity deserves your full presence.
Reach for the scissors before your phone. Turn off the "noise" as in the scroll. Set a "do not disturb" so no notifications are coming through. There is grounding magic in creating without digital distractions.
4. Trust Your Hands
You already know more than you think.
Your hands carry memory, experience, and instinct. Not everything needs a tutorial. Making is often about remembering what your creativity already understands. Creating comes from following your intuition.
5. Seek Real Community
Belonging matters more than visibility.
Likes fade, but the connection lasts. Look for creative spaces where sharing feels safe, generous, and real. Not performative. It's not easy but it's out there. Remember, it's always worth putting yourself out there and sharing your art when it allows you to find a new friend.
6. Make Together
Creativity was never meant to be lonely.
In-person shared tables, sewing circles, and craft nights matter. Creating alongside others reminds us that handmade thrives in community. If you don't have anything local, zoom workshops and zoom sew-alongs are a great way to find community as well. You can also be the hostess, plan a crafty night with friends, and set the table for others to join you.
7. Try a New Aesthetic
Step out of your comfort zone.
Trying something new doesn’t mean starting over or abandoning what you love. It means giving yourself permission to explore, experiment, and follow curiosity wherever it leads. New techniques, new tools, new ideas. Each one expands your creative world and keeps the magic alive.
8. Let Nostalgia Guide You
What you loved once still holds wisdom.
Take some time to go back through some of the projects you've finished. Look at photos on your phone or if you keep a creative journal. Review it, sometimes the best inspiration comes from something we've already done.
9. Go for a Noticing Walk thru Your Creative Space
Awareness is a form of creativity.
Take a slow walk through your sewing room, studio, or creative corner. Notice what’s waiting to be used, what still excites you, what feels heavy, and what feels full of possibility. Sometimes inspiration isn’t missing, it’s quietly asking to be seen.
10. Let Materials Lead
Try a Material Challenge.
Choose one material. A fabric, yarn, paper, scraps, or a notion. Let it guide the project. Don’t overplan. Don’t overthink. Challenge yourself to respond to what’s in front of you and see where it leads. Sometimes limits don’t restrict creativity; they can spark it.
11. Grow With Curiosity
Learning is a gift you give yourself.
Taking a class or workshop isn’t about fixing what you lack; it’s about honoring your desire to grow. Stepping into a learning space invites new skills, a fresh perspective, and renewed confidence in your craft. Growth happens when you allow yourself to be a student again.
12. REST
Rest is part of the creative process.
After a busy season of making, preparing for markets, finishing holiday gifts, or meeting custom deadlines, it’s natural to feel overstimulated or creatively tired. Rest is not quitting. It’s listening. Give yourself permission to pause, curl up with a cozy blanket, watch your favorite comfort shows, and let inspiration return in its own time. Creativity will meet you again when you’re ready.
Carry This Into the New Year
Intentional making isn’t something we check off once. It’s something we return to, month after month.
One way to keep these reminders close is by joining The HandCrafted Post™. This is our monthly creative snail mail club designed to inspire you in your creativity. Each month, you’ll receive a small parcel of creative joy delivered right to your mailbox: thoughtful prompts, tactile inspiration, and cozy reminders to slow down, explore, and make with intention.
It’s a pause you can hold in your hands.
A reminder that creativity doesn’t need to be rushed or perfected.
An invitation to keep choosing joy, curiosity, and connection in your making.
If in the new year, you want to create more meaningfully, more gently, and more connected, we’d love to have you be a part of this community. You'll receive access as well to our digital portion of the membership through our Patreon. Subscribe before January 10th to receive your first mailing of the year.
Because the magic isn’t just in what we make, it’s in how we carry it forward.
Share with us below, how do these reminders resonate with you? Are you feeling a need for a creative boost now? Which reminder did you need the most?
Stay Cozy. stay crafty. ✨ Genavieve