Weaving Roundup || Finding Your Own Style

The idea of finding your own style is one that many struggle with, especially when starting out. And even after you have been weaving for a while, it can still be hard to pin down because you’re always evolving how you weave. And sometimes it’s easier for someone else to see your style, then it is for you to.

I thought it would be fun to take a look back on some of the “Finding Your Own Style” advice that inspirational weavers have given as a way to get your creative juices flowing. My favorite part of the Weaver Interviews is to see how each person answers the same questions differently. And when it comes to advice on finding your own style there are different approaches.

Some artists approach their style through ideas and subject matter. In my interview with Kat Howard, she recommended exploring and playing around with ideas that interested you…

“When I was in grad school, I had a poetry professor who encouraged us to create a project to ‘write in to’ instead of just free-form writing a wide range of unrelated poems. At first I balked at the restrictions created by working within a series to articulate the same idea over and over again. However, this research driven process and mind-mapping mode of working in years since has become my go-to when creating; I’m now able to get at the real kernel of an idea instead of just scratching the surface, by tackling it from different angles I can get deeper under its skin. As a result, I’ve found that my creative voice has become stronger and more defined.”

I especially liked this suggestion, because it’s not how I’ve approached my weavings before.

Other artists found their style by throwing caution to the wind. In my interview with Julie of Little Loom, she recommended pushing your boundaries and doing what feels right to you…

“There is no original thought or idea when it comes to fibre arts. It took me a while to find my own style, at first I felt like I had to try and conform to what was “on trend” but I just couldn’t do it. The pieces I made didn’t excite me and I didn’t feel like I was being true to myself. As soon as I let go and stopped trying so hard I found myself enjoying the process a lot more. Try new fibres, never be afraid to push boundaries, always have faith in yourself and most importantly if you love what you have made then you are way ahead.”

The best way to push yourself is to experiment! The more things you try, the more you’ll learn about limits, your likes, your dislikes, composition, colors, etc. There is so much to learn from experimenting. As Jillian Bass recommended,

“Experiment and don’t overthink it! That’s one thing I’ve really gained from my 100 Day Project. Allowing yourself to play around with the medium, techniques, colors, textures and not being so focused on making finished pieces really helped creating pieces that surprised me. The pressure of thinking of new things to make every day helps too! I also set my expectations low, so some days I made pieces I wasn’t happy with that I’d later translate to a larger scale because I really loved them. Experimentation and play will for sure bring out a unique style.”

If you’re looking for some more help with finding your own style, here are a few other posts that might help:

• 8 Questions to Help Find Your Artistic Style
• Setting Creative Rountines; Finding Time to Experiment
• My list of Weaving Techniques I’ve shared

Personally, I really jump around with the weaves I create, so I feel that they aren’t very cohesive. Although, even with my weaves not being cohesive, I still think you can tell they are made by the same person.

Do you feel you have a strong style? Or do you feel that you are still exploring what your style is?

Happy Weaving!

Kate

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