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Questionnaire: The Creative Process and Knitting

Photo by Daena Giardella

We are writing a book that will explore and celebrate the creative process and knitting as a path to self-awareness. We would appreciate your thoughts and insights about these subjects. Please take a moment and answer these questions. We will not publish your answers. We will use them for our own reference to better understand your creative process and what we refer to as "Knitter's Mind."

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Download the Questionnaire and fill it our at your leisure and fax or e-mail to us. (pdf)

Knitter’s Mind:
Anyone who loves and works with fiber knows how truly satisfying it is to knit. The boundless imaginative ecstasy, the joy of colors, the sensual reassurance of touch and the quiet steadfast stitch repetitions create a deep meditation. And of course, the pleasures of making something beautiful are just some of the delights known to knitters. Sometimes, when working on a long stretch of stockinette, garter or a repetitious pattern, we find a fuzzy state that is “Knitter’s mind.” For me, it is a rare, peaceful frame of mind where I don’t think. I just flow with the needles and yarn. I don’t make “to do lists” in my head. I don’t have strong emotions. I find a calm sanctuary in my otherwise busy mind.

I guess “knitter’s mind” is what hooks me on knitting. Makes me high. It is cheaper, safer and more productive than any other addiction!
-Wren Ross

Why do you knit?

What do you most love about knitting?

What do you tend to think about when you are quietly knitting by yourself?

Do feelings emerge while knitting?

Do you experience “knitter’s mind?” If so, when and where do you experience it?

Is it specific to any type of knitting?

Describe your “Knitter’s Mind?

Creativity is an essential human drive that nourishes the soul. To create is to grow. In modern life, creativity is too often seen as something exclusively reserved for professional artists while for everyone else it’s “just a hobby.” The hustle and bustle of the daily grind can leave little room for your imagination and inventive spirit to take flight. When we do have free time, the popular re-creation of choice is passive entertainment sitting in front of a TV watching others create. But what if you view the practice of creativity as a vital aspect of living that helps you understand and express who you truly are. When you make space for a regular creative practice, you exercise your brain, release stress, and increase your ability to meet life’s challenges with flexibility, resourcefulness, passion, and confidence. What is your creative process? How can you develop your creativity and use it as a tool for self-awareness? How do you overcome fear and resistance as you seek to bring more creative expression to your life?
-Daena Giardella

What is the role of creativity in your life?

What would describe the stages of your creative process?

What familiar emotional or thought patterns do you often encounter in your creative work? For example: resistance, feeling overwhelmed, impatience, lack of focus, insecurity, procrastination?

When are you inclined to be creative?

Has creativity ever helped you in difficult situations?

When you are creative, do you compare yourself to others?

How much time do you devote to creative projects each day? Week?

Would you like to be more creative? If so, how?

What is your relationship to beginning projects?

What is your relationship to ending projects?

Do you have support for your creativity?

What was your family of origin’s relationship to creativity?

Do you have an “inner critic”?

How and when does your “inner critic” appear and what does it say to you?

How do you manage your “inner critic?”

If your “inner critic” were a cartoon character, how would it be depicted?

Do you have an “inner ally?”

How and when does your “inner ally” appear, what does it say to you and how does it help you?

If your “inner ally” were a cartoon character, how would it be depicted?

Any other thoughts, comments or observations:

Wren’s email address is Wren@wrenross.com
Daena’s email address is Daena@daenagiardella.com

or you may send your thoughts to:
Wren Ross/Daena Giardella
411A Highland Ave. #231
Somerville, MA 02144

Thanks for your time and ideas. Happy knitting! Happy creativity! May you enjoy every moment and stitch!
Yours in Yarn and Song,
Wren Ross & Daena Giardella