Creativity in Small Moments: Why Every Stitch, Sketch, and Scrap Matters
Just a Few Minutes of Daily Crafting Can Transform Your Creativity and Your Life
Sometimes it feels impossible to add creative activity to the day. Fatigue, depression, overwhelm, busyness, whatever it might be … it makes it easy to say: “I’ll craft tomorrow.” But I’ve found that making the space for even just a few moments of creativity each day can completely transform the way I feel - about myself, my creativity, my home, my life, my world.
So, I make time to create every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Some days, that looks like adding a few rounds of crochet to a granny square. Other days, it’s piecing together a small, card-sized collage with scraps of paper pre-cut from magazines and a few stickers. Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking a short photo walk, choosing a theme - textures, shadows, or colors - and walking until I’ve taken ten photos noticing this theme. These small moments of making may seem insignificant, but I’ve learned that they add up in powerful ways. They remind me that creativity isn’t something we wait for - it’s something we cultivate.
We often think of creativity as something that requires big, uninterrupted blocks of time, the perfect supplies, or a surge of inspiration. But the truth is, creative transformation happens in small, consistent moments. Whether you crochet a single row, stitch one small detail, or simply run your fingers over fabric and breathe deeply, these tiny acts of creation add up in profound ways.
Commit to your creativity. Join the Craft to Heal workshop. The first session is only $5 and it tells yourself that your craft practice matters.
Why Small Creative Habits Matter
When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to push creativity aside. We tell ourselves:
“I don’t have enough time to make something meaningful.”
“I’m not inspired right now, so what’s the point?”
“I’ll get back to crafting when life slows down.”
But here’s the reality: life rarely slows down on its own. And if we wait for perfect conditions, we may never create at all. That’s why small creative habits matter. They keep the creative spark alive, even in the busiest or hardest of times.
When you commit to even the tiniest daily creative act, a few things happen:
Your brain starts to crave creativity. The more you engage in small creative moments, the more your mind naturally seeks them out.
You build confidence. When you show up consistently, even for just five minutes, you prove to yourself that you are an artist, a maker, a creator.
You lower the pressure. A single row of stitches feels doable. A full project might feel overwhelming. Starting small removes the fear of imperfection.
What Does a Small Creative Habit Look Like?
A small creative habit is exactly what it sounds like: a bite-sized, manageable act of creativity that fits into your daily life. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Some ideas include:
Knit, crochet, quilt or embroider for five minutes. Or for one row, one square, one section …
Write one sentence about how you’re feeling before or after you create.
Lay out your supplies mindfully. Touch the fabric, run your fingers through the yarn, and take a deep breath.
Listen to music while crafting and notice how it shifts your mood. Craft for the length of one song.
Photograph your work-in-progress - not necessarily to share, although you can, but really just to appreciate the process.
Say an affirmation before you begin crafting. “My creativity matters.” “I deserve this time.” “My work is valuable.”
The key? Keep it small, keep it doable, and keep showing up.
The Compound Effect of Small Creative Acts
When you stitch a little each day, something magical happens:
Your skills improve. Even tiny bits of practice add up.
Your creativity becomes a natural part of your life. Instead of being something extra, it becomes something essential.
Your craft becomes a source of comfort. You stop seeing it as another task and start experiencing it as a form of self-care.
You develop a deeper sense of creative identity. Each stitch, each moment of making, reinforces the truth that you are a creative being.
You strengthen your ability to focus. Engaging with your craft, even briefly, can help reset your mind in a world that constantly pulls at your attention.
You build a personal archive of creativity. Even if you don’t finish every project, you are creating a body of work that reflects your unique self.
As I wrote in Hook to Heal:
“We all create. We do it in ways big and small every single day, intentionally and unintentionally. We create personal fashion styles through the clothes we select. We create magical moments when we say the right word at the right time. We create relationships. We create ourselves. Creation, creativity … it’s at the heart of all that we do.”
And yet, so many people hesitate to call themselves artists, makers, or creatives. They wait for some kind of proof, some finished masterpiece, some outside validation. But the truth is, you are already an artist simply because you create.
The question is: will you nurture that part of yourself?
Join the Craft to Heal Workshop
This is exactly why I created Craft to Heal - to help people embrace their creativity as a healing practice. This isn’t just about making things. It’s about making meaning. It’s about crafting with intention, with presence, with a deeper understanding of how fiber arts can support your well-being.
Craft to Heal is a year-long workshop series but you can drop in and out as is right for you. It starts March 18th, 2025 … and if you can’t be there on the Zoom, you can still get the recorded video after the class.
In this first 90-minute online workshop, we will:
Explore the idea that creativity is essential—not indulgent.
Discover how small creative habits can create big transformations.
Engage in hands-on exercises to reconnect with your creativity.
Lay the foundation for a year of intentional crafting and self-exploration.
So if you’ve ever felt:
Stuck in your creative practice, struggling to make time for it.
Unsure whether your art “counts” or if you’re really an artist.
Like crafting helps you feel grounded, but you don’t know how to use it intentionally.
That committing to your creative practice in even a small way might make a huge difference …
Then this workshop is for you.
Your creativity is not just a hobby. It’s a way of being. It’s a gift to yourself and to the world.
We are on the same page here, dear Kathryn.