Overwhelmed by Creative Ideas? How to Prioritise, Focus and Finish
Do you find it difficult to finish one creative project before starting another? Do you have cupboards, boxes, shelves, drawers of unfinished work? I try not to, but I do – mostly projects I want to get on to before I’m distracted by other ideas.
Easily overwhelmed But honestly, I am very easily overwhelmed by life, but particularly creativity in all its forms and genres. I seem to collect ideas from the ether, and bask in beauty. Sometimes, I have to step outside, enjoy the sun on my face and the beautiful floral explosion in my garden, rather than decide what to work on next at that very moment. Or, I sleep on it and hope that I might wake with my priority list magically sorted. Often, though, I just wake in the night with more ideas…
I recently mentioned this feeling of overwhelm to my psychiatrist, and he gave me some excellent advice. I’ve written it down and keep it beside my keyboard so I can remind myself of it every day:
Break your work into manageable/achievable steps – I don’t have to start and finish a project all at once.
Set longer timeframes – if something can be delayed, let it wait. In fact, it took me over 20 years to finish a Danish petit point embroidery. I started it pre children and finished and framed it when they were all at high school. Job done at last and with a massive sense of achievement!
Keep your daily to-do list to six items or fewer – there’s always tomorrow (and the next day).
Work within your energy levels – if I push too hard, I’ll only end up needing more recovery time.
Finish one thing before starting another – though I’m still not convinced this one is entirely achievable in the creative world!
What do you think about this last point? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
What I think “finish one thing before starting another” really means for creative minds is that it’s about bringing small things to completion – breaking the project into more manageable steps – so that you feel calmer and less scattered, and with that critically important sense of progress.
D-D-D My friend has his own formula for avoiding the overwhelm: delay, delegate, or dump. I like that too — simple and perfectly to the point!
How to prioritise When I lived in the UK, I worked with a newly appointed general manager who asked me how he should prioritise his workload. At the time, I gave what I thought was the obvious answer: list your tasks, decide what’s most important, then what’s second, then third, and so on. Simple. But looking back, I realise he may not have been searching for a system at all. He was probably overwhelmed, faced with so many “priorities” that everything felt urgent and essential. Clearly, my naive method was no match for his massive workload especially with his newness to the role. I suspect I wasn’t much help at all.
New projects on the go… At the moment, I’m working on new mid-century modern designs for my Fantastic Felt range. I’m really excited about these new creations, and I’m letting my felt pōhutukawa Xmas tree and heart range take a little rest. Before I get back to that though, I want to do work on some new Fantastic Felt Fabergé Eggs, so I think I may be back where I started……... (I’d better re-read what I’ve just written).
Visit Sara Meade Design to explore my exquisite range of watercolour prints, gorgeous greeting cards, and my stunning 2026 calendars are SELLING FAST! I also sell elegantly embroidered and embellished fantastic felt ornaments with an Aotearoa-theme. Downloadable DIY instructions for the felt pōhutukawa heart and Xmas tree ornaments are ready too. My latest release is fully-equipped DIY craft kits for these Xmas tree and heart ornaments, along with PDF knitting patterns for bouncing babies and cosy toes. And don’t forget to sign up for our fantastic range of giveaways and Black Friday Deals!
Get ready for some Christmas shopping!!
Below are images of a felt tea cosy I made with Rosemary McLeod in Wellington at a Tea Cosy Workshop held at Nancy’s Embroidery, 20 or so years ago. I worked from a magazine image of hellebores (winter roses) and Rosemary provided help with placement, stitches and her inimitable sense of humour and NZ knowledge. She let every workshop member rummage through her own felt scrap collection and I can still see from these images which felts belonged to her. I recall her saying, when I wanted to keep adding to the work: “You don’t want to over-egg the pudding.” I thought she was marvellous! I also padded the tea cosy with an old woollen blanket and quilted French knots in grids to keep the lining secure. I still treasure it.
