When my son Aaron and daughter-in-law Lizzie moved to Massachusetts in August 2020, they brought their furniture, small appliances, clothes, and a bunch of t-shirts with them. Lizzy has been collecting these hidden keepsakes since kindergarten. She had their bags. Each shirt told a story. Each served as a point of contact, a membership, a gateway for a day childhood.
As a seamstress, I offered, “I can make you a T-shirt.”
“That would be great,” Lizzy said. Being a scientist, he quickly created carefully folded stacks – each representing a subject. Girl Scouts, band, boys (she met my son through the joint Explorers program at the time), theater productions, trips around the world, and of course several different, non-category shirts.
There were 76 shirts in total.
The next action came to me.
I did what many creatives do when faced with a big project. I didn’t do anything. Well, that’s not entirely true. I was thinking about the task. I watched several YouTube videos. I bought the necessary supplies: batting, bias tape, fusible interfacing. I put everything in a clear plastic bag and I put the racks aside for six years.
It’s not that I haven’t thought of Lizzie’s T-shirt. i did At first, often. And then, little by little, I put my sewing supplies back in order and worked on other projects instead. Things that had specific deadlines. A new outfit to wear to a concert. Projects for clients. Birthday gifts.
Last summer, Aaron and Lizzie moved to the Midwest. They gathered their things again and now Knox. Lizzy’s T-shirts stayed with me.
I call these unfinished tasks ghost projects. They will chase you. When you least expect it, they hit you with one fear that you are “not enough”. They whisper names like “procrastinator” or “serial procrastinator.”
About six weeks ago, Lizzie let us know she was going back to Massachusetts to host a bridal shower for a friend over the weekend. He had planned to arrive on Thursday, stay one night, and then leave for an Airbnb beach vacation.
This is when the stars align. Suddenly, after six years, I found a date of birth. I have renewed focus and energy. An obvious reason.
This fuel is nothing new or different to me. I deliberately set a deadline as motivation before
I named this motivational framework The BRAID CompassTM because a compass helps you navigate and find your direction. The letters stand for five simple steps: start, reflect, act, call, and deliver.
B: Start before you’re ready
Start as soon as you have a creative idea. Start before you have all the supplies and resources. Start before you know how to continue, because developers often find their next step only when they’re in the middle of a project.
R: Think about what is important
Once you start, take a moment, an hour, a day or a week and meditate.
Ask yourself: what am I doing? Why?
Think about who will buy your product. (And it’s perfectly fine if you are receivers.)
A: Act now
Take action—any action—to move the project forward.
I want to set the timer for 20 minutes. This quick sprint is often just a jump to get the ball.
Act on the project. And then, keep doing it.
How do you stay motivated? See the next step.
Me: I invite others to travel
When you invite someone to pick up your work, set a time and place. Be specific. This element strengthens and strengthens your efforts. Imagining an audience for your work will strengthen your focus and attention and outsources your work.
In my case, Lizzie had no idea of my intention to give her a ready-made shirt, but matching the planned date with her arrival made all the difference.
D: Deliver this item
We all know that feeling when you go to a party or a party. Knowing that others are coming to your house makes you see the surroundings differently. You notice that the toothpaste is splattered on the mirror. You notice the pieces on the carpet. You notice the messy kitchen counter.
Sharing a deadline activates all your senses to increase your efforts and squeeze as much work time as possible into your current limited schedule. You will figure out a way to deliver art, even if you’re sweating the last stitches, the last words, hoping the paint will dry.
A blanket, a smile, relief
When Lizzie arrived at our house on Thursday evening, I pointed to a large cardboard box. My family gathered around as we watched her open the box.
Lizzie beamed with joy when she realized her long awaited T-shirt was finished. We all shared in that exciting moment. And I felt a sense of relief and pride in completing this project.
are you creativity Confused due to lack of attention?
Try this: BRAID your next creative project
- Use the BRAID compassTM to track your progress: initiate, reflect, act, challenge, deliver.
- Select an unfinished “ghost project” from your graveyard and start a partially completed job.
- Take a moment to think and reflect on the project, the steps, and the recipient.
- Set a timer for 20 minutes today and take an action step.
- Set a realistic completion date and put it on your calendar, then tell at least one person about your project and invite them to see the finished product.
- Move the product.
Creativity can come from inspiration, but learning to lead like the captain of a ship can be very powerful. And even if you’re just trying to find your way through an ocean of T-shirt scraps, a compass can help you stay on track. A picture of a smile and gratitude of your lucky recipients go a long way to uplifting yourself confidence and get the job done.
