Prompt Results for Let Fate Decide Lecture
Hypothesis - Prompts are fun.
Prompts are fun.
I hope to show that flow state can be achieved with simple creative prompts. Flow state is evidenced by positive emotions at the end of the activity.
Jenn M
1) What was easy?
The prompt. There was no pressure or deadline. Just free play.
2) What was difficult?
Forgetting part of the prompt.
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
Nervous when we started because I didn’t know exactly what we were doing. When we ended I thought, hey I like that flower one. I think I’m going to make that into a bias binding quilt. I didn’t really want to stop drawing!
Robert
1) What was easy?
not having the time to think and over think. the nice quick pace - I knew it was going to be over soon, so I just jumped in. I found myself reaching for more colors and allowing myself to play a bit. I usually stick to black pen, but I realized it was so low stakes that I could jump in with a color and there was no problem with that.
- It made me really loosen up and allow myself to stop thinking (in a good way lol)
2) What was difficult?
- I did find myself second guessing - particularly the 'Home' prompt - I totally thought of it as an emotional exploration, and so I went to circles, which feel like home to me (not sure why but they do!) and then I got really concerned I completely misinterpreted the prompt, but by that time I was committed! So I had to let go and keep on.
- initially color use as I love my black ink pen, but that was short lived.
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
Before - a bit anxious - not knowing what to expect.
After - I want to keep drawing and keep playing around. There are multiple things I want to sketch more iterations of to see if that spark of interest goes anywhere. This was a REALLY good reminder for me about the importance of just sketching and connecting my hands and the pen/page and to let them just go and not overthink.
Emily B
1) What was easy?
I found it easy to rely on the geometry of the quilt blocks. I also love a continuous line drawing because you get to really let go of the product a bit and just explore the space of the page.
2) What was difficult?
Choosing colors when the palette was limited, and also keeping the sketch to just the allotted time.
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
felt super tired and ready for bed when I started and now I kind of want to keep drawing because it was fun to just let myself relax and create for a bit.
Emily L
1) What was easy?
Timers. Timers always help me. I use timers in my own quilt practice both by setting a timer (like you did here, to encourage not overthinking). I also use them when I’m teaching improv. I’m sure you already know about the Pomodoro method, but that’s how I teach improv - sew for 25 min, 5 min break, then sew again. Then a longer break after four cycles.
2) What was difficult?
Starting. Deciding I “have enough time” to do it now. Trying not to work performatively - like knowing that someone else will see this means I, like you started doing “harder” to draw stars instead of the easier ones. But just knowing it would be seen affects how I work a little bit.
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
It feels good to have done ANYTHING creative. While doing the exercises I though about how cool it would be to have a little video like this to do every week or so, but then I also doubt that I could keep up. I have a lot of trouble MAKING time for making. Some of that is not having a lot of time or energy, some of it is not deciding to do a creative task when I do have time! Some of that is just prioritizing other things.
Gail
1) What was easy?
I found the beginning prompts easy where I was just drawing something without multiple decisions to make.
2) What was difficult?
The later prompts where I immediately started second guessing myself and editing as I went along.
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
At the beginning I was open, but very constrained and controled, the feeling of "I can pass the test". By the end I was definitely more feverish and free, but anxious I was making the wrong choices. The fun part is when I was done I thought.... wait, I wanna go back and do it again. Not because I wanted to get it right, but because I felt more comfortable and free to explore. I'd stretched my creative muscle and wanted more.
Maggie
1) What was easy?
The flowers felt really easy. I've just been free motioning a quilt and it felt like that. It felt very natural, even though drawing is not natural to me.
2) What was difficult?
Shutting up the mean voice in my head! I have a tremor so straight lines and I are not friends. The mean voice just kept saying "those lines aren't straight!" and I had to breathe through it and just let go and draw. And when I did, it wasn't difficult!
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
Inspired! I felt much more comfortable by the end, and thinking about how I can draw more to help with my art practice.
Rachel
1) What was easy?
Letting go
2) What was difficult?
Judging my results
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
I was anxious, now I’m relaxed.
Jeff
1) What was easy?
Coming up with colors.
2) What was difficult?
Repeating or drawing the pattern
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
For the first ones it felt easier but as it went on I put more pressure on myself to do it better or more “right”
Violet
1) What was easy?
The stars
2) What was difficult?
The house one
3) Compare how you felt when you started vs now.
Before: I didnt want to. Now: I feel excited and want to draw more.
Results
1 person said it was easy to let go
1 person said they were inspired to create larger project from what they had drawn.
2 people stated that the process became harder as they went through the prompts.
3 people started their email back to me with “I loved this” or “That was fun!”.
5 said that they had trouble with self judgment
6 people said I started with a negative emotion (anxious or nervous or tired or annoyed) and ended in a positive state. (didn’t want to stop, inspired, excited)
7 said they wanted to keep drawing right then or make more time to draw in their practice.
Conclusion
Prompts are fun BUT if you are not comfortable making quilt patterns these last two prompts kinda suck.
Creativity begets more creativity. (7 out of 8 people reported want to keep drawing or draw more in their creative practice).
Prompts at the correct challenge level creates a flow state. (6 out of 8 people began feeling a negative emotion and ended feeling a positive one).
Self judgment is a almost universal feeling, but it doesn’t have to stop use from being creative. 5 said that they had trouble with self judgment and all of them completed all the prompts.
What I think happened: The challenge level was too high in the last two prompts to allow the two people that don’t normally design quilt patterns to stay in flow state. This led them to end in a less positive state.