Creative Funks – and a Scroll Saw Tree

A couple times a year, I seem to find myself in a creative funk. Uninspired, unmotivated, confused. It usually lasts a couple weeks, and I snap out of it. I’m sure everyone goes through this in one way or another, right?

But this last creative funk has lasted MANY MONTHS for me. Making stuff and being productive brings me life, so it was starting to become a problem.

I’ve suffered with depression for over 20 years. And during that time, I’ve found the perfect balance of DIY and medication that makes me my best self and love this life I’m living. So when I’m in a creative funk, it’s especially hard.

I actually NEED to make something.

Almost always, my project ideas come from an actual need in our household. We need an end table by the couch to put our drinks? I’ll build one! I got a new plant but it’s put is ugly? I’ll paint it!

But after so many months passed without inspiration (and motivation) striking, I knew I needed to take things into my own hands.

I identified which tool is my fave (scroll saw!) and decided to JUST MAKE SOMETHING.

I browsed Pinterest and Google Images until I found a beautiful design/scroll saw template that I loved. I wish I could find the original artist of this work and share his/her name with you. I believe this was originally done by cutting paper with a blade. I purposefully chose a design that’s very complicated and will be quite time consuming on the scroll saw.

I have the time.

I printed the design onto a transparency using my regular printer, and used my old-school overhead projector to project the image onto a board. Then traced the design on with a pencil.

Since each one of those little leaves and ridges on the trunk of the tree need to be cut out, I drilled tiny holes to feed my blade through. Then started cutting!

It felt GLORIOUS.

It was OHHHHHHH SO TIME-CONSUMING. And I loved every second of it. With each one of those little leaves I cut out, I found myself a bit more.

I worked on this project here and there throughout the day for about a week. It gave me something exciting to think about when I wasn’t working on it, and it was pure joy when I was.

Even though this project was more of an exorcise than an actual project organically born from a need (or want), it truly awakened me.

It felt like an actual jump-start to the creative corner of my brain.

Since my friends on Instagram have gone through the whole creative funk with me, and watched me work through this in Instagram Stories, I decided to give this tree plaque away to one of them. It feels good to give back.

The winner chose these initials for the tree:

If you find yourself in a creative funk, I challenge you to JUST GO MAKE SOMETHING. Get out some paint and a canvas, or let the sawdust flyyyyy! I promise it will awaken something in you too. <3

Be sure to check out my other scroll saw projects HERE. And my Scroll Saw 101 post HERE.

Thanks for pinning!