Feature
| thoughts from a designer
the way that makes me feel creative and productive Loveably grotesque
and expressive and happy. Often I make my dolls hideously grotesque. Sure, I
can make cute dolls, and sometimes I’m compelled
Creative manifesto to. But more often, I feel like going out of my way
Ironically, I spent a great deal of time and energy to make something decidedly not cute. Not only do
reciting to anyone who would listen to me what I enjoy finding the loveable in the grotesque, but
could be considered a sort of manifesto of creativity: aiming for ugly takes a ton of pressure off. Since
• Make what you want to make. childhood, we’re tasked with making things pretty.
• Take as much time as you want to.
• Finish or don’t.
• Ignore what other people say about your work.
• If you make mistakes, fix them or don’t.
Not only do I enjoy finding the
• Learn from them, definitely.
loveable in the grotesque, but aiming
• Don’t chastise yourself for them.
• Sometimes your hands just need to craft. “
for ugly takes a ton of pressure off
• Sometimes your soul needs to express itself
• Sometimes you simply must have that stunning
sweater, so do. I’ve thrown off those shackles. It’s liberating to
• No matter the justification, just make something. create something so ugly my pet growls at it. My
When I was working in crochet, I violated nearly experience of the ugly only makes me delight even
all of those rules, many simultaneously. I thought more in the pretty.
too much about what people would think about my As more and more time fills the space between
creations; how the designs would photograph; if they my professional crochet work and my new, broader
”
could tie in with some project I was promoting. I felt freelance work, I find I’m compelled to ditch the
I had to be ‘professional’, whatever that means. No pretty entirely and really get my ugly on.
wonder I ended up spending my free time knitting. It’s one of the most beautiful things I have
So I’ve come to rejoice in something that I think ever experienced.
I knew all along but couldn’t reconcile: despite
my love of working with designers who create Kim P. Werker is a writer, crafter and absorber of
gorgeous projects that make crocheters’ hearts sing, internet culture. She plays with people, yarn and a
my personal creative tastes lie in a dramatically less mutt in Vancouver, Canada. Catch up with her at
marketable arena.
www.kimwerker.com
Kim’s been liberated
of pretty things and
now makes ugly dolls.
www.insidecrochet.co.uk
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