Sisters Cami Munk and Brooke Moffat grew up in a creative household. Their father loved the arts, and their mom, a seamstress, frequently used her imagination to make all kinds of clothing, including costumes and wedding dresses.
That environment fostered creativity, and all these years later, both sisters are still actively using their imaginations. Advertised as “The Stitching Sisters,” Munk and Moffat teamed up in March to design and create home accessories like baskets and bags for all the world to see.
They will even have their own booth at the 15th annual Craft Lake City Do It Yourself (DIY) Festival at Utah State Fairpark, which is being held Aug. 11-13. It is billed as Utah’s largest local-centric art, music, science and technology festival.
But not everyone is in touch with their creative side, something Munk and Moffat didn’t realize until they were well into adulthood.
“I thought that was a normal thing until probably in my 30s, and I was like, ‘Oh, other people don’t think like this,” Moffat said.
As executive director of Craft Lake City, a DIY organization, Angela Brown’s mission is to elevate Utah’s creative culture. She believes that everyone has a creative spark, but that some people lack enough “creative self-esteem” to unlock the full potential of their imagination.
Brown also had a family that encouraged self-expression, which gave her the confidence to pursue a full-time career in the arts. Through artisan workshops at Craft Lake City, local Utahns are finding inspiration.
“All the time we hear people (say), ‘Oh, I’m not very talented or I’m not very good because a friend dragged me to this class,’ and many times they end up becoming the superstars of the class … and these are people that don’t consider themselves creatives,” Brown said.
To her, creativity is a learned behavior, and it doesn’t just apply to the arts. There’s a reason Craft Lake City’s annual DIY festival includes science and technology. And Munk, a communications manager, knows this well.
“Some people are creative in different ways,” she said. “I work with people that are creative with numbers and data, and I can’t do that, but they can use the numbers and show the data in a way that tells a story, just like I can sew something or write something that tells a story.”
Peter Christie, Ballet West’s director of education and outreach, says creativity is more about the process than the final result. It’s OK to make mistakes, because if everything goes according to plan, learning is not taking place.
That fear of failure and harsh criticism holds people back from fully expressing themselves, but Christie points out that creativity is subjective.
“There’s no law, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s just your way and what makes you happy. That’s what’s important,” he said.
Creativity is not reserved for brilliant minds like Albert Einstein or Pablo Picasso. Everyone benefits from the creative process, and Brown mentions the positive impacts it has on mental health.
“When you’re trying to work something out or you have feelings or emotions, I think a creative practice can be a great way to process those and work through those (emotions),” she said.
After her best friend died by suicide a few years ago, Moffat discovered the therapeutic power of cross-stitch. So when her father died in February 2020 and the pandemic hit shortly after, she began “stitching her feelings.”
“I had lots of emotions,” she said. “ … and so I started stitching, just snarky stuff. And I felt so much better.”
Christie believes the pandemic opened doors for countless others to find their creative sides, particularly older adults who were forced to embrace new technology to communicate. Christie says that made it less intimidating and helped seniors realize the endless potential of the internet, which can be a center for inspiration.
Just scroll through TikTok, watch a YouTube video or search Google to find a new creative outlet. There are more resources available than ever for people to find their creative spark.
So what’s holding them back? Well, not everyone has the time to try something new, but Christie suggests beginning a new task in small doses.
“Break out a pen and pencil and just make a commitment to try something for 10 minutes a day,” he said. “… and the nice thing about that accessibility is you can do it all on your own. You can do it in the comfort of your own home, your own living room, your own office, and no one’s going to see you or judge you.”
Ultimately, every artist, no matter what talent level, progresses and matures. Munk and Moffat saw their creative confidence grow enough to be exhibitors at this year’s DIY Festival, something that Brown suggested. And Moffat has advice for anyone scared to create because of criticism.
“I think what really holds people back is that fear of negative feedback,” she said. “ … but with being open and showing it and sharing the process with other people, it’s been like the complete opposite. And it hasn’t been people saying, ‘Those colors are really ugly.’ It’s ‘Hey, did you make this one?’ … and so I think including other people in your process helps with that fear of failure.”
And taking that leap to try something new can be amazing.
“These are times when we can either go inward or stick outside ourselves and tap into something that’s really creative and beautiful,” Brown said. “And I think that’s magic. That can make us feel so many positive emotions that lead to a positive impact on life.”
