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Why rest, reflection, and alignment matter, especially at the end of the year As the year winds down, there’s a natural invitation to pause. The holidays bring a shift in rhythm. The end of the year brings reflection. And the winter solstice reminds us that rest is not a detour. It’s part of the cycle. Still, many of us struggle with this. We’ve absorbed the message that progress only happens when we’re working. That momentum requires constant output. That slowing down means we’re losing ground. But our brains and bodies tell a very different story. Breaks aren’t a luxury. They’re essential. Our nervous systems aren’t designed for nonstop productivity. Creativity, focus, and problem-solving all require space to recharge. When we don’t allow for rest, burnout becomes inevitable. Inside the Pattern Design Circle resource vault , we’ve talked often about what “taking a break” actually means. It doesn’t have to look like doing nothing. Breaks can look like: caring for kids cooking or cleaning going for a walk creating something just for fun stepping away from screens These activities use different kinds of energy  than business work does. And that shift matters. From both neuroscience and lived experience, we know that our brains function best when we build in intentional rest. Some general guidelines, that I learned from Ash Wylder and share with my clients include: short breaks every 50–90 minutes at least one full day off each week (ideally two) longer breaks built into the year, not just when burnout hits Rest allows our creativity, imagination, and enthusiasm to refill. Without it, even the work we love starts to feel heavy. And when we don't take breaks, it's much easier to lose our passion, find ourselves in burnout, and get stuck in dread. All of which ends up taking away more time and energy than if we'd just taken the breaks! There’s nuance here (as always), and that matters This is where I want to be very clear. Slowing down does not  mean everyone should stop working right now. For some people, this season actually brings more  space. If your business doesn’t usually take up much of your time, and the holidays give you a quieter schedule, it might feel really aligned to focus more deeply on your work right now. That can be exactly right too. The question isn’t “should I be resting or working?” The question is: What do I  need in this season? What feels most aligned right now? What supports my mission and my well-being this month? Alignment looks different in different seasons. The work is learning to check in with yourself honestly, without judgment. Why habits, energy, and vision matter more than hustle In one of our workshops inside Pattern Design Circle, high performance coach Ash Wylder led a powerful conversation on habits, goal setting, and energy. One of the most impactful exercises invited designers to imagine themselves three years in the future. Wiser. More confident. Already having navigated the challenges they’re facing now. From that future perspective, the question shifts. Not: “What should I be doing right now?” But: “What actually matters?” “What kind of energy do I want to bring to my work and my life?” “What supports long-term sustainability, not just short-term output?” One of the biggest takeaways was this: Hustle isn’t what creates momentum. Alignment does. When you understand how your energy flows, when you give yourself permission to rest and recalibrate, work often becomes more effective, not less. An invitation to reflect If this resonates with you, I encourage you to take a few quiet minutes and ask yourself: Where am I feeling stretched or depleted right now? Where might a break, even a small one, support me? What would it look like to choose intentionally, instead of automatically pushing? Inside Pattern Design Circle , you can watch the full replay of Ash Wylder’s Habits and Goal Setting  workshop and explore Reflection Prompt #17: Taking Breaks , which dives deeper into these questions with journaling prompts and real-world application. If you’re craving support, clarity, and a space to build your knit or crochet pattern design business in a way that actually fits your life, you’re warmly invited to join us inside the resource vault . Because rest isn’t quitting. Slowing down isn’t failing. And taking care of yourself is part of building something that lasts.

How it works, what problems it solves, and how to know if it’s right for you as a knit or crochet designer If you’re a knit or crochet pattern designer, you already know: managing your patterns often feels like a full-time job all on its own. Creating the pattern? Fun. Editing, formatting, and photographing? Manageable. Uploading the same listing to Etsy + Ravelry + your website + Shopify + LoveCrafts + the next platform that pops up tomorrow? Exhausting. And let’s not even talk about updating pricing, replacing a file, or making one tiny change to your listing and then having to manually repeat that change everywhere. If you’ve ever felt scattered and stretched too thin by the “admin” part of your design business, I want you to know something: Your brain isn’t the problem. Your system is. And that’s exactly why I’ve been an alpha tester for GoSadi for several years now — from the very beginning of building out the designer side of the platform — and why I’m genuinely excited to finally share what it offers. GoSadi gives you the clarity, sustainability, and compassionate structure that so many designers have needed for years. Note: This post may continue affiliate links. What Is GoSadi? (In Plain, Designer-Friendly Language) GoSadi is an all-in-one platform for knit and crochet designers  that centralizes your pattern library, helps you create and optimize your listings, and lets you push your designs to multiple selling platforms. Think of it as your pattern hub : the home base for your photos, files, listings, SEO, and your storefront. It’s designed so you can spend less time publishing your patterns in all the places and more time knitting, crocheting, designing, and living your life. My Very Favorite GoSadi Feature (And Why It Still Feels a Little Like Magic) I have to share the feature that, as a designer, still blows my mind: ✨ You can upload your pattern PDF… and GoSadi auto-populates your entire listing for you. Not just the title or a short description — everything. The yarn requirements. Yardage. Gauge. Attributes. Sizes. All the tiny details Ravelry normally asks you to enter one box at a time. If you’ve ever uploaded a pattern to Ravelry (and I know you have), you know how tedious that process can be. It’s not difficult… it’s just repetitive, slow, and incredibly easy to put off because you “don’t have the brain for that today.” And then when you publish your patterns on four different platforms, you have to reapeat the process four times. As someone with a multi-passionate, ADHD-friendly brain who thrives on clarity and ease, this single feature alone saves hours  — and honestly, a lot of mental energy. Instead of copying/pasting from your own PDF into a hundred fields, GoSadi scans your pattern, pulls the data for you, and organizes it neatly in your listing. Then all you have to do is fine-tune it. Like a designer — not a data entry clerk. This feature is one of the clearest examples of GoSadi’s mission in action: take the heavy, repetitive work off your plate so you can focus on what actually matters. And as someone who has been an alpha tester from the very beginning, this is the moment I realized just how transformative this platform could be for our industry. What Problems Does GoSadi Actually Solve? This is where things get good — because GoSadi isn’t just convenient. It’s transformational  for how designers work behind the scenes. Here’s what it helps with: 1. Endless Uploading Fatigue If you’re tired of: Copy/pasting your listing to multiple platforms Rewriting descriptions multiple times Reformatting your photos Realizing you forgot to update one platform when you changed pricing GoSadi’s cross-platform listings  remove all of that. You create one listing, and GoSadi sends it everywhere you choose. Alignment over algorithm. Ease over repetition. 2. Cluttered Files & Lost Photos Your photos live in one folder. Your pattern files are in Google Drive. Your drafts are in Dropbox. Your “final FINAL” version is… somewhere else entirely. GoSadi gives you unlimited file and photo storage  so everything lives in one organized place. Your brain gets to exhale. Just upload all of your files for the pattern, and it's super simple to select which files you want to use for each platform. 3. Stress About SEO SEO can feel overwhelming. Especially when every platform wants something slightly different. You became a designer because you wanted to learn how to design, not to be a marketer. Am I right? GoSadi handles this for you. Its built-in SEO + GoSadi SMARTS™ suggests keywords, helps optimize your listings, and creates strong, searchable titles and descriptions for Etsy. No more guessing. No more “I hope people can find this.” Just clarity and visibility. 4. Updating Listings Across Platforms Need to update: Pricing A new photo A typo A file that needed one more chart annotation? GoSadi’s bulk editing  updates everything everywhere with just one click per platform. This feature alone has saved me countless  hours as an alpha tester. 5. Scattered Digital Footprint If you’ve felt like your designs are everywhere and nowhere at once, GoSadi’s Designer Landing Pages  give you a professional, centralized storefront that highlights your patterns, your brand, and your story. It’s like having a beautiful mini-website, but you don't need to build it, purchase a domain, or pay for web hosting. What It Looks Like in Everyday Life as a Designer Here’s what GoSadi changes in your daily rhythm: Before GoSadi Spend hours uploading a single pattern Write the same description multiple times Waste time hunting down photos or files Avoid SEO because it’s overwhelming Procrastinate publishing to additional platforms because it's so much work Worry you forgot to update something somewhere Feel scattered and overextended After GoSadi Create one listing and push it to every platform Store all photos + files inside GoSadi Use AI support to write clean, optimized titles + descriptions Update everything in one click Keep your digital footprint consistent and polished Free up hours every week without sacrificing professionalism This platform supports the whole you — the designer, the business owner, the mama, the multi-passionate creative with a full life. How to Decide If GoSadi Is Right for You This is the piece I think matters most: you deserve tools that honor your life and the way you work. GoSadi is  for you if: ✔ You’re tired of duplicating work across Etsy, Ravelry, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. ✔ You want to grow your pattern catalog without burning out ✔ SEO feels overwhelming ✔ You want more sustainability and less chaos ✔ You crave organization and consistency ✔ You want to expand your digital footprint without working more ✔ You love the idea of a central hub that stores everything ✔ You want a professional Designer Landing Page without needing a full website GoSadi may not be for you if: ✘ You only sell on one platform ✘ You prefer full manual control over every listing everywhere ✘ You aren’t ready to expand or streamline ✘ You aren't actively designing many new patterns ✘ You don’t want automation or AI-supported tools My Experience as a Long-Time GoSadi Alpha Tester I’ve had the privilege of being inside GoSadi from the very beginning — long before most designers ever heard of it. Over the past few years, I’ve watched the platform evolve from: “Wouldn’t it be helpful if we could…?” to “WOW. This saves me so much time every time I release a pattern.” The interface is clean, user-friendly, and ADHD-friendly. Every feature is intentional. Nothing is bloated or overwhelming. GoSadi was built by people who understand the fiber arts industry — and it shows. Plus there are so many new features being added in 2026 that I am very excited to watch roll out! Why GoSadi Matters for the Future of Your Design Business Your time is limited. Your energy is precious. Your creativity deserves to be supported... not drowned out by admin overwhelm. GoSadi helps you build a business that: 🧶 Honors your creative flow 🧶 Supports your capacity and your season of life 🧶 Gives you room to design more (or rest more) 🧶 Expands your digital footprint without expanding your workload 🧶 Keeps everything organized, centralized, and sustainable It’s not about hustling harder. It’s about building smarter — with systems that hold you instead of draining you. If your business has felt chaotic, scattered, or heavy, GoSadi might be the clarity and ease you’ve been craving. Final Thoughts: You’re Allowed to Build a Business That Fits Your Life You don’t need to do everything manually to be “legit.” You don’t need to burn out to grow. You don’t need to hold your business together with sticky notes and stamina. You’re allowed to embrace support. You’re allowed to simplify. You’re allowed to choose tools that honor your time, your brain, and your capacity. If you’ve been craving a more aligned, sustainable, and ease-filled design business, GoSadi may be exactly the next step your business needs.

This post includes my Flodesk affiliate link . With my link, you'll get 50% off your first year with Flodesk. If you’re a creative entrepreneur who cares about beauty, alignment, and ease — or if you’ve ever opened your email service provider and felt instantly drained — this post is for you. Email is one of the most powerful parts of your business… And it doesn’t have   to feel overly tech-y, clunky, or overwhelming. For almost six years now, Flodesk has been my go-to platform; the one I recommend over and over to creative entrepreneurs who want their emails to feel beautiful, intuitive, and aligned with their brand. I signed up for Flodesk in January 2020, before it became the industry-standard visual platform it is today. Back then, they were a small, scrappy, deeply customer-centered startup — the kind you can feel good supporting. And honestly? I fell in love immediately. Today I want to share exactly why Flodesk has been such a game-changer , what makes it so different from other email service providers, and how to know whether it’s the right fit for your  creative business. Why I Chose Flodesk as My Email Service Provider (and Why I’ve Stayed Since 2020) as a Creative Entrepreneur Before Flodesk , I was using Mailchimp… and let’s just say: It was not a vibe. The UI felt clunky. The templates were dated. Segmentation and funnels were confusing and time-consuming. And the more my list grew, the more expensive it would become. As a designer and creative entrepreneur at the time, I needed  something beautiful, intuitive, and aligned with the way I worked. Flodesk immediately stood out because: 1. It was the first email platform built for aesthetics. As a knitting pattern designer, visuals mattered. I needed to show photos of my work, my designs, my texture, my style. Most platforms at the time warned against using too many images (“it will hurt deliverability!”), but Flodesk had found a way to support image-heavy emails without  tanking delivery rates. To this day, it’s the most intuitive, aesthetically pleasing email builder I’ve seen. 2. It felt intuitive — not techy. Your brain can rest with Flodesk. You don’t need to “figure out the system.” Everything is drag-and-drop, beautifully laid out, and designed so you can create emails quickly. 3. The pricing model made growth feel possible. For years, Flodesk offered unlimited subscribers for one flat rate — something very few other platforms did (and certainly not the top-performing platforms). That meant my list has been able to grow without me stressing over a higher bill every time I added new subscribers. This pricing model ends on November 28, 2025. Join by November 29th to lock in the unlimited plan for life. And you'll get 50% off your first year with my Flodesk affiliate link . But even beyond the pricing… I’ve stayed because the platform has genuinely supported the way I work. What I Love Most About Flodesk for Creative Entrepreneurs After nearly seven years of using the platform, here are the features I appreciate the most: 1. Image-Heavy Emails That Stay Deliverable Flodesk was built for visuals, period. Your emails can include beautiful photos, graphics, mockups, product shots, aesthetic layouts… and they still deliver reliably. For artists, makers, designers, and visual storytellers, this is huge. 2. A Template Library That Actually Looks Modern No ugly, outdated templates here. Every layout is clean, modern, airy, and thoughtfully designed. You can create beautiful, branded emails that look like you without hiring a designer or fighting with clunky editors. 3. Drag-and-Drop Design That Feels Intuitive to Use If you love visual building tools, this will feel so familiar. Flodesk lets you create: branded headers image galleries custom footers beautiful button styles signature blocks newsletter “favorites” you can save and reuse …all without touching code. 4. Saved Blocks That Make Branding Simple You can save your branded sections — headers, dividers, quote blocks, callouts, product blocks — and add them into any email. Brand consistency becomes effortless. 5. The New Canva Integration Game. Changer. If you're already creating your graphics or editing your photos in Canva, it's now super simple to pull them directly into Flodesk without downloading and re-uploading files. It’s seamless and saves so much time! 6. Beautiful Landing Pages (in Just a Few Clicks) When you need a quick opt-in form or a simple offering page, Flodesk landing pages are fast, gorgeous, and easy to set up. 7. Subscriber and Email Data + Analytics One of Flodesk’s newer improvements has been to incorporate a much richer analytics dashboard. I feel like this one puzzle piece that they were missing (and bigger competitors were known for). Now this makes it feel more equal from a data perspective. You can see: subscriber growth open rates click-through behavior workflow performance segment insights …all clearly and beautifully visualized in graphs and charts. Why Flodesk Works So Well for Creative Entrepreneurs Flodesk isn’t just a “pretty software.” It genuinely supports the way creative brains work. Here’s how: It reduces tech overwhelm. The interface is clean, intuitive, and non-chaotic; ideal for creatives who shut down when things feel too busy or complicated. It supports a life-first rhythm. I often talk about doing business in a sustainable, aligned way so you can live your life and run a business you love. Flodesk matches that energy. You don’t spend hours trying to “figure it out.” It doesn’t drain your mental bandwidth. It makes emailing your list feel more enjoyable and less stressful. It elevates your brand instantly. As a creative, your work is likely visual. Your brand is visual. Your emails should be too. Flodesk lets you show up in a way that feels: elevated intentional cohesive aligned on-brand This kind of consistency builds trust, and trust builds sales. It saves you time. When branding blocks, forms, and workflows are easy to build, you spend less time messing with tech and more time creating, designing, and showing up for your people. It helps you grow faster. Because when email feels easy… you actually send emails. And when you send emails… your business grows. “Should I Switch to Flodesk?” — My Honest Take Here’s the truth I’d tell my best friend: ➡ If you care about aesthetics, visuals, and ease; yes — Flodesk is probably the best fit for you. ➡ If you want email marketing to feel fun and intuitive again; yes. ➡ If you want your emails to look like your brand (not like a default template); yes. Who is Flodesk perfect  for? Designers Artists Knitters/crocheters Photographers Makers Coaches with visual brands Creatives who value simplicity + alignment Who might want something else? Anyone who needs advanced conditional logic Tech-heavy marketers who want granular A/B split-testing Businesses needing ultra-complex segmentation If you’re unsure, you can always try it with a free trial. Plus, Flodesk’s support team is extremely helpful, their Facebook group is active, and migrating your existing list is probably simpler than you think. Final Thoughts: Why I Still Recommend Flodesk for Creative Entrepreneurs in 2025 and Beyond Even with the pricing structure shifting this month, I’m still wholeheartedly recommending Flodesk because: It’s the most aesthetic email platform on the market. It’s designed for creatives, not tech bros. It supports aligned, sustainable business rhythms. It lets your brand shine visually. It makes email something you actually look forward  to doing. And truly? That matters. If you want a platform that honors your creativity, elevates your brand, and simplifies your marketing — Flodesk is where you’ll feel at home. Join Flodesk by November 28, 2025 to lock in the unlimited subscriber plan, an get 50% off your first year with my affiliate link. But even after that date, I still believe Flodesk will remain one of the best email platforms for creative entrepreneurs who value beauty, ease, and alignment.

If you’re a digital product creator (especially a knitting or crochet pattern designer) and you’re still finalizing your Black Friday plans for this year, I would like to give you a behind-the-scenes look at my own Black Friday sale. I hosted mine early (I called it “Not Black Friday”), and I felt like there were some incredibly clear insights into what’s working in 2025… and what absolutely isn’t. So I thought I'd share to help you out! This isn’t a big “strategy breakdown” in the traditional sense; it’s more like a last-minute nudge in the right direction and a small lighthouse moment before you hit “publish” on your own promotion. If you want to increase conversions, reduce guesswork, and avoid sinking time into offers that won’t perform, this is going to help. Let’s dig in. My 2025 Black Friday Sale Strategy: 5 Days, 5 Different Deals, 2+ Weeks Early This year, I experimented with a new (to me) format: Five consecutive days, each featuring a single product at 50% off. I chose this structure because: It builds natural urgency It keeps the content fresh It lets me spotlight multiple  offers without overwhelming my audience And honestly? As a consumer, I tend to love this format, so it felt good to try it myself It’s also been a few years since I’ve been able to show up fully for Black Friday. One year I was pregnant, the next year postpartum, and overall I’ve been less active in my business than I used to be. So this was my first “proper” Black Friday event in several years, and it served as a real-time industry temperature check. Why I Hosted My 2025 Black Friday Sale Early If you’re a fiber arts business owner (or, just a human in general), you know: Black Friday is noisy. Between the Indie Gift-A-Long, Fasten Off Yarn-A-Long, and the dozens of pattern sales all happening at once, it’s incredibly easy for smaller offers (and, honestly, larger offers, too) to get lost. Designers feel the noise. Customers feel the noise. And honestly? I feel it too. Hosting my sale early helped: Remove the “I’m one of 1,000 pattern sales this weekend” problem Make space for meaningful communication Reduce inbox clutter for my subscribers Support people who want to avoid the chaotic corporate Black Friday messaging while still shopping small You don’t  have time to shift your dates this year, but it might be something to consider for 2026. How My 2025 Black Friday Sale Performed I felt like there were some clear patterns (no pun intended) that showed up loud and clear in the results of my 2025 Black Friday Sale. Here’s how it played out: ✔️ My Day 1 offer was the strongest performer Even though the available online data suggests Days 2 and 3 of an event like this are typically the top performers, my opening day outpaced the others by a noticeable margin. I think this was a combination of: Audience excitement Clear product-market fit A price point that felt accessible and valuable ✔️ Single, focused products outperformed bundles The offers that did best were the ones that: Solved one  clear problem Came with straightforward value Didn’t require much decision-making Bundles didn’t convert nearly as well unless the value relationship was obvious. ✔️ Beginner-friendly content did moderately well This surprised me… but also didn’t. Beginners are highly motivated during the holiday season, and educational content feels like a concrete, long-lasting investment. But I don't cater to beginners in my content, so I knew that this offer likely wouldn't be my top-performer. ✔️ Patterns were the lowest  performing category This felt like the biggest light bulb moment for me. When I thought about it, I realized it makes a lot of sense, but as a pattern designer, it initially took me back a bit. My offers that were structured around patterns were at the bottom of the list… and it wasn’t even close. This lines up with what almost every designer I’ve spoken to is seeing this year: Patterns simply aren’t converting like they used to. And it’s not because your designs aren’t good. It’s not because the price is too high. It’s not even necessarily because people don’t want to knit. Instead, buyers are being more intentional with their money, and they’re choosing things that: Solve a specific problem Create long-term value Feel “worth it” beyond inspiration Patterns can  be all of these things, but they are not currently perceived that way in the market. Right now, stocking up on patterns feels like a nice-to-have, while investing in courses and other printable products that seem more tangible (even though they're all digital products) feel more valuable in the longterm. Which means that folks are still willing to pay money - and even willing to pay more money than they would've for patterns, as long as they see the value in it for themselves. ✔️ And finally: the sweet spot price point really showed itself Across my entire event, the offers priced around the $18-ish range  consistently converted the strongest. High enough to feel substantial. Low enough to feel like an easy “yes.” This doesn’t mean everything you sell should be $18 — but it does  mean you may want to include at least one offer around that threshold. What’s Not Working in 2025: A Reality Check on Patterns Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: patterns aren’t selling At least not the way they used to. Here’s what I believe is happening: People are buying fewer “just in case” patterns Buyers want more depth, more meaning, more transformation The economy is prompting more selective spending Designers have trained buyers to wait for sales There’s a lot  of noise and sameness, which reduces urgency Patterns can  still shine, but not as the backbone of your Black Friday sale this year. If you sell anything beyond patterns — classes, printables, workshops, digital tools, memberships, courses — lean there for your sales this year. Patterns can still be part of your event, but they shouldn’t be the star. And this also applies beyond Black Friday. Plus, bonus! These products are great additional revenue streams to have in your business, and they tend to have a higher price point, which makes it easier to earn money in your business. I call that a win-win-win! Email Subscriber Behavior During a Big Promotion Event: Unsubscribes & The Bigger Picture Across my five-day event, I lost just over 2% of my email list. Even though I "know better," the perfectionist, people-pleasing, “I hope everyone likes me” part of me tends to struggle with that. It's easy to spiral and wonder if I should've done something different, changed the wording of the email or the sales page, etc, etc. But here’s what’s also true: Every sale that performs well comes directly from someone receiving an email The more emails I send, the more revenue that comes in The people who unsubscribe are likely never going to buy And — this shocked me, in the best way possible — two people emailed to say thank you  for selling to them (what!?!) That last part was a huge reminder for me: When selling comes from a place of service, your right-fit customers feel it. Key Lessons You Can Apply to Your Black Friday Sale This Week Even if your sale starts in a few days, you still have time to implement the most important takeaways: 1. Lead with one clear, valuable offer In a noisy weekend, a focused offer stands out. 2. Prioritize products that create transformation Think education, systems, organization, clarity, tools; not just inspiration. 3. Consider including a mid-range price point $15–$25 seems to be an especially effective window right now. 4. If you sell patterns, feature them sparingly One day? Sure. Five days? Probably not. 5. Don’t fear unsubscribes They’re part of doing business, especially during a promotion period. Remember the people who love you and your work will stick around, no matter what. 6. Remember that selling is service Your customers want  support, tools, and clarity. If your work creates that… sell it. Final Thought: You Still Have Time to Pivot Your Black Friday Strategy I know it’s last-minute. I know it feels like changing anything now might be too much. But a few small shifts — a clearer offer, a different product choice, a stronger subject line — can dramatically change your results. If you want to talk through your offer or brainstorm how to adjust your strategy, reply to this post or email me anytime. I’m here to help you make this season feel aligned, intentional, and profitable. You’ve got this. Now go prep that sale.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just want to crawl into a cave and hibernate for three months? Me too. In fact, today is one of those days. We just got back from a week-long family trip across the country. The little one and my partner both came down with something, and last night was full of restless tossing, crying, and… not much sleep. By morning, all three of us were running on fumes. And here’s the thing about days like this: they have a sneaky way of testing every system, structure, and plan you thought you had in place. The Three Ways We React to Plans Falling Apart When life throws curveballs, most entrepreneurs fall into one of these three camps: The Safety Net Planner Planning is your anchor. It keeps you steady and focused even when energy is low. The “Why Bother” Rebel You’ve given up on planning altogether, because it feels impossible to stick to. The Trapped Perfectionist Planning makes you anxious. It feels like being locked in a box, with no wiggle room to shift. Sound familiar? Personally, I tend to default to either camp #2 and #3 when things get hard. Either I throw out the entire plan in frustration or I grit my teeth and try to force myself through every last task. Neither option feels good. What I prefer is to live in camp #1 . Why We Think Planning Doesn’t Work If you’ve ever felt like planning is more stress than it’s worth, you’re not alone. Most people in my circle either: Plan, then abandon the plan , feeling guilty about not following through. Avoid planning entirely , because it never seems to stick. Over-plan , filling every hour with tasks and leaving no space for rest or real life. Here’s the reframe: planning itself isn’t the problem. It’s the way we approach it. Whether you're planning your kids' activities, your marketing content, or your overall business plan, you need a flexible plan. Why? A rigid plan feels suffocating. A vague plan feels useless. And no plan at all? Well, that just leads to constant decision fatigue and scattered results. The key is creating a plan that flexes with you, rather than fights against you. What a Good Plan Actually Looks Like A plan done well is less about control and more about clarity. It gives you: Direction  when you’re foggy and tired. Focus  so you don’t waste energy on unimportant tasks. Flexibility  to respond when life goes sideways (because it will). Think of planning as your business safety net . It doesn’t demand perfection, it simply catches you when everything else feels shaky. The Simplest Planning Hack: Top 3 Priorities So how do you create a plan that works even on the messiest days? Start small. Write down your top three priorities. That’s it. Not a 10-page planner. Not a color-coded schedule. Just three clear priorities. Do it each night before you wrap up work for the day. Do it at the start of your week. Do it whenever things feel overwhelming. Why It Works It cuts through the noise in your head. It reduces decision fatigue (no more asking “what should I do next?” or "what was I doing, again?" every 20 minutes). It guarantees clarity, even on the messy days. Your top priorities can be as simple as: Respond to one client email. Take 5 minutes to calm down and breath. Comfort the sick kiddo. That’s still forward movement. And it’s enough. The Deeper Question: Why Is This a Priority? Here’s a bonus layer, if you have the energy: when you write your three priorities, ask why each one matters . Is it someone else’s deadline? Is it something that actually moves you toward your long-term goals? Is it busywork disguised as productivity? This quick reflection can help you spot where you’re pouring energy into things that don’t actually serve you. Planning Without the Overwhelm The truth is, planning isn’t supposed to box you in. It’s meant to give you a framework so you can show up with clarity and confidence—even when life isn’t going to plan. It's supposed to be the system that propels you forward toward your goals, not what holds you back. So the next time you’re tempted to: Throw away your to-do list entirely, or Burn yourself out trying to force it all to fit… Remember this: a good plan lives in the in-between. It’s not rigid. It’s not all-or-nothing. It’s simply there to support you, to be flexible through all the ebbs and flows of life and business. Bringing It Back to You Let’s be honest: rough days are part of entrepreneurship. Rough weeks; even rough seasons, too. But that doesn’t mean your goals get tossed aside. It means you need systems and plans that can be flexible with you. The beauty of writing down your top three priorities is that it works in both the easy seasons and the messy ones. It’s simple. It’s repeatable. It's an easy habit to start - and keep. And it gives you the mental clarity you need when your energy is low. Final Thoughts If planning has ever felt like an uphill battle, it’s probably not because you’re “bad at it.” It’s because the methods you’ve tried weren’t designed for the way you work best. Start small. Start flexible. Start with three priorities. And see how much easier business feels when your plan actually serves you, instead of the other way around. Your Turn: How do you  feel about planning? Do you thrive with structure, or does it make you want to rebel? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your take!

Right now I'm "promoting" the Purl Power Summit , a summit for new to intermediate level knitting pattern designers, but this isn't your typical summit promotion.   The thing is, you're busy. And I'm busy, so I totally get it.   Summits can be extremely overwhelming, super draining, and very difficult to actually work through the content on time.   And I'm here to make your life less overwhelming. Not more overwhelming.   So let's talk real talk Summit Attendee Strategy and how to decide if attending the Purl Power Summit (or any summit - feel free to save this and refer to it any time you're trying to strategize your way through the next summit!) is right for you.   What Are Online Summits and How Do They Work?   Most summits we see in the online world today look like this: A large 3-4 day online event highlighting several business owners - each providing a presentation/lesson/class on a specific topic [in the Purl Power Summit , there are 21 guests (I'm one of them) – when you scroll down on the sign up page, you'll see all of the speakers listed] While the summit is usually 3-4 days long, each presentation is only available for 24 hours, maybe 48 hours. So the presentations are released over 3 days, and after they're released, they're only available for 1-2 days. At the end of each presentation, the presenter offers a “freebie” to help you take action and to get you on their email list. Some presenters will have a “tripwire” (I hate that term, don't you?!)  after you sign up for their “freebie” to help you with the next step using one of their paid offers. This is often a discount on a low-ticket offer to “get you in the door.” Then the presenters will have an email nurture sequence that you go through after signing up, so you can get to know them, their business, and their offers – and ultimately, you decide if you stay on their email list or not. Typically, the incentive for a business owner to participate in a summit is to grow their email list, build authority, and make sales from affiliate sales (and any follow-up pitches).   The incentive for folks to attend a summit is to learn - for free - from experts in the industry on a topic that is of particular interest to them. The Results of Attending an Online Summit    There can be a lot of very valuable information packed into a summit. But if you're already pretty seasoned in the industry and know your stuff, usually a summit will feel like a lot of fluff.   That's because summits are often targeted at folks earlier on in their journey (as a designer, business owner, knitter, etc). [Just like the Purl Power Summit was designed for the brand-new designer (and then shifted to include designers up through “intermediate level” business and design) so it's not going super deep into any of the topics.]   But the main things I see with folks attending summits is:  stress  (from keeping up with all of the content, live events, presentation dates, and the urgency attached to the event) overwhelm  (from the huge volume of content - and then from alllll of the emails delivering freebies, bonus content, and nurture sequences)   And that's what we're trying to get away from: stress and overwhelm. Right? So how do we decide if attending a summit is the right choice, and if we do choose to attend, how do we interact with the summit intentionally  so it doesn't  lead to stress and overwhelm? How to Decide if You Should Attend a Summit   Your decision to attend (or not) a summit ultimately comes down to this question: “Will I actually get value out of this, or am I getting caught up in a lack mindset or FOMO?” Take a look at all of the guest speakers and what they will be talking about. [AKA - go to the sales page  and scroll down to the event schedule.] Decide if any of the content is worth your precious time. Don't get caught up in FOMO (fear of missing out). It's really easy to convince ourselves that something will finally cure our business woes or unlock the magic key to success. Sometimes that happens, but a lot of times you already know the content. So be real with yourself. Ask yourself what you already know about the topic and if you really need more information or if you just need implementation. If you decide that there is content you do  want to watch and it'll truly be valuable for you, then yes, you should attend! How to Get the Most Out of a Summit   Alright, so you've decided to attend a summit, but you don't want to deal with the stress and overwhelm that so often accompanies attending an online summit? Ultimately, it's about intentionality (not getting caught up in the commotion or FOMO of it all) and clarity (about what you want to get out of the event). Go back through the event schedule again. Decide which topics you really want to listen to. Make a note (write it on a sticky note, add it to your calendar, whatever you need to do) of which topics you want to watch and when they will be available. Remember that presentations are only available for 24-48 hours. Look at the other offers inside the summit. What would truly  benefit you? What do you realistically  have time for? Do you want to join the Facebook community for the reminders, games, and connection; or will that just create more overwhelm and chaos for you? Will you feel more at ease if you purchase the VIP upgrade (more on that below)? Think about your inbox when you sign up for freebies. It can be tempting to feel like you need to grab all of the freebies you can, but be real with yourself. Whose email lists do you really want to be on? Which freebies will you actually work through and find value from? What About Summit VIP Passes? How Does It Work?   Every summit has some sort of upgrade option (it'll be the “tripwire” that you see right after you sign up, and then it will be promoted throughout the event). It might be called “VIP Access," “VIP Pass,” or something more specific to the event and the audience, like “Yarn Boss Toolkit” (that's the name for the VIP pass inside the Purl Power Summit ) .   With the VIP Pass, you will typically get: Extended access to the content:  Overwhelmed by the 24 hour turnaround time but you really want to watch the content? The VIP Pass solves that problem, either granting you lifetime access or giving you a few months to work through the content. Presentation notes, slides, or outlines:  With each presentation, you will have access to a PDF with the general information from the presentation, along with additional links mentioned in the presentation. Exclusive live events:  These events are usually calls with the host of the event, and they might include additional content, watch parties, networking, and/or co-working events. Access to a ton of bonus materials:  The bonus packages are usually packed  with value… things like templates, courses, and bundles. However, they are also typically delivered via an email opt in (followed by an email nurture sequence) because they are provided for free by the guests. AKA: gaining access to these bonuses can further add to inbox overwhelm, so use the same intentionality in signing up for the bonus content as you did signing up for the freebies. Free or discounted access to the host's high-ticket offer:  Typically, the host of the summit is hosting the event with the intention of building and nurturing an audience to purchase a coaching offer, course, or membership from them. So, at the end of the event, they will give VIP attendees a month of free access in their membership or a big discount on their coaching or course. For the Purl Power Summit specifically, VIP attendees (aka folks who purchase the Yarn Boss Toolkit ) receive: Over $500 worth in bonus materials - including trackers, classes, guides, and ebooks Lifetime access to all presentations starting on April 29 Access to a private podcast feed with all of the presentations Presentation notes for all presentations 30 days free access to Ashleigh's (that's the host) new membership, Purl & Publish, for designers Access to networking and coworking sessions When taking a look at a Summit VIP Pass, use the same intentionality  as when you were choosing whether or not you'd attend the event and which presentations you'd watch. And that's your guide to navigating summits! As a quick summary we talked about: what summits are, what they include, and how they're set up why summits often lead to stress and overwhelm (both in the event and in your inbox) how to decide if you should sign up for a summit like the Purl Power Summit what the VIP pass is, what it includes, and how it can also contribute to overwhelm intentionality as the key to reducing overwhelm in the event and in your inbox Your Invitation to a Summit for Knitting Pattern Designers So with all of this in mind, I invite you to take a look at the Purl Power Summit  sign up page through the lens of intentionality . If this event is something you believe you will receive value from, I look forward to seeing you inside the event! My presentation on Generating Unique Design Ideas - Even in a Creative Slump  will be available on Day 1 (Tuesday, April 29). If you decide the Yarn Boss Toolkit is a good fit for you, you will receive access to a themed version of 52 Weeks of Creativity for free . The Yarn Boss Toolkit , with over $500 in bonuses, lifetime access to the presentations, and more, is available for a discounted price until the event starts. You'll get the lowest price offer right after you sign up.   Click here to check it out and grab your free ticket. Wishing you beauty + alignment in each step of your journey, Jessica Full Circle Entrepreneurship

Trouble-shooting to Improve Community Metrics Building and growing an engaged community is fun and exciting! What isn't as fun is when it starts to plateau. Perhaps folks aren't sharing as much in the group, aren't attending live calls, and more. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. It's possible that you've built out the resources and support for them that they already have access to the questions they're asking. The Struggle to Identify What the Problem is... or if There Even is a Problem! The problem is: it can be hard to know what the scenario actually is for your community without the proper analytics... which is why I'm super excited about the new analytics now provided for Circle communities (that's the platform where I host my community membership). For example, it feels like there's been less participation in my community since I moved from Discord to Circle. However, there are a lot of different things that had been happening at the same time. Here are two examples: About six months before moving platforms, I was getting extremely overwhelmed by the setup and all of the things happening in the community within the Discord platform, which is part of why I was so anxious to move to Circle. So, it's possible that reorganizing the group on Circle in a way that felt more intuitive and easier to navigate makes it feel quieter, when really it's just less overwhelming. It also means that there are less questions from distraught members who can't find a replay, a call link, etc. since it's so much easier to find now. This (approximately) six month time period was also around the time things really started ramping up on a publication project that I was heading... meaning I had less time and energy to spend interacting in the group, and I was more desperately needing some automation in my community... things like Because incorporating more automation in my business decreased my workload for maintaining the community, it makes sense that the community now would feel calmer for me! Or, it's possible that the scheduled content now has created a gap between myself and my community members. That could be a good thing (they're less dependent on me and more able to solve problems on their own), or it could be a bad thing (they're feeling less connected to me and perhaps even somewhat abandoned even though I'm still very active in the community). So, these are the concerns that have been circling in my head for a couple of years now. Did I ruin the community? Even though the transfer saved my life, did it ruin my "baby" (the community that I'd built)? I've used surveys for my community to try to find answers, but honestly, they haven't helped a lot, because the responses seemingly contradict the trends that I see in the community. But now I have data from Circle's new Analytics Hub to help answer these questions for me! Here are three simple ways I've been loving and using the analytics. Using the Analytics to Ease Your Fear of a Dying Community and Improve Community Metrics What Monthly Active Members Tells Me as a Community Host When it feels like the community engagement is dead, I can't help but wonder: have the members completely forgotten about the community? Do they read any of the weekly email reminders with an overview of information? Have they even been on the platform? Why aren't they interacting - is it because they don't find the community helpful (survey responses say it's not this), already have the answers they need in the community, have forgotten the community exists, it's inconvenient to log into Circle, or don't like the Circle platform? As we sometimes tend to do, I'd found myself spiraling into negative thought patterns of assuming the worst: nobody liked the community, nobody liked me, the community and what I offered was no longer valuable, etc, etc, etc. Even though the data I did have should have already told me otherwise - there's a healthy retention rate in the group, and folks are consistently sharing, via surveys and through messages, that they find the community helpful. But it wasn't until I saw the data in the Analytics Hub on Circle.so that I really started to believe it. I finally could see that folks are regularly logging into the community. Even in the lowest engagement month, about 50% of members are active in the group. How Circle's Popular Day & Time Data Helps Me Schedule Calls Historically, I've relied on surveys to determine when would be the best time to host calls within the community. However, I often only get a few responses to the surveys (which apply to the call times for 6-12 months), and then live attendance is very minimal. Now, I'm so excited to be able to use the data to know when people really are using Circle. This way, not only do I know they're available and thinking about the community at this time, but if they are on the platform and see the event live, they are more likely to join, even if they forgot about the event! For reference, the last survey of community members indicated (from 3 members in total, and there was never a time when all three were available) they were most available Mondays 8 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays 8 am to 11 am, Wednesdays 8 am to 1 pm, and Thursdays 8 am to 5 pm. Between the continued morning sickness I've been experiencing in my pregnancy, and my Mondays already being mostly booked, this has mostly left me with Wednesday 12-1 pm and Thursday afternoons. I'd scheduled most of the calls for Thursdays 1-2 pm, with a few Thursdays 2-3 pm or 3-4 pm and Mondays 12-1 pm or 1-2 pm. Looking at the "Popular day & time" chart from Circle's Analytics Hub, I can see these definitely aren't the worst times to be scheduling calls, but they aren't necessarily the most ideal either. Based on this information, I would make Wednesday 10-11 am the #1 call time choice, followed by Thursdays at 12-1 pm and 4-5 pm. Although I've already scheduled out the calls through the summer, I am excited to use this data for scheduling autumn and winter calls, and to see if it makes a difference in call attendance! Plus - a really nice bonus is to not have to beg my community members to complete a survey to discover the optimal call time! Using Data and Analytics Hub to Keep Your Community Healthy In this post, I've primarily talked about using the data to identify if there's a problem, and if there is a problem, to identify what the core of that problem actually is (and potential answers to know how to solve it). However, we can use this data to facilitate a beautiful community experience and avoid those problems in the first place. For example, scheduling events during optimal times for members, optimizing content based on the device(s) community members are most using, and noticing trends in members and content and identifying ways to optimize the community in response. Here are a few more examples of data that can be found within Circle.so's Analytics Hub. But even if you aren't using Circle, be sure to look for similar data in the backend of your community platform! Not using Circle (yet) but want to check it out? Here's access to a 14-day free trial! *Note: this post includes an affiliate link for Circle. Should you choose to join, I may receive some compensation for the referral. I truly love using Circle for my community, and I only share it because I do love it!

As I was collecting information from my Instagram audience about their perspectives and opinions on test knitting and tech editing, I received several responses from test knitters for what they wanted to share with knit and crochet pattern designers who are running test knits. There were so many responses that I decided to create a blog post just with their feedback! #1: Test Knitters' Biggest Issue with Your Test Knit is the Deadline By far, the biggest complaint that test knitters have about test knits is that the test knitting deadlines are too short. They need to have plenty of time to order yarn, swatch, and knit the project; often while working around family and work duties. I followed up my survey with the timelines that I give my test knitters, and the majority of test knitters felt like these timelines were reasonable for test knitting. (So feel free to steal them!) 2 weeks for dishcloths 4 weeks for small accessories such as hats, mittens, headbands, and cowls 6 weeks for shawls* and socks *Two people shared that they'd like to have 8 weeks for test knitting fingering weight shawls that are large or have a lot of texture. At the time that I am writing this post, I haven't designed any sweaters, cardigans, pullovers, or vests. I know test knitters like to have more than 8 weeks for knitting sweaters, and it is extremely important to give plenty of time for test knitters to make the larger sizes in your pattern. One designer responded to my Instagram polls sharing that she gives 3 to 4 months for her sweater test knits. #2: Test Knitters' Second Complaint is that You Need to Communicate Better As they say, "communication is always key." (And actually, that's what one person responding to my survey said.) Specifically, test knitters are getting frustrated when test knits are lacking: a clear deadline -- and if you're using Instagram to host they test, they want to see the deadline in the chat title access to yardage and needle information prior to applying for the test knit a schematic of the design Good communication is key to any successful communication, and I figure it's better to over-communicate than to leave something unclear. Plus, this is what you want to receive from your test knitters so you aren't running into issues *after* they've finished test knitting because they made assumptions about directions that were unclear. #3: Test Knitters Want to See Clearer Expectations From You Ok, in my opinion this also falls under "communication," but there were enough specific comments about needing clear expectations that I decided it was important to make this point really clear. If there's something that you expect of your test knitters, you need to communicate with them. Do they need to complete the full project or just through a certain point? Do they need to share photos of their progress? Do they need to post finished object photos somewhere? Do they need to create a Ravelry project page linked to your pattern? Do they need to share photos on Instagram? Test knitters want to see all of the expectations clearly laid out in a list (Yarnpond actually gives you a section to share expectations!), including deadlines, required social media posts, hashtags to use, photo requirements, and more. They also want to see clear expectations throughout the test knitting process and after the pattern release. Include a progress calendar for when each stage should be completed by (helps set goals). #4: Test Knitters Want to Be Part of a Community If you've read my blog post, you know I recommend Yarnpond for new pattern designers that are feeling intimidated by the idea of hosting a test knit. And, if you use Yarnpond (or any platform that allows for group discussions, like Discord, Ravelry, or an Instagram group chat), that should take care of most of your issues around testers wanting to be a part of a community for the test knit. Based on the feedback in my survey, test knitters are wanting you to create "good community" via interactive group chat threads where test knitters don't feel alone and are welcome to share/discuss questions, concerns, and feedback. They also like to connect with each other and chat about their knitting, yarn, progress, and even a bit about everyday life. Note: If you're using email to host a test knit, it's suggested that you keep all of the details in one email thread. It'll also make it a lot easier for you to manage if your test knitters keep to that email thread as well! #5: Additional Comments from Test Knitters There were a few more comments that didn't fall into the four categories above, so I'll share those here: Test knitters want you to get your pattern tech edited prior to test knitting, because it can be frustrating for them to deal with errors in your pattern (and, remember, they're generally test knitting for free!). Not sure what the difference is between test knitting and tech editing? Read this post, "Knitting Tech Editor vs Test Knitters: Why Do I Need Both for My Knitting Patterns?" Test knitters are worried that designers are choosing test knitters based off "only aesthetically pleasing & purely knitting based" Instagram accounts. If that's you, they want you to stop that immediately. Test knitters want to remind you to share a copy of the finished pattern as a thank you for them test knitting the pattern. And I'll add to that: I recommend gifting at least one additional pattern to test knitters. They put a lot of effort into helping you! Want to learn more about test knitting? Get all of the details in my blog post, "A Knitting Pattern Designer's Guide to Test Knitting: What, Why, and How Pattern Testing Works."

Have you ever thought about how much stories connect us as human beings? I've been thinking about it a lot lately. We are each unique individuals, with different paths, different interests, different struggles, different goals. There is so much we don't know about other people and where they are, and often we think we don't share anything in common with many folks. But what I realized in college is that you'd be really surprised. Some of the folks that I felt the most distant from, I had the most in common with… when we sat down and talked about life. Our goals, ambitions, struggles, frustrations. And that's because, as humans, there is so much that we share emotionally. We often struggle with very similar feelings and concepts, even if we handle it differently. So why am I sharing this with you? It's because I think it's important to think about - and talk about - your story. Think about why you started knitting, why you started designing, and how you can connect with your audience. Talk about what you love about your patterns, the design process, and why knitters will love working with your patterns. Start to answer questions like: When will I want to knit this pattern? Why will I enjoy working on this pattern? How will this pattern fit into my life after I've finished knitting the pattern? Picture the situations and the scenarios, and share those stories. When folks in your audience realize you understand them, they will feel a greater connection with you. They'll like you and trust your work more, and will be more likely to purchase in the future. Don't be afraid to tell your story!

Wanting to decrease your tech editing costs but still publish high quality knitting patterns? The key is to pre-edit your pattern yourself before you send the pattern to your tech editor. This will help reduce your tech editor's workload by catching many of the smaller mistakes and reduce the amount of back-and-forth communication required for finalizing your pattern. So what are the most important things to check in your knitting pattern before sending it to your tech editor? What Mistakes Do You Tend to Make in Your Knitting Patterns? If you've worked with a tech editor before, you are likely aware of mistakes that you commonly make. Do you forget to check your headers, add alt text to your photos, or link tutorials in your pattern? Start making a list of the things your tech editor most commonly catches in your patterns. That's a great place to start. Then follow this checklist to catch other details you might've missed. Tip: Put your pattern aside for a few days before working through your checklist. Looking at your pattern with a fresh set of eyes will help you catch more mistakes than if you edit the pattern immediately after writing it. #1: Check your math. An error in your math can lead to additional errors. Perhaps your tech editor misinterprets your intent and then thinks the rest of your pattern is also incorrect, but really it was just a simple error at the beginning that doesn't affect the rest of your pattern. Whether that's the case or not, math errors can take up a lot of time and may require a bit of back-and-forth communication before realizing a solution. The easiest way to avoid that time, cost, and frustration is to doublecheck your math before you send your pattern to the tech editor. This can include: number of rows or rounds for each size number of stitches in each row or round for each size (are you calculating increases and decreases properly?) number of stitches worked in each row or round (do you provide instructions for every existing stitch? do your instructions require more stitches than exist from the previous row or row?) the sizing information the gauge information conversions between metric and imperial measuring systems #2: Check your grammar. This one can be a bit quicker to check since most of the programs we use already check our spelling and grammar for us. However, it's always a good idea to re-read all of your pattern instructions... both for grammar and to ensure the instructions are easy to understand. Tip: If you write the pattern before you knit your sample, you can essentially test knit the pattern as you knit. This can be a great way to catch math and grammar errors, at least for the size you're working. #3: Check that your charts and written instructions match. Checking that your charts and written instructions match is an easy way to reduce the time your tech editor has to spend editing your pattern. Either pull up the charts and written instructions so they both show on your computer or print one out, so you can easily look back and for between the two instructions without scrolling or toggling between platforms. #4: Check your pattern against your style sheet. Let your style sheet be your guide. Your style sheet will remind you of all the information you want to include in your pattern (pattern name, designer name, contact information, yarn information, gauge information, needle information, etc) as well as the formatting you want to use (which fonts and text sizes you use, how you word your abbreviations and their descriptions, how you choose to link to outside sources, how you word your instructions, how the page is laid out, etc). By checking your pattern against your style sheet, you will catch the majority of the inconsistencies that your tech editor would discover. #5: Check your headers and footers. Somehow, it seems like there's always some sort of an issue with a header and/or footer. Check that they're lining up correctly, your page numbers are numbered correctly, the correct pattern name is listed on every page, and that the copyright year is correct. And that's it! The five things to check in your knitting pattern before sending your pattern to your tech editor, to help reduce the time and cost associated with tech editing. Is there anything else you'd add to this list? Share it in the comments!

Struggling to create new ideas that are fun, intriguing, fit your audience, and aren't just another version of something you've already done? There are several methods to generating new ideas. In this blog post, I'll take about five sources of inspiration for generating new design ideas. But first, let's quickly talk about our creativity. Tips for Cultivating Creativity Here are a few of my favorite tips when it comes to creating. They all revolve around allowing creativity to begin, grow, and flourish in its own time. #1: Don't force it. Creativity can't be forced. It can be encouraged, but as soon as we put negative pressure on ourselves and feel stressed about it, creating is going to be hard. Our creativity needs a positive and encouraging environment (from ourselves even if no one else) in order to flourish. #2: Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your creativity is relax and do nothing. Allow your thoughts and your mind to wander. Let yourself be at ease. Stare at a blank wall, go for a walk, or visit your place of inspiration. When we give our creativity space, it finally has the opportunity to fill that space without fighting against the other things occupying our attention. #3: Enjoy the process without worrying about the outcome. It's ok if you don't follow through with every idea that you generate. Just start creating without judgment of what's a good idea versus a bad idea, or what's a right idea versus a wrong idea. As you begin to form ideas and give those ideas space to formulate and grow, you'll continue to create a stream of ideas. The amazing thing then is that you don't have to follow each idea; you get to choose the most valuable and interesting to you. Alright, now let's get into ways that we can generate new design ideas. Of course, I'm writing this from the perspective of knitting pattern designs, but these can work for nearly any art or creative process you can think of. 5 Ways to Generate New Design Ideas #1: Your Surroundings There is so much around us to gain inspiration from, including nature, textures, clothing, and your favorite home fixtures and furniture. Pay more attention to your surroundings; not necessarily looking for a design idea, but instead noticing and appreciating the details in your surroundings. You just might be surprised when design ideas suddenly start populating in your head! (That's actually how I suddenly started designing knitting patterns - I was inspired by a scarf someone was wearing... and immediately I had 5 design ideas... and the ideas haven't stopped since!) #2: Your Past Experiences & Stories We carry so much with us, through each moment of every day, without even realizing it. Emotions, experiences, relationships, stories. They all hold so much value, depth, and potential for pattern design ideas. Think about those things that you love and cherish, the things that bring strong emotions when you think of them, and the things that you value. Consider how you feel and why they're significant to you. (This is how I prefer to generate my design ideas, and that's why I say I like to tell "the stories of living" through my designs.) #3: Stitch Dictionaries Sometimes just seeing a stitch motif can give us an infinite amount of inspiration, whether our ideas are centered around using the motif as it is or modifying it for our needs. When you're looking for a bit of design inspiration, begin to flip through your stitch dictionaries. Pay attention to the texture, drape, and style of each stitch motif. How would it feel to touch or to wear that stitch texture? (I often refer to my stitch dictionaries when I have a particular design idea in mind from methods #1 and #2 but I'm needing to find the perfect stitch motif. I then inevitably generate other design ideas from stitch motifs that aren't perfect for the design I'm working on at the time but would work perfectly for a new design idea.) My favorite stitch dictionaries are The Knitting All Around Stitch Dictionary and 750 Knitting Stitches, although I also find some inspiration in Vogue Knitting's The Ultimate Knitting Book, which includes a section of stitch motifs and their respective instructions. Note: These links are affiliate links through Amazon. #4: Mood Boards Whether you're creating your own mood boards or using mood boards that you find online, the variation in colors, imagery, and subjects can be very inspiring for your creativity. If you're looking for mood boards in general, you can search "Mood Boards" or "Creative Mood Board" in Google Images or Pinterest. Or, if you're looking for something more specific, you can search for those too! #5: Design Prompts A common method that many knitting pattern designers use for generating new pattern design ideas is design prompts. Each time a magazine publishes a call for submissions, they'll share a design prompt (often a theme, and often accompanied by a mood board) that they want designers to design for. This provides parameters for you to design to, which is especially helpful if you find open-ended creativity overwhelming. You can search out calls for submissions, create your own design prompts, or join my 52 Weeks of Creativity email program for design prompts. Stretching Your Creativity Every Week Interested in stretching your creativity in new and interesting ways? I collaborated with a crochet pattern designer, Beth of Fig and Filament, to create a program just for you. It's called 52 Weeks of Creativity. We email you a design prompt every week and encourage you to follow a thought journey to arrive at a new design idea. So that's 52 prompts, 52 new designs, 30 minutes per week, for 52 weeks (1 year). You can expect that the prompts aren't like the prompts you'll see in a magazine's call for submissions, because we encouraging you to branch out into your own inspiration rather than confining yourself to certain parameters. Plus, you have the opportunity to connect and share your ideas with fellow designers!

Finding a membership platform that is absolutely perfect is impossible (not going to lie), but in my mind there is one membership platform that stands out from the others. It's a newer platform that's centered around doing things differently: focused around community. It's Circle.so. Note: This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from an affiliate link, I may receive some compensation. This does not impact the price that you pay for the product(s). The big problem with most membership platforms is their inability to integrate learning and community in the same platform. For years, there was a constant struggle in the business world. How to provide membership content on the same platform as the membership community? Many business folks opted to host their content on platforms like Kajabi and Teachable, excellent options for delivering content in an enjoyable format, but then left the community aspect to run on Facebook Groups. Not only does this allow for a less branded (and typically less enjoyable and more difficult to navigate) user experience, but it's also meant community members are easily distracted on the platform, and they must use two different platforms in order to get the full membership experience. Something that I hate as both a consumer and a creator. That's in part why my first two memberships were hosted on my website. I custom-built them through Wix, but it wasn't without some issues. This meant that it was less expensive than hosting on a "typical" membership website, I had more control over features, and I could try my best to integrate the content and community on the same platform. The History of My Membership Programs My first membership, a community for knitters named "Snickerdoodle Knits Community" that incorporated monthly mini-courses, incorporated a forum area for members to communicate. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I'd created a group I wasn't excited to run, for a number of reasons. My second membership was for the Design Circle (now known as Pattern Design Circle), which is the resource hub, learning center, and supportive community for crochet and knitting pattern designers. Because I couldn't completely delete the Snickerdoodle Knits Community yet, I couldn't create a second forum space on my website. So, I built out the custom membership experience with all of the content on Wix, but I used Discord as the community location. From the dashboard of the Design Circle, I had a link to easily access the community from within the membership. In reality, however, folks tended to spend their time on Discord and the content of the membership ended up getting a bit forgotten. (And after a bit of time, the membership platform wasn't showing all of the videos, folks were expressing frustration with having to navigate two platforms, and the configuration of the membership just seemed to be outgrowing the setup. And so it was clear I really ought to be looking for a better option. As it turned out, Circle.so is the platform that checked my boxes for a membership platform. As you may or may not have gathered by now, I can be a bit particular, erm, yes, a perfectionist, about my work, and I want my members to have the most enjoyable experience possible. A few months after starting Pattern Design Circle, I'd joined a membership located on Circle. I was extremely impressed by the aesthetics of the platform, the organization of it, and the ability to have different space groups and content types. In March 2022, I started to look into it a bit more. If you haven't heard of Circle before, I like to describe it as "the best of both worlds from Facebook Groups and Discord." It has all of the amazing organizational aspects of Discord, where you can categorize content based on topic, but it also has the organizational aspects from Facebook, where conversations are isolated to a post and don't get lost among each other. Here's what I immediately loved about Circle.so: it looks pretty it allows me to customize a lot of user experience aspects (including branding) it allows me to schedule posts (what a time saver!) it allows me to categorize/organize content the content within the membership is searchable it allows me to host BOTH the community and the content on the same platform it allows me to include a calendar of events so I don't have to update calendars in 3 different locations (also a time saver!) it sends automatic weekly overviews to members (another huge time saver!) I was excited, so I signed up for their free trial to test it out with my members. I spent some time creating a bit of the branding, and organizing the content and community how I envisioned it for the Design Circle. Not everyone loved it to start with. It's a new platform, and learning new platforms is almost never fun. However, folks did find it much easier to learn and navigate than Discord; they enjoyed having the content and community in the same place; and they were supportive of it saving me loads of time. One member knew she wouldn't use it as often, since she uses Discord a lot. And then several members were Android users and said there was no way they'd use it until there was an Android app. So, I chose to wait for the Android app. It seemed to take forever. I was so ready to just move to Circle already! And finally, in the fall of 2022, Circle announced their Android app was in beta, so I hopped on, got everything moved over, and haven't looked back since! After six months of using Circle.so with my community, these are my favorite parts. Everything is cohesive, all on the same platform, and for the most part, tech issue free! Not only can I share all of the content replays, host the community, have different access levels, and share the community calendar.... but I can also go live within the community, imbed photos and videos into the posts, and so much more! It saves me so much time and energy, gives me a better experience, and gives my members a more enjoyable experience! They're constantly adding features. Sometimes I kick myself for hopping on the bandwagon of these newer companies because their features can be a bit more limited, but honestly, I really love how excited they are to help their customers and grow their platform to be the best it can be. (Did you know Circle has a whole free community with loads of content to support their customers?! It's pretty epic!) And since I keep things real and honest, these are my least favorite parts. It's not perfect yet. I still believe it's the best option out there, but it's not perfect. There are things like (a) I can't co-host videos with guest speakers without them having an account, (b) if someone declines video and audio permissions on a call, it can be a pain to help them undo it, and (c) they don't have the ability to accommodate affiliates yet. The number of space groups allowed can feels a bit limiting. Workflows are limited to the Business and Enterprise tiers. Excited to learn more about Circle, the best platform for hosting a membership? Sign up for a free 14 day trial! There's nothing to lose, and I truly hope you love it as much as I do! These are the 4 tier levels Circle offers their customers. Circle currently has 3 tier levels: Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. The Basic level is $49/month or $468/year. It allows you to host all of your content and facilitate a community of up to 100 members with up to 10 spaces. The Professional level, at $99/month or $1068/year, has the same features as the Basic level, but with unlimited members and 20 spaces, plus the ability to: utilize courses host live streams access advanced analytics The Business level is a new level! It's $249/month, but with a new member price of $199/month for a limited time. It includes access to: workflows custom profile fields free course migrations The Enterprise level, at $399/month or $4788/year, includes all of the features of the Professional level, but with 100 spaces, plus: more customization options API access dedicated CSM Stop waiting. Start exploring. Create your new favorite membership today with Circle's 14-day free trial. Note: This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from an affiliate link, I may receive some compensation. This does not impact the price that you pay for the product(s).