How to Exercise Your Brain While Stitching Needlepoint

Science tells us that the brain has two distinct halves, a left brain and a right brain. The left brain is the analytical and factual side, and the right brain controls the creative process. Each time you make a needlepoint stitch, you are stimulating your right brain and expanding your creative knowledge. Here are some things you can do to boost your creativity.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Your Brain
• Color Charts
• Textured Objects
• Needlepoint Project

1. Color stimulates the right side of the brain where creativity and innovation are stimulated and produced. Indulge yourself by selecting a variety of colors to consider for your project. Paint charts are great for this. Collect several samples from your local hardware store. For Bargello needlepoint, consider monochromatic color and complementary color schemes. Consider ways to balance color usage in designing and stitching a needlepoint project.

2. Experiment with all kinds of texture, as touch triggers the right brain. For example, if you are thinking of a design that has trees, then consider touching an old tree as well as a sapling. Examine how they feel so that you can capture a realistic look on canvas. Look closely at the raised surfaces and reflect on stitch techniques that can be used to simulate surfaces and textures.

3. Give your right brain a workout to enhance your creative abilities. The brain, like a muscle, gets stronger with use so research simple exercises you can do to expand your creativity. One quick brain exercise is to sing about what you are working on. No humming; just croon a tune about the needlepoint project you are stitching. It really stimulates learning and new ideas.

Resources

• A Guide to Needlepoint
• Get Your Copy of The Bargello Needlepoint Christmas Ornament Series eBook