One of the biggest things holding back pattern release is the lack of a confident designer behind it.
In the beginning, I wasn’t a confident designer. I had doubts. I questioned if people would like my work, or if anyone would want to buy my patterns.
Time and experience do make a difference in being a confident designer.
It’s easier to feel confident when you have basic design knowledge. If you lack in a specific area of the design process, make it your mission to learn more about it before releasing anything. You can read blog posts, books, test knit for designers, etc.
In my very beginning, I bought countless books, soaked it all up until I felt much more confident in my ability to design something.
Start to designing something very familiar to you. If you love knitting socks, make your first design a sock pattern.
Then continue to design bringing small changes and build upon your skills with something new.
So much confidence can be gained from challenging yourself with something new!
You will have failures along the way; it happens!
Vision boarding is a great way to re-center and gets back to what you truly love.
I know the importance of slowing down, connecting with my inner self, and trusting my instincts.
Part of my monthly routine is now creating a vision board. And not a vision board with things that you think you’re supposed to be.
What is it that I truly and honestly need to be the best knit designer I can be, and by best, that doesn’t mean perfect.
Lean into your instincts, you will design knitting patterns that set you apart from other designers, and it will allow your audience to see what kind of designer you are.
When you focus on making use of your strengths, you will feel empowered and in control. This is a big part of becoming a confident designer.
Colourwork is my strength, intarsia, my fav method. I choose to work mostly with that – that’s my gift.
If confidence is something you struggle to find within yourself, know that if you are digging into your soul, you will uncover the faith that lies within you. And every time a pattern sells, you will feel that boost of confidence.