If you're going to make something, even if only once, make a template for it. Something lightweight which you can then copy for the real thing. Don't get bogged down in making it particularly reusable if you don't expect to use it multiple times, just do the things you would have had to do for the real thing anyway.
Digitally, this could be making a document template with good styles and margins for a heavily formatted poster. Physically, this could be making a cardboard stencil to trace before cutting something out.
Even if you don't reuse it, it gives you a chance to think about the process without being bogged down with the perfection of a final product, or iron out fine details which would distract from the process. You might discover in the process of making the template that the actual process is harder than you expected, and use the template as a prototype.
Of course, if you end up being able to reuse a template, all the better. You might make a mistake and need to restart, in which case the template will save you work and give you a reference point for where you went wrong, making it easier to catch the same mistake in the future.
Alternatively, you might discover in the process of making the template that it's more flexible than you anticipated and can be reused in unexpected ways. Even if you don't reuse it directly, a template is a simpler reference to steal from than the final product. If you ever do something similar in the future and can't remember what kinds of things need particular attention or how to do a specific task, the template will be more accessible and helpful without the overhead of keeping detailed notes.
It can also be reused by others. There's plenty of things in the world which any particular person is unlikely to do multiple times, but most people do once. A template is a great way to get a friend started without handing over a final product which you might be using or contain personal information you don't want to share.
Nothing's more valuable than a real example from a real process.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
Couldn't figure out what to write about today so I knocked out some errands and maintenance to procrastinate. Lo and behold a topic presented itself. The blog really does write itself.
Every time I pick up something vaguely crafty, like a household repair, I conclude that I should be doing more crafty things. Even with my screentime, the volume of quality of life improvements blocked behind basic physical tasks is staggering, and I'm never sure how to get started.
Templates make me less likely to backslide, at least.
- Rew