What Would Frida Do? Applying Frida Kahlo’s Creativity…

Hey, Kathryn here. I’ve been reading a book this week called “What Would Frida Do: A Guide to Living Boldly” by Arianna Davis. It’s a brief biography of the famous artist. The twist is that the author uses her in-depth research into Frida Kahlo to suggest some life and creativity tips for others. She is very careful to note that we can never know what someone else is thinking, especially an artist as complex as Frida Kahlo. So this is simply her educated interpretation as an author with a deep love for the artist. With that in mind, the book gives some great self-help tips that apply to creativity. And you might apply them to your knitting and crochet to enhance your experience of crafting.

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What Would Frida Do: The Book

What Would Frida Do: A Guide to Living Boldly is a combination biography, art history book, and self-help guide with a little bit of the author’s own memoir tidbits thrown in. The author notes that she’s a feminist woman of color but she is not Mexican, like Frida was. She recognizes that she sees things through her own biased lens. And she does a good job of sharing Frida’s life and explaining why she interprets it as she does through that lens. If you don’t know anything about Frida Kahlo, it’s a good primer but shouldn’t be your only resource. Whether or not you love the artist, she was a bold creative woman whose life lessons might inspire you in many ways.

Frida Might Figure Out What Color Means For You Personally

Knitting and crochet are obviously visual crafts. One of the first thing we do with ay new project is to choose the yarn. While we certain choose it with yarn weight, fiber, and drape in mind, our primary consideration is usually color. The color of a project can completely change the way we experience what we make.

One of the most interesting parts of this book for me was a section from Frida’s diary in which she laid out what she felt different colors meant. Of course, there are tons of resources out there about color theory and the psychology of color. You can do your own research to help you choose colors that inspire a certain mood (craft with yellow, for happiness and joy, for example.)

However, as much as humans are the same, we’re also all unique. How you experience color may differ from your neighbor. You might have associations that trigger certain emotions when you craft with certain colors. So take a cue from What Would Frida Do. Come up with your own list of associations with different colors. Consider this when you knit or crochet. For example, if blue is a color that you associate with sadness, try avoiding it when you’re having a hard time. Or notice when you’re using it a lot as a tool to ask yourself what’s going on for you.

Frida’s Color Associations

The author of What Would Frida Do shared the diary entry that she saw in the Museo de Frida in Coyoacan, Mexico. It lays out the deeper meanings that Frida associated with each color. I won’t share them all here, but a few include:

• Green is associated with “warm and good light.”
• However, leaf green might remind her of “leaves, sadness, science.”
• Whereas dark green is the “color of bad news and good business.”

Frida associated navy blue with tenderness and distance. Cobalt blue felt for her like “electricity and purity.”

As you can see, she didn’t have typical associations with each color. Moreover, one color might inspire multiple feelings or thoughts. Additionally, she looked at different hues from a typical basic color psychologist, including reddish purple and greenish yellow on her list.

What do different colors means for you?

Other Tips from What Would Frida Do to Apply to Your Crafting

Each chapter has a theme: What Would Frida Do about love or confidence, for example. At the end of each chapter the author offers three self-help tips. You’re encouraged to use these as inspiration from Frida for your own creativity and life lessons. Here are a smattering of those tips that might apply to enhancing your experience of knitting and crochet:

Make a statement.

Don’t be afraid to use bold colors, creative techniques, and things that draw attention directly to the items that you knit and crochet.

Keep a journal.

You can use a creativity journal to track your knitting and crochet projects. My book, Hook to Heal, offers both crochet and journal exercises for improving life.

Surround yourself with things that inspire you creatively.

Frida’s house and studio had animals, flowers. fruits, and lots of bright colors, among other things that inspired her. Does your space inspire your crafting? Does it need a brush up?

What’s your signature style?

The author mentions that Frida had a signature look and that you might do the same. This doesn’t only apply to what you wear. You might think about your signature color palette, techniques, or products. How can you alter your crafting so that every time someone sees it, they know its by you?

Celebrate your culture.

Frida was known for celebrating her Mexican roots in her fashion and her art. Are there ways you can use your culture and family history within your knitting and crochet?

Craft handmade gifts for people.

The author notes that Frida always gave personalized gifts to people. In particular, she often painted portraits for others. Use your skills with knitting and crochet to give to others. A handmade yarn item is a special gift indeed.

Use your creative outlet to cope with pain.

Frida Kahlo lived a life of intense, chronic physical pain. Arguably she struggled with mental pain as well. Painting was her outlet. We know that knitting and crochet can be therapeutic. Lean into that.

In a different chapter, the author of What Would Frida Do notes that it’s important to feel your pain, specifically emotional pain. Use your craft to work through it and process it so that it doesn’t get bottled up inside.

Be yourself.

People have tried to box Frida into different categories – surrealist painter, for example. But she defied all categories. She was categorically only herself. Of course, you can use knit and crochet patterns but have fun putting your own stamp on everything you do from color choices to how you photograph your finished pieces for social media. Along with being yourself, the author suggests that you don’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks!

Frida Kahlo Craft Merchandise

Here are a few Frida-related items that you might enjoy if you’re a fan of her work:

Handmade Frida Kahlo Crochet Doll

Note that this is a crochet doll, not the pattern, available through Darn Good Yarn. They also sell reversible Frida Kahlo face masks.

Frida Kahlo Project Bag

You’ll find lots of great tote bags on Etsy including this Frida Kahlo bag including this one from ByMrsBye.

Crochet-Inspired Frida Pillow

Loving this pillow made with fabric that combines a granny square print with Frida.

Crochet Little Heroes Book

A Frida Kahlo crochet pattern is included in this book.

You Might Also Like:

• Kvetka of The Creative Hook Shares How Crochet Heals
• Creative Collaboration: Stitch Story’s Story
• Why You Should Use That Precious, “Too Nice,” Amazing Luxury Yarn Skein Today

Photos, except book cover and merchandise, via Unsplash

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really learn about Frida Kahlo from this book to help my crafting?

So here’s the thing… the book “What Would Frida Do: A Guide to Living Boldly” uses Frida Kahlo’s life to offer creativity and life tips. While it’s not strictly a crafting book, the author shares insights that you can totally apply to your knitting and crochet to make your crafting experience even better!

How can Frida’s ideas about color help me pick yarn?

Honestly… Frida had some really unique ideas about what different colors meant to her. The book mentions her diary entries and how colors like green and blue brought up really specific feelings for her. You can totally use this as inspiration to think about what colors mean to *you* personally and how they affect your mood while you’re crafting.

What’s one of the biggest takeaways for crafters from this book?

Yes! One of the biggest things is to “make a statement” with your work. Don’t be shy about using bold colors or trying out fun techniques that really catch the eye. It’s all about letting your unique style shine through in whatever you create!

Is keeping a journal something Frida would do for crafting?

Well… the book suggests keeping a journal, and it’s definitely something that could help your crafting! You can use it to track your projects or even explore your creativity, kind of like Marly’s own book, “Hook to Heal,” which has journaling exercises for crocheters.

Can I really use my crafting to deal with tough emotions, like Frida did?

Absolutely! The book talks about how Frida used painting as an outlet for her pain, and we know that knitting and crochet can be super therapeutic too. So lean into that… use your craft to help you process difficult feelings and emotions instead of bottling them up.