This class is in a one-hour lecture format. There will be time for Q&A at the end but no hands-on attention.

Makers solve problems all day long.

Every project asks us to make decisions, evaluate options, adjust our plans, recover from mistakes, and adapt when reality doesn’t match our expectations. We substitute yarn, alter patterns, rethink construction, troubleshoot errors, and find creative workarounds so often that we barely notice we’re doing it.

In this engaging lecture, Beth Gorishek explores why makers are uniquely equipped to navigate change, uncertainty, and challenge. Drawing from her experiences as a disabled knitter, educator, and lifelong maker, she examines the creative thinking skills we build every time we pick up our tools and begin making something new.

Together, we’ll look at how curiosity, experimentation, adaptability, and problem-solving become skills that extend far beyond the craft room. Through stories from the fiber arts world and lessons learned from years of teaching, Beth demonstrates how the same mindset that helps us tackle a complicated knitting project can help us approach life’s challenges with greater confidence and flexibility.

This lecture isn’t about positive thinking. It’s about recognizing the skills makers already have and learning to trust them.

You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the value of creative practice, greater confidence in their own ability to solve problems, and a fresh perspective on what it means to be a maker in an ever-changing world.