Hello there!
Well my arrogant assumption that I could motor on through 'flu proved to be a nonsense. I went for the 'mind over matter' approach and went back to work on Monday and Tuesday - and then ended up literally flat out on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I felt so ill I wasn't even bored!
Unable to do any crafting I've been catching up with reading blogs, watching Youtube tutorials on how to quilt and browsing Pinterest. I thought I'd gather some inspiration for when I felt better. But now I'm starting to feel overwhelmed - if I begin immediately I've got enough ideas on the list to keep me going for about 100 years!
And then I read Tasia's post on her Sewaholic blog here called 'A Little Less Inspiration, A Little More Action' and it totally made sense to me. If my list is too long I literally grind to a halt because I don't know what to tackle first. And some of the projects I've found on Pinterest look so beautiful that there's no way I can create their equal so that I'm almost disappointed with my efforts before I even start - now that's a ridiculous level of 'beating yourself up' even for me!
So, I'm back to what I said in my response to Sam's Leibster Award questions:
11. What is your number one crafting tip (sewing or otherwise)? Remember that it's about the process. I need to practice this a bit more, I'm the worst for putting pressure on myself, but when you just concentrate on the joy of making something you often produce your best results. Life can be so busy, and many of us have jobs that don't produce a tangible item. To be able to make something with your own hands is wonderful, and if you can give it as a gift or teach somebody else the skills then that's pretty special.
I said that, on the 6th of January - oh how easily I ignore my own advice! This needs to be my daily mantra I think, until it becomes automatic.
And as tempted as I am I know I can't join in all the fabulous sewalongs and joining in opportunities that present themselves. I'd love to make a polka dot version of New Look 6000 as part of Winnie's Polka Dot Frock Fest but as I have neither the pattern nor suitable fabric I am going to watch from the sidelines and enjoy other people's creations. The same goes for Debi's Sew Grateful week which I'm really looking forward to reading about.
So, I've cleared the decks (physically as well as metaphorically, amazing what a tidy workspace does for me). I have a manageable list of projects and I'm focusing on one at a time. The '15 minutes' system of crafting for short time periods totally doesn't work for me - it takes me that long to assemble my thoughts!
Of course, with the lingering effects of the 'flu, clearing the decks has left me with no energy for actually making stuff today! Small steps :)
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I do hope you're feeling better (again!) now.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about being overloaded with inspiration/projects/things to join in with. With all the wonders the internet brings it's far too easy to find far to many things you want to do or join in with.
And I'm with you on the 15 minutes a day crafting - doesn't work for me either! I like a couple of hours at least if I'm sewing so I can do a good chunk and see some progress. Knitting or crochet I can do in shorter bursts, particularly crochet it seems.