I’m going to be honest… I have TOO many projects on the needles (and other creative endeavors in progress). As I lug around my TWO knitting bags (each with several WIPs) and look at my creative studio with an almost finished dress, I only want to cast on or start working on something new. Really, I know this is ridiculous, but I can’t help myself. Am I alone here?
As I was deciding on this month’s Simply Handmade-along project, I thought maybe you were feeling the same, so…
OCTOBER | CREATIVITY | THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve realized that I’m not the only one succumbing to the casting on of “all of the things” – this has been a common theme at the shop and amongst my friends. (Please note… we admit this to each other because we live together in this crazy world of yarn/fiber/creativity, but I know admitting it to anyone else would result in us being carted off to a padded room. So no need to worry, I respect your confidentiality and will not divulge names.)
I think we all understand that it’s totally counterproductive to create more work, when you already have more than enough, but we can’t help ourselves. Yes, I’m feeling overwhelmed and although I’d like to blame the chill of the autumnal air (I might have already, at least once), or the pretty new yarn that arrived at Firefly Fibers (it really WAS talking to me like a lost puppy, so it had to come home), but I’m not so foolish that I don’t know that I only have myself to blame.
As I’ve been resisting new projects (with rare exception for work-related ones) and thinking about why this happens (to me at least) and it’s simply because I don’t make time for creativity. Maybe it’s different for you, but my (ridiculously obvious) revelation is one that had me thinking that this month’s project should be making time to be creative.
I’m a firm believer that knitting and creativity in general are good for the mind and soul. Yet, it seems that more often than not, one busy day turns into two, three, or four days, or even an entire week since I’ve done anything creative. Then when I have time to finally sit down, I feel like I “deserve” or “need” a shiny new project as a reward. How does that make any sort of rational sense?
Now, I’m not saying that I won’t cast on anything new (I know I will and I have plans for that this weekend), but my hope with making time to work on projects will have me confidently starting something new because I've been finishing projects. It seems like a win-win to me.
Where am I going to find the time and how am I going to do this? I have a rough idea and I’ll share that with you, but I’m also curious about how you will (or already do) make time to be creative and how we can learn from each other…
So, I've started a new thread here in our Ravelry group for us to share our goals, processes, and our progress so we can learn, encourage, inspire and celebrate together over the next 4 weeks. As always, I’ll be checking into our Ravelry group and sharing photos on Instagram, and I hope you'll share, too! I’d love to see what you’re working on, so please use hashtag #simplycreative2016 so we can all celebrate making time to be creative.
Are you in? I hope so! Let’s get creating!