Coming full circle :: Putting creativity on hold

When someone asks me why I cry so often I say, it's for the same reason I laugh so often — because I'm paying attention  ~ Glennon Doyle

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A few weeks ago in this post, I wrote about habits and how the decision to do the thing that needs to become a habit needed to come before all else, including the regular implementation of said habit. 

This led me to thinking about why it was so hard for me to stick to a challenges. Art challenges, in particular, have been real hard for me to complete.

I’ve tried the 100 day’s project and didn't even get close to finishing it. But I always marvelled, admired and applauded those who did (like my friend Kim, whose stick-to-ittivenes when it came to creating art for the whole of 2017 is still continuing today). 

Back in August of 2017, in order to concentrate on my Life Coaching certification, I put making books on pause. For the past 7 years I designed, handcut and handstitched all manner of journals, notebooks, sketchbooks and notepads, eventually, in the last couple of years, honing it down to one type, my Booklets. 

(If you like bullet journaling check out my hand stitch Booklets that come in both blank and Dot grid, numbered pages). 

Truth be told, what precipitated the pause in making the journals was that back in July I missed a shop update (mainly because of lack of follow thru on my part altho you know there had to be an underlying reason right?).

And boy did that mess with my head. Soooo much. 

I still had coaching hours to complete. I hadn’t yet started my certification Portfolio and the new books that I’d stitched had yet to be photographed and uploaded to the shop.

In the head space I was in I could feel overwhelm start to rise up in me. 

So, instead of overwhelm, I chose to pause. I intentionally chose to let go of something. And that thing was my beloved journal making.

Y'all, I am a creative at heart. I started when I was 9 making tabbed clothing for my paper dolls. That’s a long time to be creating with your hands dontcha think!!!!! 

But something else needed my attention more. A year ago I started on this 9 month Life Coaching journey and knew I HAD TO complete it. 

I know that journal making will return in some way, in some form but, while I was in the weeds with moving through certification, my hands were still  itching to create. Something. Anything.

That’s when watercolouring in my own journal swooped in and saved me.

And why it took hold was because it had nothing to do with creating a product for business.

My main objective was to create and experiment with beautiful watercolours (my fave so far are the Derwent Inktense  sticks...expensive suckers but fricken heck they are oh so worth it?

And, I discovered “plopping” thanks to the indomitable Ali Browne (SHE is hilarious and so much fun!)

Recently I ventured into cross stitch. Last time I picked up a needle to cross stitch was in my teens. Whoa. 

I'm stitching me a cute monkey y'all!

*she says with a wink*

So I’ve come to a cross road. I know I need to continue to tickle my creativity and that it cannot solely be making journals for the shop. Pure enjoyment has to play a part (that’s what I was missing for goodness sake!) 

So just like my friend Kim I’m going all out on jump starting my creative juices, on them powering them up like I pursured when I was younger. 

So this year I’ll be exploring new, maybe different crafts or even revisit another of my past crafts. For right now I’ll continue cross stitching and finish up my lil monkey. I've already book a class to do a macrame wall hanging.

UPDATE: registered for a Macramé wall hanging class. HAPPINESS!

I am rediscovering the pleasure of crafting. I probably will never do a challenge (bleh!) but I will have fun diving into new ways to fulfil my need to still be creative. 

Is there something you need to consider putting on pause so other things you've been meaning to get to have a chance to come in?

Is there something you need to let go? 

What will you decide to start this year because of it?

Decide on that thing and create the habit around the doing of it. It's not IF you will do it, but when. Let’s change up how we approach the things we need to get done, the things we want more of in our lives. 

Make the decision. Form your new habit. Do it now. 

till next time, 

Grace

Next post: it’s all about writing your heartwords...journaling of course. 

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