Sunday, July 15, 2012

A post...

Old habits do stick around...and time slides by...and so I post again, after yet another long absence.  I'd love this blog to be more like the blogs that I follow, full of interesting and useful information.  Doesn't seem likely to happen.  My life just isn't working that way, not at the moment anyway.

And I'm struggling with creativity and with trying to prioritize so that the things that I have to do don't totally block out the things that I want to do.  Ahhh...life.

It's likely to get harder too.  I'm going back to work full-time, now that my boys are almost 16/18.  They need the experience of not being able to depend on mom, every moment of every day.  They need to learn to think more, to plan and to explore independence and responsibility.  I need a break and a paycheck.

I've worked full-time before, within their lifetimes - a little bit.  My part-time jobs - teaching and costume work - have sometimes had some intense hours.  There was a theatre season of full-time costume shop work, combined with the part-time teaching, and the carpooling of the 6th graders...that year almost did me in.  But time has passed.  Oldest drives.  Youngest has come a long ways in personal development and growth.  I think they can handle the change, in their own way. 

Overall, I suspect that the household is going to suffer...like it doesn't already?  Ha.  I'm no housekeeper or cook, never have been and likely never shall be, so things will probably only get worse!  I'll take the break anyway.  I need something that will eat enough of my free time, to make the remaining time seem more valuable, more critical, so that I'll focus more, accomplish more.  Oddly, yes, that's how I work.  I won't do a better job on the housework, but when I have less free time, I'll be more appreciative of it, more efficient in using it.

Ok.  Enough with the whining.  Have any of us been creative lately?  Most would say, yes, all the time, not just 'lately'.  But my creativity has been very dodgy these last couple of years.  I've gotten trapped in the world of FB and computer solitaire...and I don't quite know why.  When I do get to my studio, either I look around and leave, or maybe, just maybe, I pick up something to work on and for a brief moment, rediscover the pleasure of just doing.  If I could make enough of those moments happen in a row, I'd be back to the creative self that I seem to have misplaced.

 So, recent creativity....my last post showed a project that had gotten me all fired up.  Here's the finished item.


This is the finished snood, made from this cord:


I photographed it stuffed with my fake braids.  Haven't worn it yet, so don't have a picture of it on my head.  It was a bit time consuming to stitch each intersection, but it was fun and I have plans for doing at least one more.  I'm thinking a plain gold cord, or perhaps a gold kumihimo braid, with pearls at the intersections.  Hmmm...that sounds like fun, so maybe it's time for me to head out to the studio and get busy...have to tackle while inspiration is active!