There are days when it just seems like there is absolutely NO time whatsoever to tackle some of my creative projects. I plan things, make sure I have all of the supplies that I need, get them all organized in my sewing / craft room . . . . . and then “real life” just takes over. And so that pile of neatly organized crafting or sewing supplies sits, all alone, waiting for me to have time to get busy.
That becomes a bit of a frustration over time, because I REALLY want to work on those projects, and for lots of reasons, days and weeks go by and I just can’t get to them. Then, it gets really bad when, before I can get one project finished (or even started, in many cases!) I dream up another creative project that I want to tackle, so I make my plans, buy the supplies and materials, get them all organized and ready to go – and then I get distracted again, for days and even weeks on end.
That’s where I’ve been for the past several weeks (actually a couple of months, since before Christmas when we all started the annual flu adventure), and I was getting a bit discouraged thinking that my life was over as far as my creative endeavors were concerned. But this week I had a nice bit of inspiration: I sold a couple of things from my Etsy shop! That always makes me feel that it just might be worth the time, energy, and creativity that I invest in these projects.
The other project that I’ve been trying to finish up is getting my sewing / crafting room organized. But first I want to paint it. But first I need to do a bit of patching (nothing major, but still it takes time which I don’t have enough of!). So, here’ my plan of action:
1. Start by organizing what I already have in that room, including getting rid of a bunch of old stuff that I will never use again.
2. We put a five-shelf book case in there and I bought a few baskets for sorting and storing small things such as scraps of ribbons, beads, and charms (I already have vintage canning jars filled with my old buttons).
3. Starting with just one wall at a time, I am going to try to get the walls prepared to be painted; then I will pick out the paint and perhaps a pretty border to go all around the room; then I hope I can find some curtains for the one window that will provide a bit of privacy but still let me look out at our side yard where the girls’ play on the swing set and we have our garden in the summer.
4. Then, I’m going to put things back in order, and try to keep things tidy so I can go in there and create without a bunch of distractions!
We live in a rather small house (actually it is bigger than the house that I grew up in, but it is rather annoying when we are always looking for storage space), and I am not one to keep a bunch of unnecessary stuff, but every family accumulates extra junk as they go along, so it is a bit of a challenge keeping things orderly. But I’m going to keep trying!
For now, I’m inspired by the sales that I made this week, and with those extra, unexpected dollars, I will be able to buy the paint, border, and curtains. I’ll post pictures when it is finished!
Please stop by and visit my Etsy shop, Tatters to Treasures, to see some of the other upcycled and refashioned garments, shoes and accessories that I’ve created. And stop back in a few days to see the NEW stuff I’m planning to create this week ;o)
You are invited to join the fun at Inspire Me Monday at Create with Joy . . . . the party is on all week long, so come on over and link up your blog post on what has inspired you this week. We would love to stop by and visit you, so don’t miss this opportunity to connect with other creative bloggers!