I’ve been on one cruise. I think I was about 13? I remember getting used to the sway of the boat as we left the dock. It only took a few hours and my sea legs were found. Well, until the massive storm hit and I was so sick…. but that’s another story for another time.
It was getting off the boat that hit me hardest. My body had become accustomed to that movement it took a little bit of time for my legs to catch up with my brain: the ground doesn’t move like the ocean does.
I’m straddling this one foot on the ground, one foot on the boat thing right now, and I’m not sure where to stand.
I’m realizing that while I’m a creative to the core, I succeed most with structure and routine. If I feel I have all the time in the world, I take all the time in the world. Deadlines, expectations, schedule: they keep me on task and balanced. Without them, I procrastinate and feel like I’m trying to get the ground to make waves.
In the last month a lot has happened, and my routine is, well, non-existent. I often look around at the boxes and just feel completely paralyzed to tackle them all. My sketchbook of ideas is full, but the weight of all the other things that need to get done lead me to just staring at them, wondering when on earth I’ll begin to tackle the list.
So a few nights ago, I told myself I couldn’t go to bed until I finished sewing something. No half-done things filling up my office. A completed project – start to finish.
So I did. Harlow had a “spinny” skirt for ballet class. We bought the materials eons ago, but dumb ole me just felt like I couldn’t tackle one more thing….so in the drawer it went. Untouched, until Tuesday night.
Tuesday night I allowed myself space to just create. I ignored the living room *still* full of boxes. I stayed up a little past my bedtime. I felt the past 7 months of woe-is-me-creativity-funk start to fade. I can’t wait to share all the things stirring up that creative bug in me, just antsy to get out. <– see what I did there? bug…antsy. Okay, it’s dumb if I have to explain it, and really it was dumb in the first place.
Moving on!
So tell me, internet:
how do you get out of a creative rut? How do you stop listening to the lies of the internet: everyone is already creating everything, there is nothing new under the sun, nothing is Pinterest worthy.
I want to hear! Let’s encourage each other!
Some of the fun we’ve been having!
My sister, Kaitlyn, made all the cousins doctor scrubs! Jones happily showed his off for some trick-or-treating this year.
these two.
Harlow loves “reading” from her Bible. She has the best imagination, and I love seeing how her brain processes things. When we cook dinner, she always grabs her Bible and opens it to the book of Psalms: she calls them her recipe pages.
Andy and I keep saying it feels like we have new kids. Having a backyard to roam and explore has been incredible for us. The kids come in smelling like fresh air, and it’s heavenly.
One fun tip if you’re life is crazy (who’s isn’t….) like mine, but you want to document the milestones! I email myself with the subject line “Jones’s Milestones” or “Harlow’s Milestones.” The body of the email has the date and the milestone/memory. It’s so easy for me to go back and fill in the baby books….when I find them in the boxes. :/ True life!
It’s true! I really do love fall. And I also really love my ScanNCut2. Love might be a strong word, but I mean every letter of it! Next week and the one following I’ll be sharing a project just about every day — I need more hours in the day now that my creativity is coming back. ;) Christmas and winter projects will be coming at you right after turkey day!
My friend, Julie, will be sharing the ScanNCut2 on HSN today at 5pm! Be sure to tune in either via television or online. (if you order online, don’t forget to sign up for ebates, so you can get 6% back on your purchase from HSN!)
Thanks for sticking around even though I’ve been pretty quiet around here. Sometimes you need to step away to realize how much you miss something, eh?
I’ve missed y’all.
xo
Kacia! Thank you SO MUCH for the tip about milestones…I’m months and months behind (and feeling particularly guilty!) I just sent myself a note from last night that I didn’t want to forget! Love your blog and you! Your family is just the sweetest!…creative ruts are the worst. I repeat to myself on a daily basis, “Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.” (Marie Forleo) I’ve noticed my creative juices get a jump start when I get out and interact with people (sometimes just going to the grocery store or Target helps me reset!) Meeting up with friends and family is always helpful too. But I think, sometimes (many times) when you can’t do that, just going and doing something, so you see and hear other people can stop your mind from diving into a deep, deep rabbit hole that is so hard to get out of! I think sometimes my piles of half done projects are because I second guess myself too much and letting my brain take too much control. Can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on :-)
oh my goodness YES! you said it so well. Sometimes you just have to start, you know? and make yourself create, even if it ends up being hideous and you throw it away: it’ll inspire more!
And yes — wishing I’d been better about the email milestones with Harlow! :/ Still feeling guilty over some of the “i’ll remember this!” milestones….that well, I don’t remember :( we can’t be so hard on ourselves tho!
xoxo!
Love all the pictures of the kids in the backyard. They will be real explorers!