This month, I celebrated one of the few remaining birthdays of my 30’s. It was a glorious day of doing a whole lot of relaxing nothing with my sweet husband, who also happens to be my favorite person to hang out and do nothing with. He’s so much like me in some ways, and my opposite in others. Principally, he is a realist and the grounding force in our life, while I live with my overly-optimistic head in a wispy, creative cloud. I think it is something about being born in March, the month I most associate with misguided optimism in this part of the world when spring is maybe, almost, possibly just around the corner.
Yes, spring is coming (someday), and the anticipation of it is fueling my creativity like it’s nobody’s business. I’ve got no less than 3 projects going at the same time. And much as my head is forever in the clouds, and I hate to admit there are rules and best practices for anything I do with my art, my messy craft room is speaking volumes otherwise. Here are a few rules that come to mind.
- Make Space
- Whether it’s a whole room or a small corner, create a designated crafting space so that, when creativity strikes, you have no excuse not to get right to it. If this space has a door you can close to not see the ensuing mess, even better.
- Keep it Neat
- Obviously, this is the struggle and it is real. A few weeks ago, I reorganized my craft cabinet, and found all sorts of bits of things I forgot I had. An organized craft room can fuel creativity. Seriously.
- Craft Thrifty
- I’ve been having a great time pulling long-forgotten things out of various corners of my house to reuse as projects. When you can make something out of almost nothing, it is more fun. When you craft thrifty and have less proverbial skin-in-the-game, even if the outcome is less-than-perfect, the pressure is off!
- Let go of perfectionism
- Whatever you make with your own two hands will likely not look off-the-shelf-perfect. But – it is handmade and one of a kind! The imperfections of the finished product are what make it unique and special!
- Do What Makes You Happy!
- This is a biggie. Only do the types of crafts that your heart longs to do, or it will not be fulfilling. No matter how much you adore a finished thing on Pintrest, if it is not something you enjoy doing, it will not turn out well. This does not mean that you shouldn’t push yourself outside of your comfort zone – you totally should! It just means that if you hate, say, crocheting, don’t do it just because you want a crocheted table cloth. Feeling attached to finishing a project you don’t want to do can often stop you from starting other projects that might actually bring you joy. Don’t put that road block in your way!
I hope this post inspires you to make something beautiful today. I look forward to sharing all the projects I’ve been working on – including a family gallery wall, upcycled cloches and apothecary jars, and fresh spring décor – with you soon!
Old, Pretty, and Slightly Broken 