This has been the first week since school let out that I’ve actually had daytime hours to quilt and sew. It also means I am able to catch up on my Audible and podcast playlists. Today, I listened to “How to Be Here” by Rob Bell. I’ll be listening again and probably again to really digest what all he has to say.
I have a tendency to overthink. I am always planning ahead, worried about what’s next when instead I need to be present in the moment. I am one who sees the big picture. Until I can work out the details of the big picture for myself, I have a tendency to procrastinate. I mean to the point I avoid that subject, issue or project. For sewing, it can mean my entire creative process shuts down. Do you avoid your sewing room because you think (a) you don’t now what all 19 steps are in the process, (b) the project requires you to do something you’ve never done before or (c) you are worried that the final outcome will be a disaster or hideous?
Mr. Bell’s solution to getting unstuck is to concentrate on that one thing you need to do right now. Don’t worry about the next step (or project for that matter). Don’t get sidetracked. Don’t worry about the laundry. Don’t worry about responding to the text message from your friend.
Just get busy.
Do what you know needs to be done now to move the project forward or complete the task. It will eventually come together. As for failure, it’s a key part of the learning process. I learned how to put in an invisible zipper this spring. I learned how to add boning to a bodice of a prom dress. I dusted off garment sewing skills that were long forgotten to help out a high school senior with her prom dress. It was a true learning experience. The end result was GORGEOUS and my co-worker’s daughter was ecstatic.
Overthink and clutter are the two main culprits that stifle my creative process.
Guess what I’ll be working on (in addition to sewing) for the rest of summer break and beyond?
Come Stitch With Me, LLC 