“A good intention clothes itself with power.”
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
“By becoming a conscious choice-maker, you begin to generate actions that are evolutionary for you.”
-- Deepak Chopra
I’ve read on the WW boards about people who say they had no choice but to go over their points. That by the time they got home there was nothing left of their daily allotment. But to me that says, they didn’t take the time to journal and figure out how many points they were consuming. The way I see it is that if they wanted…really cared about…having those points for dinner then they would have chosen to plan their day.
I know this for a fact because I was that person once. I ate what I wanted and got home and had no points left. I had to dip into my weekly allotment and it upset me to no end because I was saving that for sushi on the weekend. By the time the weekend rolled around I realized that there was no weekly allotment left and I ate salad, begrudgingly, when we went out.
WW has taught me a lot about life. With goals you either want them or you don’t. Sometimes one sets a goal just because they feel like they should, but in their heart, they have no intention of ever seeing it to fruition.
I’ve found out your mind will go along with creating whatever you truly want to create and it will stop you from bringing anything to life that you are not ready for. With most things, it is the intent that focuses the energy and brings thoughts into this reality.
It is amazing to me that one can have this idea in their heads for years and then the minute they write it out and make it “real” it starts to gain momentum. Once it is put on paper then the idea can be fleshed out and expanded upon as it gains power.
The problem that I’ve noticed with me is that I have too many things drawing on this creative energy at the same time. I thought if I did a little here and a little there, then I would at least be doing something. But I was wrong.
In my yarn craft more then any other aspect of my life; I lose my creative focus. There are so many pretty patterns which keep calling to me. Books…lure me with new ideas and vibrant hues. Blogs…Ravelry…magazines…it all is getting to be too much!
I’ve been so good about not buying new yarn…MD S and W doesn’t count. But the patterns…it is like an addiction and I’m trying to stop.
I think my creative focus fractures a bit with each one…as I ponder on how I can change it or what yarn would be perfect each new pattern takes a bit of my creativity and diverts it where it sits in a holding pattern. In my head, that pattern has become an idea that longs to be realized.
And all these ideas are overwhelming me but I am not casting on something new until I finish something old. I refuse. I am not going to scatter my focus like this anymore.
The truth is most patterns could be finished in little over a weeks time…if that…if only I would focus on one at a time then a project would have a beginning, middle and end that would follow a nice orderly fashion. Instead of my current…oooooh I love this pattern I must cast it on now….such pretty yarn…half way yawn…time to cast on something new…pattern sits in bag…and sits…I find it while looking for something else…think about working on it and decline…it moves to a new bag…time passes (sometimes years)…project is found again…why did I ever put you away…such pretty colors…such a nice pattern…pattern is finally finished…waits to block…yay, I actually finished something…pattern gets to be on the blog.
To stop this cycle I’m trying something new. This is totally against my Aries nature and I expect inner resistance. But like WW, financial serenity and my yarn diet when I decide something my mind knows that I’m serious. So, to that end, I am going to try and do one project from beginning to end without casting on another one in between. I am going to focus my intent and mind on that one project and not cast on another until it is done.
I have picked something very challenging. Dianna caught my eye even though I knew it would not be an easy knit. I just love the entrelac leaves made out of lace.The first thing I did was make myself a chart. I have trouble with the phrase "knit the knits and purl the purls." For me it makes more sense if it is charted; so that is what I did.
I played around with big needles and yarn and made a few leaves. I wanted to make sure I remembered how to do entrelac since it has been a while. And I must say, I'm happy with the results.
So now I'm going to wind 1000 yards of my Blue Heron Deep Blue Sea that I've had forever. I wanted something with long legs of color...the fall colors swatch seemed way too jumbled for this pattern to me.
So this is my project. I will not cast on anything new until it is done. I'm being honest with you...that I have two other things that I will knit on from time to time. One is a KAL that I'm doing with the fine ladies from my community and the other is the lapghan project that I'm doing with the community.
So wish me luck as I once again realize that a swift would be wonderful.
Have a super weekend!
Ruinwen
:)
7 comments:
I know how you feel -- I used to make "to do" lists of things I wanted to draw, and kept adding and adding to it without finishing the things I had on there already, until I just gave up on many of them.
Not that I've gotten better about that -- I just don't make "to do" lists anymore. O:
But it's true. Because one gives a little bit of oneself to each thing created, it's very easy to spread oneself too thin, until there isn't enough impetus behind any one thing to get it done.
Everyone is different - try this and see how it feels for you. It may be just exactly what works!
For me? I know I would become disenchanted and quit - completely. No knitting. It's happened before and I went years without yarn (and I did it with X-stitch, and sewing, too). I hated what I was working on and I just shoved it all in a box and never touched it again.
We all have to find our own "happy medium" and what works best for us! You've thought this through, so I think it's exactly what you need to try!
(((hugs)))
For me it's not so much a feeling of having my creativity divided to the point of having it diluted. It's more like multiple projects going on all at once (and not just knitting, I have a wide range of interests!) eventually makes me feel panicky and fractured, like I'll never get everything done.
Swifts are wonderful, especially when you've got a million bazillion yards to wind.
Here's focusing and taking one minute at a time! ;)
Wow, that is an incredible shawl and a big challenge! I will be rooting for you though, as the results should be amazing. I agree, sometimes I am so much more focused when not allowing myself to dither over other patterns, new ideas, etc. I almost completely finished a sweater while attending my course, simply because it was the only thing I worked on and I was too busy to look at/be tempted by anything else. Thanks for your wisdom!
Getting scattered with various projects is so easy to do. It's exhilarating to have lots of good things on the go. At the same time, it is necessary to be a bit organized to get to the finish line. :<) I'm trying to write a SHORT to-do list each day of what I want to complete or focus on that particular day. Today, it's working on my Recipe Sampler for Veggies... cooking up a storm (including a new bean and pasta salad recipe Im entering in a contest). Whatever else, gravy!
You are a creative person Ruinwen on many levels. It's so easy to think about many projects at one time. But it's even better to see them completed, even if some others have to be put on the back burner for a bit.
There's my rant!!!
PS: Cookbook on the way...
"The problem that I’ve noticed with me is that I have too many things drawing on this creative energy at the same time. I thought if I did a little here and a little there, then I would at least be doing something."
I think you just picked that straight out of my head. I have that issue as well. So many things drawing on my creative energies. I've become a process person not a product person and that's great for experimentation but it doesn't much leave me with any sort of sense of accomplishment. It's hard for me to start what I've finished or to even follow through on those commitments I've made to myself. I get so distracted and scattered and find myself bouncing around feeling exhausted yet slightly unsatisfied. I'll be happy to see how your shawl progresses and I give kudos that you are actually commited to following through. You are a blessing and I'm happy to consider you my friend. :)
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