On the same day I came across two things that described the same attitude towards work and achievement.
First, I opened my Stitch'n'Bitch calendar on the Saturday 20th Jan page and read the following words:
'Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.'
Rita Mae Brown
and then on Vera's Dragonfly Psychic blog (which I highly recommend, it's very inspiring!!!) I read her interview with her friend and artist Angie Renfro (she' s painter, check up her works!), where she said:
'It is possible to live the pipe dream of doing something you love for a living. It takes talent. It takes hard work and commitment. It takes rejection and disappointment. It takes selling yourself and shmoozing. But it is absolutely worth it.'
Yeah, my dear readers, hard work again.
This is the thing that I lack of, that I very often forget about. Sometimes I wait for things to happen, to come to me as I lay on the couch (or sit in front of my computer screen), when I should be working hard to earn my keep. If you are self employed, it is you who set the working hours and coffee and lunch breaks, and it is up to you to manage the time of the working day wisely and economically. It needs a lot of self-discipline, especially when you work at your own home, with all the distractions like laundry or watering the flowers, or just reading a book instead of working on some projects. That's why I wish I had a studio somewhere outside my flat (or at least a separate room devoted specifically to crafts), where I could go to and stay there undistracted, working. Because I am lazy and have a tendency to leave one project and start another one just because it came to my mind that I want to try it out right away. I have millions of ideas but they often stay unrealised because I have so many of them I don't know where to start and I end up with a book on the sofa, pushing my work till later.
I decided to fight with my laziness! ^^
I'm going to work out a scheme of weekly working time (just because your studio is at home doesn't mean you will work all the time, there must be time devoted to work and time to play/relax) and stick to it. (Well, we'll see how it goes... ^^)
My timeframe:
First, I opened my Stitch'n'Bitch calendar on the Saturday 20th Jan page and read the following words:
'Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.'
Rita Mae Brown
and then on Vera's Dragonfly Psychic blog (which I highly recommend, it's very inspiring!!!) I read her interview with her friend and artist Angie Renfro (she' s painter, check up her works!), where she said:
'It is possible to live the pipe dream of doing something you love for a living. It takes talent. It takes hard work and commitment. It takes rejection and disappointment. It takes selling yourself and shmoozing. But it is absolutely worth it.'
Yeah, my dear readers, hard work again.
This is the thing that I lack of, that I very often forget about. Sometimes I wait for things to happen, to come to me as I lay on the couch (or sit in front of my computer screen), when I should be working hard to earn my keep. If you are self employed, it is you who set the working hours and coffee and lunch breaks, and it is up to you to manage the time of the working day wisely and economically. It needs a lot of self-discipline, especially when you work at your own home, with all the distractions like laundry or watering the flowers, or just reading a book instead of working on some projects. That's why I wish I had a studio somewhere outside my flat (or at least a separate room devoted specifically to crafts), where I could go to and stay there undistracted, working. Because I am lazy and have a tendency to leave one project and start another one just because it came to my mind that I want to try it out right away. I have millions of ideas but they often stay unrealised because I have so many of them I don't know where to start and I end up with a book on the sofa, pushing my work till later.
I decided to fight with my laziness! ^^
I'm going to work out a scheme of weekly working time (just because your studio is at home doesn't mean you will work all the time, there must be time devoted to work and time to play/relax) and stick to it. (Well, we'll see how it goes... ^^)
My timeframe:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings and afternoons - it should be the time to work on my business projects (commisions, things for all on-line shops I sell to, packing and sending out the orders, administrative work).
Naalbinding Wednesdays - because we are going to go to Sweden this June for a Viking market and I decided to take some naalbinded merchandise with me, I have to find time to make these items (socks, mittens, ect), and Wednesday will be a good day for naalbinding, because on Wednesday evenings I'm having craft meetings with the girls from my medieval group, so naalbinding in the morning will introduce a medieval crafts mood. ^^
Fridays - time for my own sewing/costume/refashioning projects
Naalbinding Wednesdays - because we are going to go to Sweden this June for a Viking market and I decided to take some naalbinded merchandise with me, I have to find time to make these items (socks, mittens, ect), and Wednesday will be a good day for naalbinding, because on Wednesday evenings I'm having craft meetings with the girls from my medieval group, so naalbinding in the morning will introduce a medieval crafts mood. ^^
Fridays - time for my own sewing/costume/refashioning projects
Saturdays and Sundays - time to relax and work on the projects if I really feel like it!
Knitting
Yesterday I promised photos of my latest FOs, so here they are:
Candle Flame Shawl for Imbolc (I know that the colour for Imbolc shawl should be different, white or light blue or silver, but I found this pattern and could only imagine this one in red).
Yarn: strange five-ingredient yarn from my old stash, 1 skein of 100g
Needles: 4 mm
Pattern notes: this is a very easy to remember pattern, almost mindless knitting, no charts (Amber, no charts! ^^). The shape is a bit odd, because it starts rather narrow and then it sudenly grows widthwise, but it still is a nice wrap.
My Winter Gloves have all the fingers now! ^^ Unfortunately not black or red, but grey, and I thought I wouldn't like them this way but I do and they are original! ^^
Yarn: Wendy's Merino Double knit 100% wool
Needles: 3,5 mm dpns
Pattern: my own
Morning Surf Shawl which will be my Ostara shawl (yes, I know, it's still a long time, but when I finished Candle Flame shawl last night this one just jumped onto my lap and asked to be knitted a bit... *^v^*) has grown a few rows and I really like this pattern.
I absolutely know I haven't the discipline to work from home. My partner, on the other hand, goes into his office upstairs first thing in the morning and rarely emerges, even for a cup of tea. I don't know how he does it! He has never succumbed to temptation.
ReplyDeleteI really like your shawl and your gloves - the colours of both are very good.
I'm wishing you good discipline and excellent staying-power!
love the shawl and the start of the scarf:) I'm going to cast on NOW for the candle flame no charts one:) I purchased victoria lace today but its all charts so I'm going to sell it on
ReplyDeleteThe shawl is gorgeous. Red does seem perfect for the design. I love the gloves too, especially the stripey fingers.
ReplyDelete