October 15, 2010

Projects, Projects, Everywhere

Sometimes I get into a creative funk. I can't seem to get really interested in much of anything craftwise. Because I write about crafts for a living (well, a part of a living at least) I still do crafts, and take pictures of them, and write articles about them, but I'm not always super excited about them. It comes and goes, and I suppose that is the way of any profession, sometimes you're gung ho, sometimes you'd rather be lounging on the couch watching National Geographic Documentaries on Netflix. Ok, maybe not everyone would rather do that, I'm strange like that, always have been.
For the past few weeks I've been in that kind of funk. Not really surprising with all we've been through. But it frustrates me none the less when I just can't seem to get into a project. I've been knitting all the while but I felt like I needed more creativity, and none was coming. This week something changed, I'm not really sure what, maybe I just really like the projects I dreamed up to write about this week, or maybe it's the fact that I had good feedback from editors or maybe I'm just getting my mojo back, but my brain is suddenly buzzing with projects that I want to do.
As a result, there are little piles of crafty type things all over. On my desk, on Will's desk, in a basket on our couch, on the dining room table (though those always end up floating around since we use the dining room table to eat too much for them to linger there). Felt bird ornaments, wool scrap pumpkins, funky, half painted stacking dolls, a partially assemble snow man kit (which means, of course, that there will be no snow this year, now that I'll be ready for it, right?) A little embroidery, a new, quick, knitting project, the beginnings of a stenciled wall (FYI, there is a reason they make stencil paint, because craft paint doesn't work so well, live and learn) It makes me a little giddy, I almost want to rub my hands together with glee and laugh a wee bit evilly. Just because.
I haven't so far, found a trigger to get me out of those funks. I jest keep plugging along until the vibe returns. But I wish I had a better way out, because I'm much happier when my workbasket is full and I'm more interested in my projects than in the latest theories about Stonehenge (although, that's always pretty interesting too, I can't help it, it's the wanna be anthropologist in me). What do you do when writer's block of the crafty mind hits? Any tricks for getting back in your groove?