Thursday, August 28, 2008
Negatives Into Positives
I spend a lot of time online when I’m not crocheting or watching old movies, re-runs of some of favorite family sitcoms hoping for a hint of inspiration. Sometimes I find so much inspiration, I get lost, as I would venture to think most creative minds do. I’m constantly asking what do I do next or now. What colors do I feel the need to work with or what pattern turns me on.
Crochet has come a long ways since its meager beginnings. We can now imitate knit and confuse the public; I like that…even though I always wanted to learn to knit. This year I accomplished that goal. My car was stolen; I was going crazy, wondering what am I going to do now. I wasn’t prepared for a car note and all the other things that come along with it. I wondered what kind of person would come into one’s driveway and take what didn’t belong to them without a single thought of how this would affect the owners. Sure, I left the keys in ignition, sure the motor was running, it’s cold outside and I was sure I had locked the door. Well, to get on with the story, I took that time, worry, and turned it into something positive. I learned to knit. Sure, it took 38 years, but I can now cast on and bind off. I knew it wasn’t hard, it was timing. It was time to learn.
We sometimes have a habit of wanting things, to happen when we want them to happen. I’ve found that the universe just does not work that way. Things happen for us when it’s time. We must learn to enjoy our place in life for the moment we are there, appreciate it all that it holds for us at that moment, so we may benefit more when we move on. There are lessons to learn everyday, in everything we do. Until those lessons are learned, moving on would be fruitless.
I, like most want to be a success. I wish that everything I touched would turn into gold, but I’ve come to a point in my life that I know it’s not as easy for some as it is others. We would like to skip some steps to get to where we want to be, but you can’t. You can’t skip steps until you know all the steps. Make sure that everyday what ever it is you do, you do it proudly and to the best of your ability. If it doesn’t work now doesn’t mean it won’t work at all.
Disappointments, failures are learning experiences. Use them wisely, keep pressing forward. You know what you left behind; take the past into the future as a torch to light the way. Never be afraid of pressing on, be afraid of being left behind. We are all bright shining stars in life, in someone else’s life, in our own eyes.
I haven’t become a Super Seller on Etsy so far, I’ve only been at it a year. My work hasn’t paid my bills yet, but it will. What I do is time consuming to say the least. I don’t let this bother me, I spend hours looking at other shops and stats and think, I can do that. Nothing is impossible, highly improbable, but not impossible.
By the way I got my car back about two weeks later, undamaged and about a half of a tank of gas in it. That was nice. I gave it away once; I don’t plan to do that again. You see, I learned something. I also knitted about 10 pairs of gloves during the time my car was missing. Something good can come out of something bad. Keep a positive attitude, always look for the good. Look hard enough with open eyes and heart, you will find it.
Talk to me, comment, or as usual ‘Communicate.’
Sherryl
Friday, August 22, 2008
Explanation
I know when most of you look at the title of my Blog, you think it's all about crochet and business. Some of you might have been disappointed. Sorry. The title of this page and my Etsy shop are named so because my last name is Day. I am a 'Day' that is into 'crocheting' and in 'business.'
I felt the need to clarify. I will deal with the craft and I know that I have delved more into business than anything else. All of this is good. You might pop in one day and find that I'm talking or complaining about kids. I have them both, kids and grand kids.
Today I feel like rambling. Today, I wonder how many of my creative brothers and sisters come up against a wall. How many times do you find yourself unproductive. Unproductive, does not mean without a sell, it's that you just can't get the juices flowing. What do you do. How do you handle it. Do you force yourself into something or just let it go.
I find that if I force myself, I end with a big mess of yarn and wondering what was on my mind and maybe somewhat depress. Why is it that the creative mind tend to lead to a form of depression. Is it really depression. Maybe the problem is that we feel that we have to be perfect. When perfection enters creativity, we're hindered. We have to let it flow. Creativity is natural, it's not structured. Realize that nothing is perfect. The perfection is in the eye of the be holder, like beauty.
I've done a lot of things I didn't like and was embarrassed to attach myself to. I was the only one it seemed with the problem. Then later, I felt they just didn't want to hurt my feelings.
Nothing's wrong with expecting a lot from yourself, you should. The problem is when you let it control you. It's when you decide the rest of the world doesn't have an eye for beauty and It's your job to tell them what beauty is. Every one is not going to see it the way you do. If they are paying for your work, then it is perfect in their eyes regardless of what you think. You may be the artist, but you don't have all the answers. We all see things differently, be it the same thing. Mistakes can be beautiful. Which means no one is wrong.
This is not my normal time to post and you're right, I just had to get this off my chest, which means at this time I am right. Doing the unexpected. There have been many a day I've wanted to post, if not just thoughts, to let others know that we just like to talk or let the world know we have something to say if to some it feels like we're not keeping with the decorum.
I love what I do and miss the other things in my life that I do that have bought me this far. I did this site not just for crochet or business, I did it to share that and much more, so let the party begin. Life is more fun when you live as oppose to letting life live you.
Comment, 'Communicate'. Let me know what you want, and I'll see if we can get there, at least I will try my best.
Sherryl