Hello lovelies!
I have a special post for you today! I know that many of you lovelies are crafters yourselves as well as handmade lovers. But that finding time to finish your own creative projects can be a difficult proposition, especially as we transition into fall — full of back-to-school preparation and activities. I hope this helps you carve out the time to finish those craft projects that light you up and bring you joy. Because isn’t that the purpose of life? Enjoy!
Arts and crafts and DIY projects are amazing creative outlets that allow you to escape the pressures of daily life, whether it be your job or personal circumstances. Although not everyone would consider themselves crafty or artistically inclined, it’s been reported in the American Journal of Health that there is a strong relationship between visual arts activities and reductions in stress, anxiety and distress, thereby increasing positive emotions and keeping negative ones at a minimum. Channeling your inner creativity is almost therapeutic, thus if you ever have a day or two to spare, try taking up a new craft.
But the problem in starting a new project—for experienced crafters, enthusiasts and those taking up art for the first time—is dedicating time to it, making the full commitment. For some of us, we have to actually pencil “creativity hour” into our busy schedules. Life gets in the way, and sometimes we can’t help but put off project completion. So many distractions are in our midst, so it’s always interesting when you find ways to combat things that can cause you to procrastinate. An infographic entitled ‘Improving Concentration and Focus’ states, “Social media, endless advertising, the insanity of the modern news cycle and the stresses of managing life day to day all seem to compete for our focus, with no obvious victor on the horizon.” Thus, it’s not surprising that procrastination is in everyone’s blood.
While we may never have complete control of what happens throughout the day, week or month, there are little things we can do here and there to ensure that we allocate some of our time to finish sewing that sweater, handcrafting jewelry, or building that birdhouse.
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Create a schedule.
- Before randomly choosing a day for crafts, The Crafty Mummy suggests you figure out what time of time of day works for you. If you are a morning person, Saturday and Sundays may work best for you. If you are an evening person, you can set aside an hour or two when you come home from work on the weekdays.
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Organize your workspace
- Other than time, mustering up the motivation to get your project done can also be difficult. Because we are visual creatures, a tried and tested way to inspire productivity is by creating and organizing an area for your crafts, complete with supplies so that all you have to do is sit in your space and create.
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Break down the project in small steps
- It goes without saying that you shouldn’t start something new when you haven’t finished the project before, but it happens to the best of us, as we overwhelm ourselves with too much in a short amount of time. Take some advice from Decor by the Seashore and break things down into lots of steps; it will help you gain a sense of accomplishment and progress, even if you only do one or two per week.
Thanks for visiting my blog today lovelies!
I hope you have a joyful and creative day!