Mud on trowels. I have been smoothing all the textured walls in our family room. It is tedious, messy work, not at all inspiring, and extremely consuming. I had two whole days last week without the kids, and while I would have loved to cast on a new pair of socks, start the embroidery project I have in mind for Avery or get a head start on home made gifts for next month, I did nothing but smooth the walls.When consumed with such a big house project, I feel less than creative. I look around at other blogs and see all these wonderful, original ideas people come up with and think to myself, what is wrong with me? Why can I not homeschool, fix up the house, get breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table, do a load of laundry and whip out a few handcrafted goodies and a novel or two?
Then I get over my one man pity party and remind myself that I am creating something, whether I see it or not. I am creating a smooth walled family room in which we will spend countless hours creating memories as a family. I am creating a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal with toasted coconut and hot tea which will nourish my children. I am creating a laid back atmosphere which is inviting to the neighborhood children that gather at my home in the afternoon and eat all my mandarins. I am creating a love of books when we sit down each evening and read together. I am creating energy for the next day as I lay down to sleep each night as soon as my kids go to bed.
I may not be able to hang these creations on the wall, slip them on my feet, put them on a shelf or wrap them up and give them as presents, but I can take them to heart and remind myself that creativity comes in all shapes and forms, and right now, I am as creative as I can be. For that, I am grateful.
Oh gosh. I've done that. NO fun at all but you'll feel so good when it's done and you can cover the walls in creativity if you so choose. And from here, it looks like you're fitting in tons of creativity.
ReplyDeleteI SO relate to this post. I've often wondered as I read other's blogs, "How do they do all that and still have time to do this?"
ReplyDeleteThen I realize that they choose to do their life in this way, that they MAKE time for certain things that make them happy, just like I make time to bake, which makes me happy. I will put off certain things I should be doing to work in the kitchen instead, to whip up a dinner or bake up some recipe I've never tried before. That's where my time goes!
In the end, when you are done smoothing your walls, you can sit back and revel in the fact that YOU did this. YOU started and finished this huge project for everyone to enjoy with you. The hard part will be to put holes in the freshly smoothed wall to hang something up! That's something I can't bring myself to do, to put holes in the wall I worked so hard to smooth and paint.
I too SO appreciate this post. I have a barely started embroidery project that I am doing for a Christmas gift but at this rate... I don't know. SOme of the creative bloggers just freak me out with their output. The creativity that you mentioned is so much more important, to me. But it would be nice to carve out more time, eh?
ReplyDeleteMAN Molly! these photos are crazy great! Catching the light coming into the bag of mandarins! and the way the back of the chair creates a contrasting black ray-like stripes!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandi!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm. I feel I should say something... like, do I owe you mandarins? :) The children do flock to your home. There must be a reason. It's a great place to be! AND your creativity has trickled down - Grace learned how to chain yesterday. You would have been so proud of your pupils.
ReplyDeleteOne is always being creative with children and in creating a home. And I, for the life of me, can't figure out how some of these super blogger moms do it!?! I can barely find the time to read the blogs that inspire me. Oh, well, another day~
life's good in the slow lane. ;^)
ReplyDeleteAdd to that list of yours:
ReplyDeleteCreating a beautiful blog space, complete with inspiring words and gorgeous photos.
You are an amazing woman, Molly. Never let yourself doubt that.
Thank you for your wise words Molly..you are reminding me of what is important and what is not.
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...i love this post.
ReplyDeletethanks for writing it...and you are singin' my song...