So now to update this old friend

When my life gets busy, it seems that I put on blinders. For some reason, I can only look forward and not side to side to be distracted. Maybe that is a good thing so that I can concentrate on what needs to be done that is in my path. Maybe that is not so good because then those people who are not in my line of sight don't get the attention they need. That includes this blog. It's not right there in front of me screaming for attention, therefore it doesn't get updated.

I know that I need to get better about this. I need to see the important things all around because if I don't, I probably miss out on a lot of things. I remember one year, I was teaching and going to school at night. I was dealing the the kids, the house, the pets, and just the most important things. I would go to work the same way and home the same way. Finally it was winter vacation or something and I went on this route that was not foreign to me. I used to take that way a lot. Then when things got really busy, I just never went that way. Well I happened to go down that route one day and was amazed how much it had changed just in that amount of time I hadn't gone that way. It had probably been 2 or 3 months, but that right there was an "eye opening moment." It showed me that I do put those blinders on and try to only navigate down the road of most importance. I tend to put my head down and trudge forward taking care of what is put out in front of me.

I tend to believe that is why I feel I've lost a lot of creative spark lately. I know creativity has its ebbs and flows, but this feels more like somehow I've had a creative juices leak and it's all gone without me even knowing it.

I know over the long and difficult school year I've finished a few creative projects that I never seemed to finish. I also finished knitting a vest that I started. I also knitted a baby kimono and booties for a friend. I am in the midst of a sweater that I started last year, but haven't picked it up in over 2 weeks. It's just sitting there. I also have about 3 sweaters that need to be deconstructed, unraveled and wound into balls. It is great wool in great colors and I'd like to find some fun projects to do with that stash.

I think (or hope) that after I start to decompress from the school year that some of my creative juices will start to return. I do have a lot of things on my radar that I would love to start working on, but just don't have the creativity or desire to start on them.

I am going to try to remove the blinders, if at least for only the summer. I want to enjoy this summer to the fullest, so I know you can't see and do everything with those blinders on. So as of today, I've thrown them off. It would be nice if I could get my life in a balance of work and play when school starts again so that I can figure out a way to keep them off.