• The CraftSessions Story
  • Our Past Retreats
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Menu

The Craft Sessions

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

The Craft Sessions

  • About
    • The CraftSessions Story
    • Our Past Retreats
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

The importance of passion

November 19, 2013 thecraftsessions
20131118-72.jpg


At this time of year I find the lists start to overwhelm me. Lists of to-dos for life, lists of to-dos for the kids, lists of to-dos for Xmas and the lists of crafting that fit in to each of those categories. And I find what happens is that I freeze up and kinda stop making. My production (that is normally fairly ongoing because I stick to my lists) slows to almost nothing and I wander about the house and my sewing room a little aimlessly. It's almost as if I have nothing to do when in fact it is the complete opposite.


Hang on a sec - it has been an hot day here and I might grab a beer to keep me company....

20131118-35.jpg


OK. Better. So to illustrate my point, on my crafting list at the moment are 

Must dos

  • Three pairs of kid shorts from Happy Homemade with the fake fly and pockets (as opposed to the 1hr plain ones)
  • Three pairs of matching Xmas pyjamas
  • Two frocks for my darling niece
  • The birthday dress for my middle small. Her birthday is just two weeks before Xmas which always ups the ante.

Should be done

  • A cardy needs to be finished for my SIL
  • The almost finished wedding present for my very good friend who got married 2.5 years ago
  • Mending etc etc etc.

Just for fun

  • A dress for me
  • Another scrap cardy for the small (who needs another cardy - not)
  • Blah blah blah blah. This list goes on and on and on
20131118-78.jpg


Even reading the paragraph above makes me start to feel a little traumatised. Crafting suddenly becomes a chore due to the weight of "have tos" and "should really's" and the "want tos". What is funny about it is that I really want to do all those things. The only reason they are on the list is because I want to do them....and I even have time to get them all done by their deadlines. But not if I don't shake this thing I have going on - the not-doing-ness, the lack of inspiration, the overwhelm, the not knowing where to start. It is a disease.....


So what to do. The answer for me is one that I haven't consciously come up with. So it isn't my idea but it is what happens. Suddenly something snaps. Some 15yr old I-wanna-do-what-I-wanna-do angst comes flying out of my soul, I pick up some materials and decide to craft something completely random. Something that isn't on the list and hasn't even been pondered to this point. 

20131118-32.jpg

Case in point. In the last month there have been two.

Project 1:

A hat. What is so odd about that I hear you say? Nothing except that we are heading in to summer and I already have about 5 knitted hats. Today was 27 degrees - (about 80 for those of you who like your temperatures in F) - but this is what I threw in the bag on the way to camping. Random. Who wants to do a tubular cast on while bush camping with no access to the internet to remind her of how to do one - me apparently. What makes it worse is that I am not even sure that I like the colours...

20131118-41.jpg


Project 2:

Patchwork. Same deal as above - what is so odd about that? The biggest thing is a little bit tricky to admit - I don't really like doing patchwork (sssshhhhhh!). I really like it when other people do it, it can be just stunning! but I don't enjoy it myself. On the particular day in question I had many other hideously boring things to do like vacuum and make (another) (nutritious) dinner. I was feeling a little antsy so gave myself 25min to play. I had seen an instagram photo from the lovely Arounna from Bookhou the day before and felt inspired to do some linen patchwork. Random. And the thing is that once I started I couldn't stop. Or rather my 15 year old self didn't want to stop. I took the kids out to takeaway for dinner, didn't vacuum even though we had guests arriving and did my first ever log cabin. I have no idea what for....

20131118-65.jpg


But that is the thing about crafting and passion. When you have lost it, sometimes you need to do something random to get the juices going. For some people it might be walking away completely or doing a different-to-you craft, but for others it might just be to start something new. In my case giving myself the space to follow a couple of random ideas which weren't on the list meant that I felt a little bit of freedom. Free of the lists and the have and should and want tos. Free from the responsibilities of life which allowed me to just Craft. Y'know?? And that little bit of freedom seems to have been enough to get me back on the crafting horse. I cut out two pairs of kid shorts last night and they are already 1/3 sewn up.

Bring on the passion!

Anyone else out there a bit stuck? What do you do when you are feeling crafty list overwhelm or just a loss of your passion? I'd love some more ideas....

Felicia x

In Thoughts On Craft Tags inspiration
← The Craft Sessions - Part 4 - October 2013Some housekeeping and a sponsor thank you →

Welcome! I'm Felicia - creator of The Craft Sessions and Soul Craft Festival.

This blog aims to celebrate the connection between hand-making and our well-being.
These posts aim to foster a love of hand-making and discuss the ways domestic handcrafts elevate our everyday.

I love the contributions you make to this space via your comments and learn so much from each and every one. x

Thoughts On Craft

Simple Sewing 101

Stash Less

The RetreaT

Featured
Making Fast Fashion: Some More Of The Grey
Apr 19, 2022
Making Fast Fashion: Some More Of The Grey
Apr 19, 2022
Apr 19, 2022
Is My Making Fast Fashion?
Apr 12, 2022
Is My Making Fast Fashion?
Apr 12, 2022
Apr 12, 2022
Why Gauge Matters
Apr 5, 2022
Why Gauge Matters
Apr 5, 2022
Apr 5, 2022
Craft As Simple Mundane Forward Movement
Mar 29, 2022
Craft As Simple Mundane Forward Movement
Mar 29, 2022
Mar 29, 2022
Craft As A Virtuous Cycle*
Mar 22, 2022
Craft As A Virtuous Cycle*
Mar 22, 2022
Mar 22, 2022
Craft & The Slow Nostalgic Finish
Mar 15, 2022
Craft & The Slow Nostalgic Finish
Mar 15, 2022
Mar 15, 2022

popular posts

Craft As A Project V’s Craft As A Practice

Our Fear Of Going Back

Making Is Not Inherently Creative

Why All Crafters Need A Visual Diary

Craft As A Manifestation Of Love And Loss

Moving On From Perfectionism

The Secret To Becoming A Great Knitter!

Simple Sewing 101 - Part 1

Craft In The Middle Of Motherhood

Another #theyearofthescrap #ellenscardigan using some #oldmaidenaunt alpaca silk from many years ago. What I love about this little cardy is it’s simplicity and how little yarn it uses. Perfect for scrap knitting. I now have a little pile of ba
New blog post: Craft as elevating the mundane! I think this idea is so important. 🌿 'Making is about enriching the moments of our lives; it’s about making the mundane (and not the extraordinary) more abundant and that bit more lush…. el
Block 8/12 - I’m so excited to be back making this for my smallest for her 10th birthday. It’s a #stash_less #theyearofthescrap quilt that is based on an incredible #geesbend quilt. And it’s all scraps and precious bits and pieces.
Another #theyearofthescrap #ellenscardigan using some #oldmaidenaunt alpaca silk from many years ago. What I love about this little cardy is it’s simplicity and how little yarn it uses. Perfect for scrap knitting. I now have a little pile of ba New blog post: Craft as elevating the mundane! I think this idea is so important. 🌿 'Making is about enriching the moments of our lives; it’s about making the mundane (and not the extraordinary) more abundant and that bit more lush…. el Block 8/12 - I’m so excited to be back making this for my smallest for her 10th birthday. It’s a #stash_less #theyearofthescrap quilt that is based on an incredible #geesbend quilt. And it’s all scraps and precious bits and pieces.
The Blog Archives!
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
Featured
Making Fast Fashion: Some More Of The Grey
Apr 19, 2022
Making Fast Fashion: Some More Of The Grey
Apr 19, 2022
Apr 19, 2022
Is My Making Fast Fashion?
Apr 12, 2022
Is My Making Fast Fashion?
Apr 12, 2022
Apr 12, 2022

We Live and work on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation.
We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

Copyright the Craft Sessions 2020

Logo designed by the lovely Mara of Printspace and Girling Design