This week's topic at Studio Friday is Hope:
"What gives you hope? How do you keep it up? What or who guides you through the rough patches and makes you keep on going no matter what?"
As far as people go, my husband is the one who buoys me up when my spirit of hopefulness is wearing thin. When I doubt the worth of something I'm doing-- when I begin to think that it's no good-- when I need someone to tell me that everything will be ok-- he's the one I can turn to for support. :o)
I can also count on my parents and my family in general to be supportive of me. That's at least one of the things the members of a family ought to do for one another, when they can-- try to see the best in us and help us to see it, too.
The natural world gives me hope, too. A step outdoors-- a breath of fresh air-- my dogs' eager attentions-- a glimpse of sky (be it sunny or clouded)-- all renew my hope for the future.
Sometimes, it's what I don't do that helps me keep up hope. For instance, there are times when the daily news (or "news", because so often the garbage isn't real news at all, but fabricated nonsense) is just too much. Sometimes the blogs and forums and "lists" I'm on take an emotional toll, making me feel that either I'm no good or the world in general is in tatters. So when I feel one of those moods coming up, I try to "unplug" from the rest of the world for a day or two. As I must sometimes remind myself, life does go on without my seemingly essential presence in these circles. ;o) And after a refreshing "mini-break", I'm usually eager to return to them and see what's happened in my absence.
"Just doing it" helps, too. If I'm worried that what I'm doing isn't working-- isn't good enough-- whatever-- just sitting at my table and making something can renew my interest and re-convince me that, yes, it is worthwhile.
I think so many of our (well, "my", at least) problems could be solved by less thinking/worrying and more doing.
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6 comments:
Lovely sentiments in your post. We can all take heart!
Obsessive worrying is pretty much my biggest production suck. As far as clay, it goes something like this...
Should I make more beads / canes? What if no one buys them? They're expensive to make. But I like making them. But then I have to sell them. What if no one..
Then usually around there I get REALLY impatient with myself.
What a great post. So true about the worrying less...doing more part. I always discover my worry/anxiety about something goes down proportionately with how much I am doing! Take care! Karin @ creativechaos. typepad.com
Unplug the world can bee a good thing sometimes! Nice post!
Totally agree with you about the news!
Thanks for all the comments, everyone! :o)
Elaine-- That's how it is with me, too. I mean, sure, I make a certain amount of my things just for the pleasure of making them-- and for myself or maybe as a gift for someone. But at some point, one *can* have too many beads for just one person, so then I have to take into consideration whether or not I'll be able to sell what I'm making to at least make enough to "support my habit".
I'm enjoying my little shop on Etsy, but it's true what they say-- once you move from doing something just for yourself to doing it as a business venture (even if that only means selling a few pieces on-line), the way you look at your former hobby changes.
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