Crafter Confessional - Part 1

Hello, world! 

As promised, we are changing subjects on this post. Much has happened since the last post as far as the single life, but I don't want to discuss it. lol! I do spend my time thinking about other things. One of those things is crafts. I'm obsessed! So much so, I started a group at my church about it called "Crafters Anonymous". We would meet twice a month and work on our projects together. Its been a great way to meet new people and get to know others I knew very little about. Fun times. We are taking a break for the summer, but hope to reemerge in the fall. 

(Takes a deep breath...) Ok. I have a confession. I'm addicted to projects and the creative formulation of them. It's a sickness (hence the name of the aforementioned church group). I literally get an idea for a project based on an item I see in a store (usually 2nd hand or on clearance), lying around my home or a friend's home, near a dumpster or on a curb (freecycle is my friend), or from Pinterest. I gather items for the project and either start it (without formulating a plan) or store it somewhere until I can procure the rest of the needed items (and if this happens, it means I ain't got the duckets). I then stash these items in my home (my itty bitty 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment that feels like sardine can). Oh, you might think that I just have a junk drawer, shelf, or storage bin of hodge podge items. Au contraire, mes amis! Let me list some of these items:

Pallets (6, to be exact...)

Canvases

Drawer pulls

Cans of paint

Throw pillows

Side tables

Bookcases

Shelves
Mattress Pad foam

I could go on, but I think I have embarrassed myself quite enough.  I'm not a hoarder in the reality show sense. My home is cleant with plenty of empty space to walk around! No narrow path through the project debris. I just can't seem to follow through with my ideas. Project ADD/ADHD with mild hoarder tendencies is my self diagnosis (yes, this is on top of my acute onset of ASD triggered by unfamiliar social situations...I'm a mess!). 

So what is a girl to do? "I don wanna lih ly deese..." (Translation: I don't want to live like this." Its from a commercial several years ago...) One of my "throw away everything" fits set in and I began going through my "treasures". I saw all the unfinished projects and was fed up with me. I sat down and made a list of the projects (that survived my fit), emailed my bestie, enlisting her help to free me of my ridiculousness, and gave myself a deadline. Any projects not completed by August 18th (the day the choir I sing with starts back with rehearsals), I have to throw away the remaining supplies. On top of that I have to somehow refrain from starting new projects and hoarding more "treasures".

As I write this, I realize that I also have to decide how to tackle projects in the future. Reverting is not optimal. There has to be another way! Maybe I need to have idea journals all around me so that when I'm inspired I can write it down first, plan for supplies and execution, and set a deadline. 

Another obstacle of mine is the inability to estimate how much time it will take to finish a task. I usually get lost in details, making it difficult to finish in a decent amount of time. Don't even get me started on what I do when I utterly FAIL at my project! Oy vey! Let's just call it the Project Abyss (PA for short). PA is currently located in the spare oom's closet. However, its so out of hand that the majority of the room is actually a part of PA. Ok, it is PA. (sigh) It's a scary place to be.... (Total truth? PA has moved into the living room and it's closet...) Très mal! 

Now my task is to tackle each of these projects. Finding time to do them has been a challenge. When I get home from work, I just want to veg on the couch. Whenever energy does hit, I usually have a bunch of chores to tackle. So far I have completed 2 projects. Can I make the time to do more AND stick with all my other goals (working out, getting plenty of rest, eating well, keeping my home tidy, finding a part-time job, helping others in need)? We'll see. All I know is that my ultimate goal is to have a more peaceful home that is on the verge of a minimalist motif. That may come through completing projects OR throwing more stuff away. I'm down for whatever!

Join me as I post the progress of this journey. Who knows? Maybe blogging about it will be the perfect catalyst for success. 

Smooches! Je t'aime!