My name is Angie, and I have a confession to make. I am addicted to making things. If I go too long without making something I start to get twitchy—really, really twitchy.
At first my husband didn’t understand this. He couldn’t figure out why a woman would complain about being exhausted and then stay up to repaint a piece of furniture. He kept asking me why I didn’t just sit down and relax.
But when you spend your days doing things that have to be redone in a matter of minutes, hours or days, you have to do something that stays done! You clean the kitchen—your kid spills his Cheerios all over the floor. You cook—it is gone in minutes. You do the laundry—your potty training toddler has an accident. And let’s be honest, parenting is a project you are never going to finish. It is not something that you ever get to check off your to-do list. Even when they move out, you worry about them. It is enough to drive you crazy.
But when I finish a project, it stays done. I look at it later and think—I made this and heaven help me you can’t take that away from me!
And when I am changing yet another diaper, I look over at my finished project and think, “you are done and I actually finished something!” When my kids make it impossible to focus on anything for more than five seconds, I don’t feel so bad. I know that later I will actually get to focus on getting something done.
Finishing a project is my high and I can live off it for days. It keeps me sane. But once I am done with a project it is not long before I start jonesing for the next one.
But addictions can be dangerous things. If I am not careful my project list starts to infringe on the rest of my life. I start worrying about getting all my projects done instead of enjoying the one I am working on. It becomes all about finishing something and I forget to enjoy the process.
For me this is more than just another “how to blog,” this is my journey to find balance. To know when I need to make time to create and when to say, “No, you do not need to make another banner for your two-year-old’s birthday party!”
The process of creating can be so relaxing and fulfilling, but only when we do it for the right reasons. It is not about out-crafting your neighbor, impressing your kid’s teacher, or feeling guilty about not doing enough for our family. It is about learning, being involved in the creation process, fostering our imaginations, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and stretching ourselves.
So if you are going to plan a party or decorate your mantel, do it because you love it, not because you have something to prove.
Affiliate Links and Ads: Yep, my site contains affiliate links and ads. It is the only way I can justify to my husband the time I spend on this blog. But shh…don’t tell him how little I actually make! To be fair, I do buy most of my supplies off of Amazon. I hate shopping, especially with kiddos, and I can’t stand parking lots. Plus I am also addicted to consumer reviews.
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