flotsam

 This blog is set to private again at the time of writing, so who knows who I am writing this to. I am taking a quiet moment while the girls tidy up the marble run (or don't perhaps as the case may be) so that we can play another came. I am trying to keep a gentle pace to our days and be a calm and loving presence. I have been stressed and unpleasant for a long time, so if there is anything I want to commit to in this New Year, it is being gentle. 

Probably swept up with the enthusiasm of a New Year I have begun working my way through the Artists Way again, a book almost too embarrassing to own up to using, if only it wasn't so helpful. I joke of course because I am not proud or pretentious anymore, and am more than happy to consider myself ridiculous. One of the most effective parts of the programme is the daily exercise of writing three pages every morning, of anything. Stream of conscious, sorting through the day, diary entry type writing. There is nothing that clears my thoughts or lifts the fog so much, and it is something I have avoided the last year or two, through fear that examining my situation might be painful. 

I have a loose plan to make jewellery to sell this year, and to begin making botanical illustrations again. The illustrations I have decided to just make, and see what I shall do with them after. After comitting to these things in my mind, yesterday someone in a group that I'm in suggested we do a craft swap, which I would have shied away from previously, but have instead signed up for. Later on in the day I was in a local independent shop, and the owner admired my earrings. I mentioned that I wanted to make them to sell in a vague sort of way, and she immediately said that if I could package and present them she would stock them. So that feels like a definite short term goal for me to commit to. I am excited to see what else presents itself if I am open and loving. 

First step I need to work on my product, so I am doing lots of fiddling about, trying different processes, and aim to come up with 5 or so designs that I can replicate. This is yesterday's effort, mermaids purses. On paper it worked, but in reality I think the market for these might be a bit too niche. I.e. only me. 

There is little else to say as we are still in the inbetweeny part of the year. My swimming group and knitting group both start up again next week. I have done so much knitting and crochet over the past couple of months leading up to Christmas that I am sick to death of it. I've had a mishap with my phone so I don't have photos of the Christmas jumpers and presents I've made for people, but here one that completed for myself last week. I'm not intending buy any more yarn for the considerable future, and am looking forward to working my way through my stash as and when we need new things. Otherwise I think I will give my hands a break for now.