How To Age Gracefully

"People of all ages offer words of wisdom to their younger counterparts in this WireTap farewell video, from CBC Radio One."

My friend sent me this video this week, and though it is a farewell video for a CBC program, it still resonated with me.
Okay... I'll admit it... there were a few tears.


Dear 25 year-old-me,

I know things look bleak now, but it gets better. (Yeah, I know you'll roll your eyes at that one.) You will find friends that care, you will get employment in the field you love, and you will really get bitten by the travel bug. You will still miss family that has passed away, but you'll never believe all the family connections you'll get to renew and discover! (Babies - everyone is having them!) 

Keep wanting more from you life; keep chasing your dreams. Stay on the ship.

Signed,

Creatively Christine

Waiting for the Rain

Here in Southern Ontario, things are really HEATING UP. I'm not complaining, mind you! Before long the "white stuff" will be drifting every where the wind can carry it, so I'm enjoying the heatwave while summer is in full effect!

But there is something nice to be said about summer time thunderstorms: when the sky darkens in the middle of the day and it pours down rain for 20 minutes before the sky clears and the sun is shining again.

Now this shot isn't recent – it's from a few months ago after a light rainfall, but it was the perfect time to catch this spring flower in full bloom.

The colour is spectacular!

Looking forward to adding more summer shots in the coming months.

Until then - enjoy your summer!


Creativity Christine

WIP: Work in Progress

For me being creative can be a bit of a roller-coaster.

One moment I'm fully inspired and I want to immediately set out to do whatever project I have concocted, but then a few days, weeks, or months later I've lost my drive and all those ideas fall by the wayside.

Sadly, I've dropped a few very promising ideas in this manner.

What I think the situation requires is "conscious creativity." What I mean by this is setting aside time to pursue my various ideas – with proper research for those projects that require it – though I have to watch how much time I put into research. I've found that I love to read up on topics related to whatever new idea or skill I want to engage in, and sometimes that can override the actual project itself. I even wrote about this problem previously.

Whew!

How do I accomplish this? By purposefully setting aside a specific amount of time on a specific day, and actual focus solely on that project. For me, the best time would be Sunday. I've got a full day to myself to do whatever I want... which tends to end up being not much!

I'm suggesting to myself to take one or two hours and focus on a creative goal. Don't fiddle on any of the distracting websites I usually frequent, but take a focused set of time to make my goals happen. My current goal is to update my resume, portfolio, and a few other social media items to allow me to buff up my online presence and find a new job. VERY IMPORTANT I'D SAY!

And even if the block of time doesn't yield particular results for my personal media bundling, I can at least tend to my blog more frequently. So many things have happened since my last update, I hardly know where to begin! I'd rather share as they happen, rather than months later in a "wrap-up post."

Time to pull my agenda out and get organized!


Creativity Christine

Knitting: For Beginners

I've scoured the web, Pinterest, Ravelry, Craftgawker, and many other places in search of free patterns for beginning knitters. My search made me VORACIOUS. I wanted to make as many things as I could!

I think it's very important for beginners to have a variety of simple patterns to practice with - and that they be practical projects too. It's a wonderful feeling to take the time to choose the items for your project, like the type of yarn and colour.

One of my first items was a dishcloth/washcloth - depending on how you use it.


My first stitch that I learned was the "knit" stitch, which when worked back and forth over rows creates a "garter" stitch. It's so easy that many of my first items are made in this way.

SO! I found this pattern, the "Almost Lost Washcloth" pattern. A beautiful star-like pattern, which I thought would be the perfect introduction for making and item from instructions. (NOTE: This pattern has since been updated with photos, and clearer terminology. Find it here.)

 

 I began with a curve... but those points are getting smaller... what the what?

Unfortunately, my first efforts we less than stellar. I was certain I was following the instructions correctly, but my work was looking nothing like the original.

I ripped back my stitches at least four times trying to figure out where I had gone wrong to no avail. My work continued to look like a lazy strip more than a circle.

I would not be deterred. I did more searching, and found another tutorial for the same item that gave step-by-step photos. "Sunburst"14-Point Knitted Washcloth FINALLY! I began to see the dishcloth come to life!

 Two points for Christine!

Now that I knew what I was doing - the rest of the cloth whipped up pretty quickly! Each time I completed another point, I was so excited - it was working!

 

 Round and round we go! Since it's cotton... perhaps it would make a good pot holder too.

I'm so proud of this project, and the fact that I was able to keep with it, and not give up. So often when we start learning a new skill, we get really excited but easily discouraged when it takes time to master the new skills. This can be for any new skill, not just creative ones.

The key is so stick with it, even if you have to take a break to regroup or rest and try again the next day. Practice, practice, and even more practice!

Creatively Christine

Knit-wit

I've been bitten.

I caught the bug.

I'm... a knitter.

Early last year I tried to learn a few hand-crafts: quilting, embroidery and knitting. I was excited for the quilting because I'm always cold and making something decorative would be a great bonus. So I started with a bit of reading, and following some blogs. Unfortunately I don't have a sewing machine of my own, and my hand-stitching is less than stellar. The embroidery started well enough - I fancied myself making rude little pieces to share with friends, and making little gifts for Christmas. While I did make the Christmas gifts, but it never got any farther than that - again, my hand-stitching was very slow.

Then came knitting. One of my friends taught me how to cast on, and knit a simple garter stitch. I started very simply with a scarf - but it took me a year to complete. I can't recall why it took so long, considering how much I really enjoy knitting now - but there you have it. I planned to make the scarf for myself, but since I was planning on doing a hand-made holiday, I thought it best to give to my sister-in-law (she lives in a colder area than I do!)

She loved the gift, and then my mom wanted one as well, so I spent the next two days after boxing day whipping up a scarf for her - and that's when I knew... I was in DEEP.

Let's see the run down so far:

• Scarf for sister-in-law
• Scarf for mother
• Scarf for myself
• Scarf for my brother
• Ear warmers for myself
• Ear warmers for another friend 
• Scarf for yet another (can you see a theme for a beginning knitter?)
• Dishcloth #1
• Dishcloth #2
• Dishcloth #3 (another great project idea for beginning knitters!)
• WIP - Baby blanket for my cousin
• Next up: hand-warmers (remember how I said I'm always cold?)

All since Christmas. I would say I've been very busy. ;)

I wish I'd taken the time to get photos of all the projects, but for me the excitement of making the items is giving them to family and friends that I know will love them. It's a relaxing activity that helps me focus on nothing but the task at hand, and often clears my head from the nonsense of the day. So even if I don't have photos, I do have the memories of happy faces.

I think that matters more.


Creativity Christine

Pobody's Nerfect

I often approach projects with a lot of research and planning. I do this because I want to understand the topic or project as best I can, in the hopes of getting the best outcome - the first time. I'm so excited to be learning something new - it's like I give myself information overload!

That's a lot of stress to put on oneself - especially considering that usually when we do something for the first time, we are prone to make missteps, and mistakes resulting in a less than satisfactory outcome.

From there many people get discouraged, and often quit whatever pursuit they were striving for.

I have no idea what he's looking for. Can he even smell anything under all that snow? I'm asking the hard questions here.

I try to remind myself - again and again, as many times as needed - that this is all a process. One step at a time, one post at a time. I don't have to be creative EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I know some people can, I know that others plan projects and posts weeks in advance - but I have to also remember that this is new for me. I need to give myself the room to make mistakes, go long periods without posting - and to remember that it's all okay. Before I know it, I'll look back and I will have found my stride.

Are you just out here to eat snow? You made a fuss just to get outside and eat the fluffy white stuff, didn't you.

In the last few months, I've tried my hands at pickling, watercolour painting, drawing (I'm slowing get back into it), knitting and embroidery. I even want to try and make quilt-inspired items!

That sounds like a lot, huh?

Instead of being disappointed over a handful of in-progress project or items, I'm trying to change my perspective on the whole thing. Though some projects take longer than others (watercolour is a whole new mindset from the way I've painted in the past), and others are finished in 2 days (I knitted my mom's scarf so quickly and relentlessly that I had to take a break for a whole 24 hours - my hands were so cramped!) there is STILL progress being made. I'm still finding those moments for creativity, which have always been very important to me.

I'd call that a win, or at the very least, another point for the positive side.

Believe it or not, we've lost the family dog in the snow before, but he always wanders back.

So even if I get lost along the way, I try to refocus and remind myself that it's all part of the creative journey - it has it's ups and downs - but eventually you will find own unique rhythm.

Creatively Christine

Happy New Year!!!

Go home snowman, you're drunk.

I can still say that, can't I?

It's been many weeks since I last updated (Nearly a month? I weep.) But rest assured – that doesn't mean I've forgotten about the main goal of this blog.

Over the holidays I was involved in a lot of new activities and crafts, all of which I was excitedly planning to share – when my computer had a terrible accident. I had to take it into the shop over the Christmas holidays for repairs, and I only picked it up earlier this month, and then set it up last weekend. Though I had a PC available for just such an emergency, I was missing my Mac fiercely. Now that it's back, I can share all that I've been up to, and my plans for 2015!

I hope your new year has started well!

Here's to 2015! Bigger and better!

Creatively Christine