Saturdays are chore days - vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, laundry,food shopping etc. Luckily, I have someone to split the chores with, but still - every week they need to be done. I used to grumble about the never-ending dust bunnies and the fact that there is always dirty laundry, but have recently begun to realize something: each week, as we perform those chores,we are pushing a reset button on the house.
By doing this, we clear away the clutter from the week and get the place ready for the week to come. If we didn't take the time to reset, we'd soon be overwhelmed: the magazine that was put down in that corner and forgotten, the threads that were snipped from projects and slipped under the living room couch, the bird seed (oh, the bird seed!) that is scattered hither and yon by our feathered friends... You get the picture.
Another advantage of the weekly chores is that, while doing them, I have time to push a mental reset button as well. Since vacuuming floors, cleaning bird cages and washing bathtubs doesn't take a huge amount of concentration, my mind is free to wander:
- How was my week?
- Did I do what had hoped to?
- What did I miss?
- Could I have managed my time differently to do that one thing I had really wanted to do?
- What do I want to do next week?
- How can I manage it?
This weekend I took a bit of extra time to clean and tidy my studio. It was a mess! The remnants of multiple projects were stacked on my desk, on the floor and on every other horizontal surface available, including the floor:
- Fabric from doll parts that were cut out,
- Art supplies from the Art Heals projects I facilitate online (part of my day-job),
- Reference books for upcoming projects, past projects, and current projects,
- That tool I borrowed from my husband's wood shop and never returned,
- The wall quilts I started way back in February and then put aside when things became hectic,
- Filming equipment for the weekly Sunday Open Studio video I produce as part of my job at Two Rivers Gallery.
It felt so good to have my space straightened out. I somehow felt lighter and more energized to do things once it was clutter-free.
Now I have room to do what I need to do: film, sew, video-conference and, (my newest endeavour) carve a wooden puppet. I'm taking an online class on how to do that from a world-renowned puppeteer in Iceland, and will tell you more about it at another time.
As for my mental reset, I figured out a few things:
- I've made progress on my dolls, and working on them daily should see this pair finished within the next week or two (photos below);
- Getting outside for walks as often as possible makes for a better mood. Doing something active before bedtime helps me sleep better;
- I do have time for the puppet course, as long as I prioritize the doll work so I'm ready for December (more on that later, as well);
- Setting a daily priority list helps to accomplish what I want to do. Sometimes the list is too long for the day, but that's OK - there's always tomorrow;
- I need to add the studio reset to my weekly routine from now on. I'll breathe easier when I'm in there if I do so.
Here are the promised doll photos:
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| Some assembly required |
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| Need to add some details, still |
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| Who will they become? Stay tuned! |
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