I can do it all! (Well, I can at least start it.)

I absolutely love to be creative. Some of my incessant need to do something innovative and unique comes from being an only child and having a mother who was always prodding me to try things. She worked full-time and was hell-bent on me not getting into trouble. Boredom was not to be tolerated. My grandparents who were like the FBI were there to make sure I kept busy.  As a result I learned to knit, sew my own clothes, play the piano, write stories, cook, garden, paint and read books. I was also the family mascot. My mother would encourage me to perform for company with one of my funny skits. I had a Charlie Chaplin outfit and was quite good at imitating him.

My only downfall was that I would fall so in love with all of it, that it was difficult to stick with one thing. My mother would often become totally exasperated at my desire to do more than one thing at a time. It was not unusual for me to be watching television, knitting, and reading a book. As a result there were projects I would start and never finish. My love of texture and various colors can be seen to this day by opening a box in my closet that is filled with knitting yarn and needles. There are partially done sweaters and scarfs, half an argyle sock, part of an afghan and half a hat. I also have a box of almost done needlepoint projects, canvasses with some paint on them, dozens of cookbooks, and a library full of books. My love of movement drove me to buy a myriad of “how to” tapes that included yoga, tai chi, aerobics, ball room dancing, and meditation.

All of the above segued into my married life and being the mother of three children. Not until I was divorced and in need of a career to sustain myself and my family did some of the above become distant memories. However, the foundation of who we are does not dim easily. My career necessitates a certain degree of reinvention and the ability to be relevant. Needless to say, I have become invested in my computer and all its ancillary functions. Why not create a brochure about my latest workshop while I binge watch Breaking Bad and finish a painting? Now I can track how many steps I take a day while cooking a new recipe. I’m tired of chastising myself for not finishing everything I start and have simply started relishing what I do. It’s not a crime to begin a creative project and not see it to completion. There is no one doing community service for not finishing a scarf. I am simply going to be grateful that I can still get excited about something!