This past week was all about deadlines. For months leading up to the first full week of May, many supplemental goals needed to be set and accomplished. And since I have a tendency to revert to Monkey Mind (see past blog post!), this concept is not always natural to me. I think many people who think in creative ways struggle with deadlines, so I’m not alone!
Early in the week I delivered and set up a series of outdoor flowers to fill the pots underneath this pool-side table.
I’ve learned that setting an end date is powerful and beneficial. I think it actually makes me more creative and enables me to accomplish much, much more. I’ve mentioned before I like to break tasks into small, manageable bites. All of these lead up to an overall end target. It works for me.
The garden bell class was filled to capacity resulting in 12 happy crafters going home with their beautifully decorated and assembled garden art. Throughout the workshop, I set completion goals for the students so everyone knew what had to be completed so we could move on to the next creative task. It worked well. I'm already planning a wrap bracelet-making class for June. Stay tuned!
Over the weekend, I split my time between two wonderful local shows. I had prepped the featured clay pieces for the personality of each venue, visualized and practiced the set up for the display and demo, made a list, packed, delivered and set up.
This annual fiber spectacular at The Knot House (held the same weekend as the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival) features Indie Yarn Dyers from far and wide. People line up to get in and grab first dibs on limited inventory colorways of incredible wool. As a knitter, it's paradise. As a potter, it's an opportunity to share my knitting-related clay pieces with this creative crowd. I spent Friday and Sunday at The Knot House and spoke to numerous attendees as they stood in line to pay for their stash. I learned here too. Some of these creative stitchers set goals and have a plan for their projects and many others just wing it!
Saturday was an all-day/night affair at my favorite Frederick shop -- The Muse. The town hosts monthly First Saturday events. The Mayfest theme this month invited visitors to collect flowers at participating shops to build a bouquet as they meander. 'Blobs' (named because of their oval shape and ability to morph into several uses) were the featured clay item for the event! I demonstrated how these are made and had fun talking with a steady stream of customers.
Deadlines are necessary for me to complete one idea and be able to move on to the next. As a knitter, I'm one of those people who likes to work on one pattern at a time until it's finished. I don't like to buy yarn without a plan of what I'm going to make. It's too stressful for me and I think it actually slows me down. It's the same when I create with clay. Goals, deadlines, to-do lists and a plan all make me more creative and lead me to finish what I start.