2010 Re: Focus

Time to Reflect on my word for 2010- FOCUS.

I think I learned lots about focusing but mostly about how hard it is for me to focus. I am a zealous follower of new and exciting tangents. Particularly this last quarter, I've been looking myself in the eye and saying "You, rascal!" But nothing is lost if you are teachable. Hopefully I'm not to old a dog and I can learn new tricks!

Focus is the first part of my motto, Triple F- Focus, Fiddle, and Finish.

The word for 2011 should be fiddle but somehow that doesn't portray moving ahead by great leaps and bounds. So I have chosen FIND.

Find: come upon, meet with, discover, obtain by search or study. It also has the original sense of to go, pass, path, bridge. It can be by chance or by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, and observation. One can find out by practice and experience. Now I need to get from focusing to finish and finding what makes me tick, what I like and how to accomplish it, to my way of thinking, is the bridge.

I shall be dragging Focus along again this year as I fiddle, I mean FIND, a way to get a finished product that speaks my name.

Typically I've already begun to fiddle. Instead of striding ahead to meet 2011 with gusto, I decided to reorganize the playroom. Lack of motivation just might have to do with the lack of daylight hours so I'll be finding a way to overcome that small difficulty as well.

The good news is that every time I organize things I get that much closer to perfection. I edit, I simplify my work paths and I find stuff. The above photo is after I had organized my new working stations but after I began to tackle my projects bookcase.

Because I start new projects at the sound of a starting gun I decided to at least have some fabric groupings prepared for those spontaneous moments that actually relate to my need, want, and desires for my home deco wish list. I am encouraged that as I regroup them from the various fabric hunts that bring them into disarray, I notice that about 90% actually stay intact, still vibrant, and as desirable as ever. Maybe I really am learning to focus. :)

I had bought some plastic shoe boxes on sale last year thinking I could use them instead of baggies for fabric dyeing. I got 15 and I wish I'd got more as they stay shut and are MOST useful. This bookcase represents 4 seasons and the major rooms in the house. The bottom shelf is old UFO's that have survived all the simplifying and the shelf directly above is the small art/journal quilts for this and last year.

Journal could be the word for 2011 as well. I'm definitely going to be journalling. I'm committed to several venues. I hope not too many but finding is a journey and as I use this journal format I expect to learn all kinds of enlightening things about myself, my abilities and my art.

I have learned that I have no need for a lot of external stimulation so I continue to simplify my surroundings. My fabric is behind curtains and my books are down behind closed doors.

So the Before (first photo) had me shuffling my sewing cabinet and cutting table around because I like working waist high. Then I changed the various plastic storage unit drawers.

The After (above) shows that I put the deep drawers into the closet and the shallow drawers in the craft area so I spend less time looking for what I need.

That window curtain needs to go even if it was free. 8p I really like a plain and straight valence.

I did move ahead in 2010 and I'm hoping to do even more MOVING AHEAD in 2011.

Happy New Year!