Not Getting Things Done

As many people do, I did some naval gazing around the New Year. One of the things I decided to work on was the intensity with which I work to Get Things Done in my hobbies, which, by definition, should be enjoyable.

I have a knitting project going nearly all the time, and I get twitchy in the brief moments between the bind off of one project and the cast on of another. I rarely allow myself to lie fallow, and that means I rarely let my brain really contemplate new projects that would be creatively fulfilling.

For example, I own the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook. I think I would really enjoy finding an object that is meaningful to me and developing a stranded pattern inspired by that object. But that takes time, and instead it is easier for me to cast on another pair of socks.

Then I have to Finish the Socks.

When I finish the socks, I have to start something else... which then has to be finished. You see the track this Crazy Train barrels down.

So, one of my new year's goals is to be more intentional. I want to give myself creative space. I want to knit less. I want to give myself permission not to Get Things Done. I want to color in a coloring book if that sounds fun, and I want to give up on a sweater that I don't love, and I want to tell the voice in my head that insists I continually do something productive to shut the fuck up.

Um, but I can't do all that right now. (Can't can't do that right now?) Right now, I'm doing some knitting for a designer, and it has a deadline.

But after that, I'm going to Not Get Things Done.