2019 Maker Finish-Along ~ Making Time for Making

It’s time for the next challenge in the 2019 Maker Finish-Along! February was all about making sure we take breaks for crafty stretching. This will keep us from injuring ourselves & help us be able to make more things! We also picked a UFO to focus on & finish for the month. For the March challenge we will be picking another UFO to finish & focusing on making time for making.

By the way, a UFO is an “UnFinished Object”, in case y’all didn’t know. It’s usually used by quilters or crocheters or knitters, but it applies to projects of all kinds. Since this is a Maker Finish-Along, it’s open to makers of all kinds. No matter what fuels your maker mojo, you can join in the fun!

Please check out January’s post for all the details! You’ll also find a printable schedule & UFO list in the Facebook group.

Makers Need to Make!

I don’t know about y’all, but I get a little cranky when too much time goes by without creating. Making fuels my soul!

There have been times in my life that I rarely made anything. Weeks & months would go by & my creative energy was all bottled up. I had a small child, full time job, & regular house stuff to keep up with. It seemed I was just too pooped & it wasn’t that important to create on a regular basis.

Boy was I wrong!

Creative people need to create! For me, personally, when I go too long without creating it’s like part of me is being caged in. All those years I spent barely creating really made me an unhappy person. It made me feel like I was an impostor in my own life. No one told me I had to do that, I was just trying to do what I thought I was supposed to be doing.

You know, adulting!

About 6 years ago, that all changed. I had thyroid cancer & lost my full time job of 13 years all in one year. {You can read all about that here if you like.} Quite frankly it could be one of the best things to happen to me! I know, that sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Having my “career” stripped out from under me & being forced to “take it easy” for a while made me realize how much I missed creating. It also left me with plenty of time to fill & what better to fill it with than making stuff? I felt like I had found myself again.

Okay, I’m starting to sound like a midnight infomercial trying to sell you the next miracle cure! I’m not trying to sell you snake oil, I’m just trying to drive home the point that creative people need to create. And we need to do it on a regular basis or we can feel like part of us is disappearing.

March’s Maker Challenge

In case you haven’t already figured it out, this month’s challenge is all about making time to make! As I said above, creative people need to utilize that creative energy on a regular basis. It makes us happier people!

Now, I know life has a way of getting in the way when you want creative time. Most of us are not immune to all the “adulting” the world requires of us! So, I’ve got a few tips to help you figure out how to get the most out of your maker time.

Look for Time Stealers

What are time stealers? Things that steal time that aren’t really necessary. I’d say social media & Pinterest are probably two of the biggest culprits. I mean who can resist browsing Pinterest for new ideas or looking at other peoples makes? I’m certainly a lover of doing these things!

But, how long do you actually spend doing these things? Sometimes they take more than they give y’all! Here are some other things that can steal time ~>

• Watching TV, Netflix, YouTube, etc. – This can be done while making, so it really depends on what you’re doing!
• Playing games on your phone or online
• Not having an organized space {We tackled this in January!}

I’m not saying you should never do these things, maybe just think about how much time you actually spend doing these things. You might be amazed at how much more making time you’ll get just by cutting back on these things. It’s great to look for new ideas & see others makes, but maybe more of that time should go to creating something awesome yourself. ; )

Family Time VS Maker Time

This is a tough one! We are all at different stages in our life, but family is usually a part of every stage. I’m currently what’s called an “empty nester” because my son is nearly 20 & off to college. I still have a job & a spouse & dogs to take care of. Also, I still take care of my son, it’s just different!

It can feel overwhelming sometimes to be responsible for other people. Taking time to make can sometimes make people feel guilty because they are taking that time away from loved ones. You may or may not feel like it’s irresponsible.

I say it’s irresponsible to not take time to make!

As I’ve said repeatedly throughout this post, a creative person needs to create or they will feel stifled. That can make you unhappy, which can spill out onto those you love. I know this first hand! Taking that time for your self no matter how big or small it might be, will make you happier. That’s a much better thing to be spilling out onto people! : D

Now, identifying when you can do this will be different for everyone. Once you find a time {or times} that work best for you & yours, put a pin in it! It will most certainly be a fluctuating thing for most, even if it just fluctuates over time. The important thing is finding that time & claiming it for yourself. That leads me to the next tip…

Find Maker Pockets

When I wrote that title I thought about a pocket on the front of a painter’s apron that you could pull endless maker supplies out of. Kind of like Mary Poppins bag! Wouldn’t that be awesome?!? Unfortunately, those don’t really exist, at least I don’t think they do. Y’all would tell me if they did, right? ; )

What I’m really talking about is finding pockets of time to make things. You may have already found some of these by identifying time stealers. Those are great places to find maker pockets!

Another good place to find maker pockets is when you’re waiting on something. I never thought about taking my crochet with me to the doctor’s office to work on it while I’m waiting until I heard other makers talking about it. It makes perfect sense & it’s better than looking at your phone or starring off into space! Plus, I usually have someone ask me about it & that seems to ease the “waiting room tension”.  : )

Today I spotted a teacher that works at the school I teach at working on a project while monitoring the hall at lunch. I won’t mention names, but she is in the Facebook group! That’s a perfect example of finding a maker pocket!

So, look around at your day to see where a maker pocket might be hidden. Maybe in the car while waiting on the kids or at one of their after school activities. Nap time is another great place to find a maker pocket, unless you need a nap too! Sometimes I’ll run in my craft room & add a coat of paint or iron something real quick while I’m waiting for dishes to soak or the stove to heat up. Finding maker pockets can also be a good way to sneak in some extra steps as well! : D

To wrap things up ~>

• March’s challenge is about making time to make & picking your next UFO
• Look for time stealers – Hey Facebook, give me back that last half hour I spent looking at funny videos!
• Make sure to include your maker time in your daily activities! If you have to schedule it to get it in – do it!
• Find maker pockets – Sometimes these can be found while spending time with family. : )

Remember, the most important goal is to enjoy making! No one is taking score & no one is expecting “Pinterest perfection”. Besides, Pinterest is a time stealer! : D We are all here to encourage each other to make awesome things to share with the world!

Happy making y’all! : )