Until Easter

Now that we have resurfaced from our winter flus, I have been thinking a lot about what’s next. This is typically in terms of creative projects. Specifically Lent is coming up in a week or so and last year I took on a huge creative endeavor with my forty forts.

I am not repeating that again. Whew!

I would like to say for the record that I had a great night’s sleep the night before I came up with the idea. And a year later, we are still battling the sleep monster.

Earlier this week, I thought that I wanted to focus on making money. This seems to be the antithesis of Lent. But if you consider that I am not really good at making money, or let’s say uncomfortable with requesting money, then it seems like a perfect challenge. Being disciplined about doing something I would rather not do.

So would that be forty days of posting something on Etsy? Hmm… Until I get an Etsy iPhone app, I don’t think I can manage that.

Plus during the summer of 2007, I made myself super-depressed in my business building attempts. Could I possibly return to the topic in a healthy way? I don’t know.

Then I had another thought. Maybe I need to focus on finishing things instead. I have felt a little frustrated lately because I don’t have the mental space for new ideas. I sit down in the studio and try to think. But shuffling materials on my desk is always interrupted by me telling Lucy that she can’t climb in Stuart’s stuff, which is far more interesting than any of her toys and materials.

I just need to work. I need small productive tasks. Then I realized that i have three projects I have started, a new canvas for church and an idea for a large-scale project where I need to learn the “language” of book origami first. Plus I want to make editions of some of my earlier works and add them to my Etsy shop. So I have plenty to do. I just need to remind myself that they are my creative priorities even though they aren’t attached to a deadline. Well, until now.

Otherwise I have been trying to clean out areas of our apartment. A small space can feel so cluttered so easily. This week I tackled our magazines. But I still have two closets, our bathroom, books and my sock drawer, which has been in a trash bag for a month. Just one of those a week will keep me busy until the end of April.

And finally I am starting a new playground initiative for downtown DC. I emailed our Penn Quarter Parents Group and some moms from Calvary. I only needed eight people to meet with the Washington Interfaith Network. I had ten people within an hour. This is something we have talked about for years. So I am hoping this momentum and Morgan’s simple asking of what I am passionate about will help us finally lead to a place our kids can play. Because we are definitely bored of being inside.

I plan to post more about playgrounds and play to my blog in an attempt to gather materials in one place. Plus it is a great way to record our progression.

So that’s a full plate until Easter, which also coincides with Henry’s birthday. Easter is late this year. April 24th. I can’t wait.