Manifesting Your True Self

[catherine]

No, this isn't a New Age thread. I'm not channeling Wayne Dyer here.

In an effort to quell the angst I've had about color palettes for the VT house, I've been poring over Pinterest boards. In the process I discovered this website. I'm in love with this woman! Not only does she have the cheeriest house imaginable, but she has a great life on a Massachusetts home farm and she actually creates the fiber decor--printing, knitting, crocheting, etc.

She reminds me of a slice of a younger me--the "me" I was before marriage, family and work. I oil painted, drew portraits, made all my own clothes, made costumes for community theatre, made all my Christmas presents to family and friends, did embroidery and crewel work, hooked rugs, and pursued other types of "Renaissance woman" skills.

ALL that went away. And finding that website made me wonder: Why? Did I lose interest? Am I not talented enough? Or did I simply get too busy? I loved that life. And it's completely gone now.

My favorite simple living book--and I have it on my "altar" where I can see it and be inspired by it every day, is "A Handmade Life" by William Coperthwaite. He writes about the beauty in literally crafting the tools of life, and I love that.

So why am I so enthralled with Kristen N and William C? Am I yearning to find that part of myself again? If so, why did I abandon it for 40 years? Who IS my true self? The marketing consultant or the Renaissance teen?

So here is the DEEP question for a Friday: Who is your true self, and are you manifesting it to your satisfaction?

[herbgeek]

I'm going to need to think more on your question, but I'd just like to comment on the website's beautiful crewel work. I haven't seen that since the 70's! So pretty.

[iris lilies]

I get to live my authentic life now completely, as someone who doesnt punch a time clock.I will say that for the vast majority of my working life I was very interested in the work and sometimes found it thrilling, so I guess that was my authentic self at work.

It can be a little intimidating to FINALLY be free of limits and restraints in crafting my daily life. My responsibilites are few—care for the dog, keep house cleanish, cook a little. And I could hire the cleaning out and not replace pets when they die, so that would be even more freedom. But I wont do that, gotta have a silly bulldog around here.

I also love the exuberant colors of this website. Anyone who uses hot pink prominantly is my kinda gal.I love gypsy caravan decorating with lots of color and pattern. Her decor reminds me of that middle Eastern guy’s quilt books—someone here probably knows who I am talking about, something like Kahal Fassem. I couldnt find him in a quck search on the internet.

I dont want to live in strong color on color and pattern on pattern hoise, but I love that look and wouldnt mind one room that way.

[razz]

At the risk of sounding a little trite, 'to everything there is a season". Yes, the woman in one's teens and 20's has skills and interest that she really enjoys and use up her free time. Then if it is time to explore the family roles, wife, mother, DIL etc., with all its responsibilities, something has to give way. There is simply not enough time to do it all properly plus work outside the home and volunteer. There are valuable skills discovered and accumulated that need to be acknowledge and respected from this season of one's life. I wouldn't have missed a moment of it.

That said, in my teens and 20's, I was capable with machinery maintenance, willing to explore and rescue the world from its challenges and life was just an adventure. I experienced the 'family season', learned a lot, accomplished many things that I had dreamed about but now, I am back to some of the dreams of my teens and 20's and have the time and money to do them with wisdom and experience to guide me. I have returned to my art, my needlework but find that there is a depth of soul-searching that my younger me wasn't interested in doing. I am doing my own machinery maintenance and exploring the world but now knowing that I cannot rescue it on my own.

I suspect that one needs to be willing to change into the different 'seasons' of life to enjoy the experience. Holding onto a position outgrown because it is familiar means missing out on the adventure ahead, IMHO anyway.

[JaneV2.0]

I lost myself years ago. I've always blamed employment, but that's likely too simplistic.
I've always been a dilettante, with so many interests (and probably a touch of ADHD), that I never focus on anything for long.
I have the greatest envy for those who identify their passion early and dedicate their life to it.
Kristin Nicholas's work--the book Joyful has a couple of chapters on the life-enhancing power of color.

[flowerseverywhere]

Iris it is Kaffe Fasset. (Rhymes with safe asset).

I have done this this my whole life. Every afghan, pillow, quilt etc, all our bedding is made by me. All of our pottery dishes and serving dishes are are made by me. Our furniture is all handcrafted, the complicated pieces we had made but a lot of the wood in the house was made by DH. I reupholstered my couch and chair and I have my watercolors and quilts on the walls. My walls and floors are deliberately neutral though. I used to make a lot of clothes and knit socks and sweaters too. Now I rarely make clothes as I live a jeans and t shirt life. And a lot of the intricate handwork like knitting is out due to arthritis.
I always have to be doing and making something, usually several projects at a time. Even when I worked full time I always did this. Sometimes I’m in someone’s showcase home and know mine is not likely to be in a magazine, but I love it. Plus I have lots of flowers outside and flowering plants like African violets and Christmas cactus (my salmon one is in Full bloom now) I don’t have piles of craft supplies and fabrics, just a small stash and I use it up. I guess it has to be in your blood. But you can always pick up a small project and start.

Now on that I am retired I do more stuff, and include exercise and genealogy research too in my day. Life is good.

[frugal-one]

You know... I am an avid garage saler and bargain hunter. I cannot see making something when I can buy it so much cheaper. I would rather spend my time doing something else. Interesting in how we all preserve things.

[rosarugosa]

Flowers: it sounds like you must have a wonderful home!

[SiouzQ.]

I am really trying to re-manifest myself back into my dream life here in New Mexico. It has been such a grueling year in so many ways ~ the death of my daughter and two debilitating surgeries within months of each other, all while actively in menopause, plus this stupid chronic side-hip, gluteus medius pain. In spite of all these trials, now that spring is coming I am sort of maybe seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I went on two hikes this week, nothing hard because I am still experiencing pain and other issues with the last surgery, but it felt so good to be outside in this beautiful landscape, traipsing around in my favorite places. I can feel my old wanderlust starting to return. I'm starting to want to start playing music with other people again and be more sociable. I am surviving all this and hope to start thriving soon.

[catherine]

Flowers: it sounds like you must have a wonderful home!

I agree.. I'd love to see pictures!