Goals for 2022?

[happystuff]

That is what I mean, but I HATE jigsaw puzzles. That would definitely be work for me!

LOL. Okay, something else then.

[hana]

BikingLady: It's a challenge, remember to stay strong and that No is a complete sentence. It's something I did years ago and my only regret is not doing it earlier. You can do it!

Decided how I want to do the yarn inventory project, going to do a spreadsheet with each skeins quantity, fiber content, weight, color, bin number, and project (if any). Expecting another snowpocalypse this weekend so I will physically sort the yarn and place it in bins based on weight and number each bin.

[Simplemind]

Catherine I totally understand the feeling of brain drain. Doesn't matter if I've used it to solve the world's problems or I'm just feeling uninspired. That is why I put myself in the studio for the time out without expectation of what I may or may not produce there. I may watch a painting tutorial for a style inspiration instead of actually painting. I may read one of my many collected novels which always enriches the language I will use when I write. I may put on some tunes and break out a feather duster and clean the room or organize my supplies. Whatever it is.... I am putting the habit back into self-enrichment instead of settling into the couch cushions and anesthetizing myself with Judge Judy or Facebook. I often will go back there uninspired and end up staying longer being engrossed in something I didn't expect. An idea I had the other day was to go through my over 30 years of day planner/journals and pull out incidents of significance (which believe it or not, I tend to forget which is why I use them) so I can have a master list at a glance for later. That way I can get rid of the journals so nobody has to do it later. I've been asked so many times to write a blog or a book so this would be a way to gather material I have forgotten through the years.

[catherine]

Catherine I totally understand the feeling of brain drain. Doesn't matter if I've used it to solve the world's problems or I'm just feeling uninspired. That is why I put myself in the studio for the time out without expectation of what I may or may not produce there. I may watch a painting tutorial for a style inspiration instead of actually painting. I may read one of my many collected novels which always enriches the language I will use when I write. I may put on some tunes and break out a feather duster and clean the room or organize my supplies. Whatever it is.... I am putting the habit back into self-enrichment instead of settling into the couch cushions and anesthetizing myself with Judge Judy or Facebook. I often will go back there uninspired and end up staying longer being engrossed in something I didn't expect. An idea I had the other day was to go through my over 30 years of day planner/journals and pull out incidents of significance (which believe it or not, I tend to forget which is why I use them) so I can have a master list at a glance for later. That way I can get rid of the journals so nobody has to do it later. I've been asked so many times to write a blog or a book so this would be a way to gather material I have forgotten through the years.

I love these ideas! And in particular your 30 years of journals--I'm becoming worried that if I ever dropped dead, I wouldn't want anyone to read my journals, and I have been considering a similar approach to just pulling out key entries, maybe using the rest of the entries to construct a timeline of key events in each year, and then ditching all the self-indulgent blether about old boyfriends, frustrations with work and other useless scribble.

[Tybee]

Don't laugh, but I use jigsaw puzzles for this. When I am working on one, my mind is shackle-free. I just relax and look for pieces. (Not sure if this is what you exactly mean or not.)

Me too! It's kind of meditative, you don't so much find the piece as recognize it.

[Tybee]

Catherine, I haven't done this, but my dh used to do it all the time--he would get newspapers and use the winter to make plant pots. They worked great. He did it without this device, but I have seen these and they give you something to build on:

https://www.amazon.com/Esschert-Desi...797331840&th=1

[rosarugosa]

Me too! It's kind of meditative, you don't so much find the piece as recognize it.

I can honestly achieve some of my best moments of "flow" working on a jigsaw puzzle. In a way I think that's too bad, since it feels productive but really isn't. But wait a minute! I guess it's just fun, for fun's sake alone, and that's not a bad thing, right?

[iris lilies]

Me too! It's kind of meditative, you don't so much find the piece as recognize it.

I agree that I can see where you all get meditative flow from working puzzles. I get that from weeding in the garden.

I have no interest in doing puzzles, the concept bores me. Just as the concept of weeding gardens bores many people.

For good mental health we should probably all find the meditative activity that pleases us.

[catherine]

Catherine, I haven't done this, but my dh used to do it all the time--he would get newspapers and use the winter to make plant pots. They worked great. He did it without this device, but I have seen these and they give you something to build on:

https://www.amazon.com/Esschert-Desi...797331840&th=1

That is really cool! Very cute concept and for me probably more fulfilling than puzzles. (Interestingly I hate puzzles but love Tetris--both visual pattern challenges but I enjoy Tetris more.

[Teacher Terry]

I can’t do jigsaw puzzles. I have never been able to.