What was I thinking?

[Chicken lady]

My butt is being kicked by seasonal affective disorder, a repeatedly flooding basement, the constant construction...yeah, mostly those.

So I decided today would be a good day to work on the studio.

Not IN the studio - even though I have some stuff I really need to finish - ON the studio. As in drag all the random craft stuff and cardboard out into the middle of the room so I could put the shelf where I wanted it and, um, and, yeah. That's as far as I got.

I did throw away a bent tray and 4 "failure" pots, and I filled a plastic grocery bag with recycling, and I took down the light fixture I have hated from day one that dh wouldn't take down and I decided that as soon as I get the stuff off of it, the changing table I've been using for a storage rack can go to goodwill.

It looks horrible and messy and discouraging. And I am faced with the reality of too many hobbies, not enough space. I need a keeper.

[Ultralight]

I could tell something was up...

[iris lilies]

Well, this may not be relevant, but often ( usually) initial steps of organizing a space make the space look worse rather than better.

Heres as hoping that's what you are experiencing.

[rodeosweetheart]

I have SAD, too, Chicken lady, so I am trying to go easy on myself, and not expect too much. Baby steps. I got out of the house and went to the store and walked around with other people in evidence--that is good for me, to see colors and textures and a brightly lit store--the produce section always cheers me up and grounds me.

I burn candles a lot--into the balsam scent right now, which seems to help a little bit.

I tried the light therapy last year but that did not help. Am taking B12.

I am trying to do something soothing every day. This is a hard time of year, to adjust. I am trying to destress in as many areas as I can.

[Chicken lady]

Vitamins. I haven't been taking my vitamins all month again.

Thanks rodeosweetheart. It's good to have somebody who understands. I keep trying to find some kind of support forum, but all I find is people who are really desperate posting about relationships falling apart and losing their jobs over this and suicidal thoughts and I can't face that.

I want a place where I can say I got dressed. And I ran a load of laundry and I swept the kitchen floor and I washed all the dishes. And I also moved a shelf. And someone will say "good job! Are you aking your vitamins?"

And good for you for getting out of the house!

[freshstart]

Vitamins. I haven't been taking my vitamins all month again.
I want a place where I can say I got dressed. And I ran a load of laundry and I swept the kitchen floor and I washed all the dishes. And I also moved a shelf. And someone will say "good job! Are you aking your vitamins?"


I think you found that place.

Did you take your vitamins today? And IMHO, you got a lot done.

[Teacher Terry]

WE are always our worst critics & too hard on ourselves. If I lived by you I would come help. I actually love helping people declutter & have done it numerous times. YOu need to find a weird friend that is like me:0!. Hugs

[kib]

You might want to actually go through some threads you've written or contributed to right here - you are doing Great with your ceramics as well as Eating The Elephant!!! I know how hard it is to keep your triumphs in mind when depression or a setback gets on top of you, but you've got a really good record of the high spots. Hang in there. :)

[nswef]

You have done a great job! All the construction and STILL getting decluttering done and ceramics and getting up and getting dressed! Did you take your vitamins? I did find that Vit. D seems to help me with the blahs. And you entertained.

[mschrisgo2]

Ah, yes, the SAD... I deal with that one, too. What has helped me the most is vitamin D3, recommended by my doctor in large amounts, 10,000 iu/day, and B12, 12,000mcg/day. And like rodeosweetheart mentioned, if all else fails, drag myself out of the house, to-- any where, really. Just the change of scenery is a big help. And then I tend to see things differently when I get home.

Oh, if I could have a dollar for every time I've made a bigger mess in trying to organize! Just this past Saturday, I wanted, oh so much, to have a kid around that I could direct-- take that to the garbage, take that to the recycling bin, put those in my car-- Yes, that would have been so helpful!! Sounds like you could use one too.

[Chicken lady]

I seriously miss those kids!

I do have a friend who would love to help me organize the studio, but she knows I can't let her help because she's too efficient. I'd end up with one shelf, one wheel, two bats, a folding table, one kiln, the slab roller, the extruder, one cupboard of glazes, about six brushes, a shoebox of tools, two hand towels and a bucket of clay. The beads and crayons and felt and paint, etc would just all go straight in the trash. "not ceramics". I'd spend the whole time saying "don't throw that away!" and we'd drive each other crazy. Actually, I haven't used the extruder this year, so that would probably go too - even though it's bolted to the wall.

I'm going I start a S.A.D. thread in health if anybody wants to join me.

[Teacher Terry]

Once the construction is done life should be much easier. It is always hard to be under construction & it has been going on for a long time. That's one reason when we bought our last house that needed a ton of work-4 months in total we stayed in our old home until it was done.

[Chicken lady]

We should have moved until it was done! ;-). But then who would squeegee out the basement at 6 a.m.?

I have been puttering around in the studio today. I have a nice, well lit table set up for glazing and I have put all of the brushes I have found so far on it in two jars - purging to follow.

I turned out one of the soap molds to dry and need to do the other. (I made soap on Friday)

I also worked on my teapots for class a little. One of them got demoted to canister and the other two are waiting for the correct level of dryness so I can assemble them.

I have also started grouping cookie cutters, clays, molds, and work at different levels of completion.

I have washed several surfaces and filled half of a large trash can (including yesterday's effort)

I am thinking about letting my friend come help me but telling her she has to put everything she thinks should be thrown out on the rug in the middle of the room. The wall and shelf areas would be neat and clean and organized, and then I could just start working my way into the center of the rug. I don't think I've reached a point where everything she would want to throw out would fit on the rug yet though.

Also, my son called and he is bringing me two more pickle buckets! A pickle bucket holds a lot of clay and I have many partly used bags of dried out clay lying around that need to be soaked and rewedged.

[Teacher Terry]

I would let your friend help. I helped a good friend of mine do this 2x's. The first time she didn't get rid of as much as I thought she should but that's okay because she made progress. The second time she did more culling which was good.

[Chicken lady]

I took the big trash can up 3/4 full.

I also talked to my daughter last night. She is getting married next summer and hey are thinking about having the reception here. Which would men completely packing up the studio (and everything else in the barn) and moving everything to the basement temporarily.

Assuming the basement is done. Otherwise I might just rent a storage space. It is cheaper than renting a reception hall.

[Zoe Girl]

remember you can hire someone to help with the moving things around for the reception, movers do all types of jobs after all!

[Chicken lady]

The reception is no longer possibly here.

My son arrived with the pickle buckets. He was impressed with my progress. Ds, his gf, and I all played in the studio for a while yesterday. I was able to easily find everything they needed and he commented on how much nicer the work space was. Also, he asked "where was this table?" (it's a six foot long plastic topped table- it was literally so buried it was completely hidden.)

Also, I have a dollhouse. Sort of. Once it was very nice, and then some movers picked it up by the roof after I specifically told them not to, and the nails gave way and the house part fell off the roof and down some concrete stairs. So what I actually have are some boxes of furnishings and some broken boards. But I saved the boards with the idea that some day I would trace them and recreate the house.

Anyway, they are in the studio and yesterday ds found them and asked what they were (he was 2 when the house got wrecked.) I told him and he asked "would you be upset if *i* fixed the house?". I told him I would be delighted! And he is thinking about making it his Christmas break project!

[freshstart]

Anyway, they are in the studio and yesterday ds found them and asked what they were (he was 2 when the house got wrecked.) I told him and he asked "would you be upset if *i* fixed the house?". I told him I would be delighted! And he is thinking about making it his Christmas break project!

that is awesome! Good kid you got there. By playing in the studio, do you mean you all play music together?

[Chicken lady]

No, it's an art studio. Playing as opposed to working, just doing stuff for fun.

[mschrisgo2]

Ah, playing in the studio sounds like great fun! And how nice that your son noticed all the work you've done in cleanup and organizing- and *** Awesome*** that he's going to fix the dollhouse for you! I remember you saying that he loves projects, what a fun one!

[Chicken lady]

Well, I don't know if he will actually fix the dollhouse, but he is playing with the idea.

The studio still has a long way to go, but I love that we can go out there and do things together now. We even took their dog and I wasn't worried about the dog knocking over piles or walking on stuff.

[freshstart]

way to go!