I nodded along throughout this piece. I was born of two perfectionists, so I suppose there was no way I was going to escape the Beast. I've tempered it here and there, but it still sits with me every day waiting its opportunity to strike. I was lucky enough to marry someone not familiar with the Beast, and that has helped to ground me over the years. I love that Arthur Ashe quote. Dare I say it was....perfect? No wonderful craft cart or knitting chair for me - I get by with just a handful of projects in knitting bags and a stack of patterns for sewing with their associated cloth.
I have a trolley! It's just the IKEA raskog, and it was a lifesaver when we were living in a two room tiny house (with four kids, homeschooled, over the pandemic - I needed every inch of space I could squeeze!). Now we are in a bigger house, and I have a craft "nook", I still use it to try* and keep the lounge room projects somewhat organised! I have a little round up of how I use it over on my main blog if you want a stickybeak.
*try, in this context, means leave everything all over the lounge but regularly reassure my family its not a problem I just need to pop it all away on the trolley right next to me...at some point.
Perfectionism does not serve me. I'm flawed to be sure and in accepting that has been freeing. I realise striving for what cannot be, means I'm kinder to myself. I whole heartily agree with the quote you've shared. “Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can.” :)
Well said. The perfect time is Now. When the idea pops in my head I better act on it. Cause normally just normally another moment is coming for another thing to do.
The older I got the easier it got to let go of perfectionism. And to quote my aunt: Nobody will notice anyway. And she is so right.
Also a long time ago now I met someone who taught me Kinesiology which is based on muscle testing. Very helpful for all the ills of the body and when you can’t make up your mind. Just ask, test and the answer is there. Helped me to stop worrying about the best solution or the perfect whatever. I just wish I could teach it to more people.
I am a perfectionist. I find for me that perfectionism is a trauma response and if I can’t do something perfect the first time I probably won’t do it at all.
I describe myself as a recovering perfectionist. It’s a journey and quite a bumpy one! Having said that I catch that perfectionist whispering in my ear much more quickly than I used to so I am making progress
"A tool is as good as its user" - this is the quote that has served me well over years, when I catch myself thinking that I am lacking some magical contraption that others have access to. I don't think I try to be perfect but I can procrastinate hard and well for no good reason! 🙈
you're never gonna have that perfect spot, because as i always say, life gets in the way.
i have appropriated pretty much every piece of furniture into something that will hold yarn, not counting whichever chair that the dog decides is hers at the moment. yes, she helps me with the yarn. mostly trying to tie herself up in it!!! i'm always working with cashmere, so to her, i probably smell like a goat!!! when i had five i was in puppy heaven, they all wanted to roll on me!!!
i love pretty things (my favorite color is glitter!!) so i have christmas lights up year round, inside and out. they make me smile!!
a wooden microwave table ($15 at a thrift store) makes a perfect place for books, a swift, wips, and containers for hooks and needles. i have a tea cart piled high with finished pretty squishies!!!! and a tall (i don't even know what you'd call it) cabinet with doors and lots of shelves, that i call my yarn barn.
and every time my old beagle goes outside, i go with her and sit on the porch to just enjoy the day. every minute that goes by is another one gone forever.
You read me like a book, I needed to hear this today! Cart-wise, IKEA. Hobbycraft do a cheaper lookalike but I don’t think it lookabetter than the Ikea one.
I didn’t realize that I was a perfectionist until a few years ago, I had read a post by someone talking about perfectionism and their struggle with it and it was like looking into a mirror! “Oh, so that’s why I make things difficult for myself!”, I thought 🙃
This is how I am as well. Although it would be nice to have separate space for journaling, meditation, or any of my hobbies, I prefer to write and create wherever I want to that day!
I nodded along throughout this piece. I was born of two perfectionists, so I suppose there was no way I was going to escape the Beast. I've tempered it here and there, but it still sits with me every day waiting its opportunity to strike. I was lucky enough to marry someone not familiar with the Beast, and that has helped to ground me over the years. I love that Arthur Ashe quote. Dare I say it was....perfect? No wonderful craft cart or knitting chair for me - I get by with just a handful of projects in knitting bags and a stack of patterns for sewing with their associated cloth.
I have a trolley! It's just the IKEA raskog, and it was a lifesaver when we were living in a two room tiny house (with four kids, homeschooled, over the pandemic - I needed every inch of space I could squeeze!). Now we are in a bigger house, and I have a craft "nook", I still use it to try* and keep the lounge room projects somewhat organised! I have a little round up of how I use it over on my main blog if you want a stickybeak.
*try, in this context, means leave everything all over the lounge but regularly reassure my family its not a problem I just need to pop it all away on the trolley right next to me...at some point.
Perfectionism does not serve me. I'm flawed to be sure and in accepting that has been freeing. I realise striving for what cannot be, means I'm kinder to myself. I whole heartily agree with the quote you've shared. “Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can.” :)
Well said. The perfect time is Now. When the idea pops in my head I better act on it. Cause normally just normally another moment is coming for another thing to do.
The older I got the easier it got to let go of perfectionism. And to quote my aunt: Nobody will notice anyway. And she is so right.
Also a long time ago now I met someone who taught me Kinesiology which is based on muscle testing. Very helpful for all the ills of the body and when you can’t make up your mind. Just ask, test and the answer is there. Helped me to stop worrying about the best solution or the perfect whatever. I just wish I could teach it to more people.
I am a perfectionist. I find for me that perfectionism is a trauma response and if I can’t do something perfect the first time I probably won’t do it at all.
I describe myself as a recovering perfectionist. It’s a journey and quite a bumpy one! Having said that I catch that perfectionist whispering in my ear much more quickly than I used to so I am making progress
"A tool is as good as its user" - this is the quote that has served me well over years, when I catch myself thinking that I am lacking some magical contraption that others have access to. I don't think I try to be perfect but I can procrastinate hard and well for no good reason! 🙈
you're never gonna have that perfect spot, because as i always say, life gets in the way.
i have appropriated pretty much every piece of furniture into something that will hold yarn, not counting whichever chair that the dog decides is hers at the moment. yes, she helps me with the yarn. mostly trying to tie herself up in it!!! i'm always working with cashmere, so to her, i probably smell like a goat!!! when i had five i was in puppy heaven, they all wanted to roll on me!!!
i love pretty things (my favorite color is glitter!!) so i have christmas lights up year round, inside and out. they make me smile!!
a wooden microwave table ($15 at a thrift store) makes a perfect place for books, a swift, wips, and containers for hooks and needles. i have a tea cart piled high with finished pretty squishies!!!! and a tall (i don't even know what you'd call it) cabinet with doors and lots of shelves, that i call my yarn barn.
and every time my old beagle goes outside, i go with her and sit on the porch to just enjoy the day. every minute that goes by is another one gone forever.
You read me like a book, I needed to hear this today! Cart-wise, IKEA. Hobbycraft do a cheaper lookalike but I don’t think it lookabetter than the Ikea one.
I didn’t realize that I was a perfectionist until a few years ago, I had read a post by someone talking about perfectionism and their struggle with it and it was like looking into a mirror! “Oh, so that’s why I make things difficult for myself!”, I thought 🙃
I got a nice turquoise sewing cart from Hobbycraft. I recommend getting one - they really do hold a lot!
This is how I am as well. Although it would be nice to have separate space for journaling, meditation, or any of my hobbies, I prefer to write and create wherever I want to that day!
I fight the Beast every day! Still working on letting go, acceptance, and surrender.