We've all heard of writer's block. And writing is a type of craft, so it's no surprise that "crafter's block" is a very real thing. It manifests in various ways and how we handle it can also vary.

I had mine at the worst time. This is what happened...

It was nearing December. I was about to restart and renew this website, my blog, my art--I even finally made a Facebook page. I contacted a twice-time customer (which made me really happy) and let her know new things were coming into my shop.

Beginning of January 2019 came, and it was like a dam broke open and everything art related got washed downstream. 

The first situation I probably should have known would be the start of it, and that's when we moved. All my art things, projects I was in the middle of, everything got packed away. Sure I was excited to move into our first house, but I'm sure you can understand how stressful it is too.

Slowly, we sorted and put away the contents of our moving boxes. It took a year and a half. Seriously, I finished unpacking and cleaning the garage literally three weeks ago from the writing of this post. 

But anyway, ok, so we moved. The beginning of January I’d given my two weeks notice, quitting a job I had thought to be at for years, to make a career out of. These kinds of decisions of leaving what’s more or less stable for something new, when you know you need to for your mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, is always a tricky thing to navigate. Despite my overall successes at my workplace, despite what I had accomplished, it wasn’t enough for folks, and the last two weeks ended up being...difficult to say the least. 

During this time, I still was managing to create. Mostly for my own sanity. Not everything was unpacked, I was limited. But I was doing it.

Nonetheless, I transitioned out of the job into a panic for almost two months at not having the job yet that I was supposed to be going into.

I found out I was pregnant late January, which I was happy about but again, stressed about also. So many new things happening at once!  By the time summer came, I was six months pregnant and my "studio", 50% built and unpacked, and also in the garage, was unfortunately far too hot to work in. My new job had (finally) started in March and I was traveling a lot, often as far as two hours away.

I posted a few times in January, and only one creative thing in February. That was it. My next post wouldn’t be until September, but it wasn’t a creative object.

Ultimately, I had no time or energy, and crafter's block set in. I stopped watching YouTube, stopped looking at Instagram, stopped trying to unpack my art from boxes, stopped looking at the Junk Journal Junkies Facebook group. 

I just...stopped.

And that's what a block like this can do: make you stop doing the thing you thought made you happy, because you suddenly realize it doesn't and no one else cares about your stuff and it's all gonna end up in the garbage when you die so what's the point?

Brutal thoughts. Whether true or not. Often not. But a depressive state does not allow for logical and obvious thoughts such as: this is temporary, it’s not a waste, it’s not useless, etc. etc..

It wasn’t until I was eight months, that I started cleaning again. Thank goodness for the “nesting” instinct that kicks in when pregnant! Of course, sorting and cleaning everything is all the more difficult when you’re that far along, but I had to get it done before the baby came. If not for that instinct, I probably wouldn’t be done still.

My daughter was born late September. A week after I was done with the garage. See? Miracles happen!

After her birth, the block cracked open, and for whatever reason I can’t explain, the urge to create returned. I made my first Instagram post in seven months, though it was about my daughter being born, which, I guess technically, is something I helped create? Hahaha, but not something crafty.

So here I am, trying to pick up where I left off. It’ll be slow going (after all, four kids and a job makes for a busy life), but at least I AM going.

I thank you for your understanding, and for your support.

Cheers~