Making Changes

I'm trying to maintain the reasons behind why I started this blog. The last few years haven't been easy nor have I been following through with my beliefs on food, eating, and creating.  I am the heaviest I have even been and for some reason, I can't seem to change my bad habits, or stop eating my trigger foods.  I was talking to a friend who lost some weight and she is doing a pretty strict weight loss program.  I can't remember exactly why she is doing, but what I do remember is that the foods she  not allowed seem to be my trigger foods. I joined in a 21 days of clean eating group on a blog written by a friend over at "Journey Toward Simplicity".  I haven't been all that great doing the complete clean eating, but it has made me think about what I am doing. 

I need to start eating clean more often. My goal with this blog was exactly that.  I wanted to start making my own food, eating out less,  and eating healthy foods that are actually found in nature. My problem is, I start off doing well, but never seem to last more than a very short time. I need to really pay attention to what my body is saying and give it what it needs, not what I think it is craving.  I'm sure my body is never really craving a hot fudge sundae from my local ice cream store (though I don't think its bad once in a while). I'm sure its craving a certain nutrient or a certain emotion, but not that food that I know is not healthy.

Our garden is planted and is finally starting to look good.  We've had some bizarre weather here in MA.  Winter seemed to go on forever, and even now, the weather is cooler than I think it usually is. I am not complaining.  I am actually loving the high 70's low 80's with cool nights. I am not a gardener, so I have no idea how or if the weather is affecting  my garden.  My Red Russian Kale is coming along well and I should be able to harvest soon, and I'm looking forward to it!

I also need to get back to being creative more often, but also actually finishing a project.  I can' keep starting a project and not finishing them. I need to start following my idea of upcycling and not always buying new.  I need to start remembering what I want out of my creative life and follow through. 

 I know that these changes aren't going to happen overnight, but I just need to keep pushing forward and remember to not beat myself up when I don't follow through.  I need to just get back up, brush myself off and start again!

Amy

P.S. My LICSW test is in 2 weeks.  I need to continue studying and I need to and ill pass this exam! I am hoping that will open up more avenues for me.  I can't wait to take the test and see the words "you passed".  Wish me luck and keep me in your thought and prayers!

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

A friend I met on Facebook, who owns a creative arts studio, has been asking me to teach some classes.  I haven't summoned up my courage to teach a class yet, but hopefully will summon the courage soon.  She also wants me to join the Art Collaborative of Wakefield, a group of locally based artisans.  I have put it off for some time, but am now, really considering joining.  I am hopefully going to meet a bunch of people who are part of the collaborative on Saturday.

I am still nervous that I am not enough of an "artist".  If anything, I consider myself a handcraft artisan. But, in reality, I don't know that I feel like an artist or an artisan.  I wonder if I am still just thinking that this is a hobby but I want it to be more.  I want to make it more of a central part of my life.

With that being said, I think a large part of my issue is time.  I have 3 kids, a husband, a house, a part time social work job, and making handcrafted items.  I spend way too much time on the computer and not enough time doing what I should be doing.  I plan to unplug for a little bit.  I am only join to use Facebook for when I need to communicate with others and that is my only means.  I have enough projects that I can work on, I don't need to look for more.  I plan to quickly blog, but no spend too much time reading blogs.  I plan to limit myself to maybe an hour a day and that is a lot.  The internet is a wonderful thing, but it can be too addicting.  no more spending hours on pinterest and pinning things that I never actually work on.  I will still go on pinterest, but will again limit my time.

My hope is that if I spend more time creating and less time pretending to create (by being on the computer looking for things to create), I will start to feel more like an artisan and not just a hobby crafter!  Maybe then I won't feel like I don't belong in the collaborative.

Amy