when i used to get EXTREMELY stressed and overwhelmed at work, i would stop whatever i was doing and i would draw my fish (i have a 30 gallon tank on my desk), and it calmed me. i also crochet a lot. like you say, it takes your mind off of whatever is bothering you because you have to concentrate on what you're doing.
That's had a lot to do with why knitting has become my major creative outlet -- it can be soothing and let me zone out, or complex and challenging, depending on the project, but mainly at the end of it I've made something -- something worth having and using. (I don't wear storebought socks anymore, I've made so many for myself. I have light socks for cooler weather and heavy kneesocks for winter.) Sweaters. Blankets. Lace shawls for wearing over sleeveless tops in the summer when I'm in chilly AC.
But, yeah, having that creative something to do is vital to staying on an even keel.
Exactly! You can go, hey, I made this, and now I can use it! My problem with knitting has always been that I never got super fast at it, and I'm very into immediate gratification, so if it's something that takes me longer than a night to make (like, for instance, socks) I'll usually get tired of whatever I'm doing before I finish it. (Ask my husband about all the knitted projects I've promised him!)
There are tricks, like knitting in front of the TV (especially if you're doing something like marathoning a show on DVD), or I do pretty well setting myself a quota system. (Say, one pattern repeat a night, then put it aside and go on to something interesting.) And I take photos every Sunday night of what I've worked on over the course of the week, to stick in my Ravelry account and in Monday's LJ entry -- that way, I can see the progress being made, or tell what I really haven't been working on that much lately. Oh, and setting pointless arbitrary goals, like wanting to have something finished in time to wear by a certain date, or wanting to be ready to start working on something new in time for a trip or a vacation. Or having a new project I'm excited to cast on for, and forbidding myself permission to go on to it until I've finished this other project first
( ... )
Yes Yes Yes! That's a great idea. I wanna do art therapy, too. Kiss your therapist for me. Well, that might be awkward, so just kiss your husband. But not for me because that would also be awkward.
I'm going to go draw on the dishes with dish soap.
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i also crochet a lot. like you say, it takes your mind off of whatever is bothering you because you have to concentrate on what you're doing.
i totally get you. :)
and i also like people who swear. :)
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But, yeah, having that creative something to do is vital to staying on an even keel.
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I'm going to go draw on the dishes with dish soap.
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Are you going to draw some happy little trees?
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All my trees are sad.
;D
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