Too Many Irons in the Fire

 

Dove's Song, (close-up photo above), is just one of the many creative projects in various stages of completion. "Too many irons in the fire," is what my mother might have called it. I'm lucky enough to know many creative, artistic, crafting people, and all of them seem to have this same issue.

Perhaps, this is the natural ebb and flow of artistic minds. You start in on one project, yet a deadline appears for a different project or piece that's nearly done. So you stop working on one piece, and complete the other. Or maybe you are happily working away on your project, and you get a brilliant idea for something else that pulls you off in another direction.

The trick is to make certain that the unfinished pieces do not become a burden, a nagging voice inside your head saying, "You can't start something new, you have 3, 5, 10 (or whatever your limit) pieces to finish first!" If you are stuck on the color or concept of a piece, and that's why you are avoiding it, get some advice from other art friends. Take a break from it for a bit and let your brain "noodle" on it for awhile. Try to have a timeline of when you will revisit it, so it doesn't continue to nag at you and compromise your creativity.

Currently, I have three small hooking projects that are almost finished.

Finally binding, Sweet Pea, the peacock, that was designed and hooked last summer.

Abby Cat, as it is currently called, will become a pillow. I only have some more lettering to hook before I can start to figure out the pillow style.

On Dove's Song, I'm working out the final color changes. To bind I will crochet the edge, either with wool strips or yarn, but I am not at that stage to choose, yet.

I have a rug that I'll start in September that I am beginning to dye the wool for as well as pulling together other colors and textures.

For the past two months I have been designing a large rug that has the theme of "matters of the heart" which is SUPPOSE to be hooked using my already cut wool worm stash. Maybe I'll get it on linen later this month.

Also, I have a couple small rugs designs I want to start this year, and I haven't even mentioned my hooking "bucket" list!

So what about you? I bet you can easily rattle off three to five creative things off the top of your head that you are working on to complete! I mostly just hook! What about other imaginative people who, quilt, knit, stitch, crochet, paint, garden or create is some other way?

I'm curious to know, how many "irons" you have in your "fire"?