February YOTA & WIPocalypse... Nope

The only progress I've made on my WIPocalypse or YOTA pieces since the last update was actually in my last post.   I think my favorite part about these low-stress SALs is that I think about what I need to do, but don't actually beat myself up over not getting things done.

I have been stitching, just on something else (that I'll post for Turtle Trot), but right now is a really busy time for me.  I have a big semi-annual inspection tomorrow, and I have to go to an institute/weeklong professional development thing in a couple of months, and I'm a Team Leader so I have to work on that, too.   It's just going to be busy.

And I just got back from a gaming convention, so that's going to be the subject of the next blog post.

And (I'm so excited), we're putting in new flooring in the house, so moving the furniture out and getting that all ready will probably eat my time as well.   Right now I'm obsessing over the flooring thing, because now is the time to start seedlings for the Garden Tower.   At first I was just going to resign myself to buying seedlings from the farmers' market, but I realize there are some varietals and plants that I just never find, so it's back to re-thinking the nursery (it's a bit of a serious set up, and would need moving for the floors, and that's just work I'm not sure I'm up for).

In the meantime, I can at least answer the WIPocalypse question ;)

How do you overcome that feeling that you’re in a rut with a particular project?

Welp, it depends.   I will admit to being very ADD when it comes to crafting projects.  If you put a BSO (bright shiny object) in front of me, I grab it like a caffeinated ferret and take off, leaving whatever else it is I was working on or planning on behind.   But, I do like to occasionally finish larger things, so I've had to come up with plans.  And plans within plans.

When I do find myself burning out, I try to think about why.  Is a piece tedious - is there too much confetti going on so I feel bogged down, like it's taking too much time for too little progress?  Is there not enough variety so I'm stitching the same color for ages and just bored with it?   Have I just been on it too long?  Is the reason why I'm stitching on it gone (or I can't remember why I liked it to start?)

Most of the time, I just set it aside and work on something that that piece isn't.    If I'm really close to the end (and "close to the end" can be rather relative), I'll just try to power through it, because just not having to deal with it anymore is a good enough incentive, even if I am not the happiest camper working on it.   If it's something along the lines of being bored with that section, I'll just hop on over to another part of the pattern.

For stuff I'm hard core burnt out on and I need to get it done and not set it aside for another 5 years (coughFantasySamplercough) I just look at stitching pr0n.   I google the heck out of it, surf blogs and look at pictures (try not to rage out when I see all of the pictures of the patterns illegally shared and my subsequent inability to report them because I'm not the IP holder).   I really love those close up angled shots (which is part of why I post them - maybe someone else will get inspiration from me, too), and they can get me excited about a piece again.   Or seeing someone talk/write about it excitedly.    That kind of motivation/positivity is very infectious for me, and sometimes just what I need.   In fact, just flicking through progress albums online of my own pieces will sometimes help me.

As people have noticed, I have quite a bit of variety in my pieces, and I think that helps, honestly.   Swinging from Mirabilia to TW to band samplers, to whatever else keeps the juices flowing and keeps me from getting too bored or burnt out with something.