Some Projects Teach Me to Slow Down

When I was working, I was used to moving from one thing to the next. There was always another deadline, another message, and another task waiting.

That habit doesn't disappear just because you retire. Sometimes your hands are sitting quietly, but your brain is still running. Crafting has become one of the ways I've learned to slow that part of myself down. There is something about repeating patterns that encourages me to settle in.

One stitch. Then another and another. The project doesn't care what time it is nor does it care whether I finished something else today. It doesn't care if I take a break. And that's a pretty nice feeling. I've also learned that I enjoy projects more when I stop treating them like something I need to hurry through.

I can take my time choosing colors. I can try a new stitch. I can put a project down and come back to it later. I can simply enjoy the process instead of rushing to get it finished.

That's one reason I don't mind when a larger project takes a while. It gives me time to get better at sewing for instance. I'm getting more practice and it allows me to understand my sewing machine better too. I think that's one of the unexpected gifts of crafting.

Sometimes we're making something with our hands, while something inside us is learning to slow down. And I like that very much. And, in this season of life for me, slowing down and being more intentional is my jam!