To Everything

"To everything, turn, turn, turn,

there is a season, turn, turn, turn,

and a time for every purpose under heaven."

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This is one of my favourite songs - it just says so much. Whenever I am feeling worn down, feeling frustrated, feeling overwhelmed, feeling the need for change, this song pops into my head.

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And right now, I am facing a change.

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The past several months, my creative "flow" has been dammed up. Every time I would walk into my craft room, I would take one look at the overwhelming mess and walk right back out. I haven't scrapped hardly anything for months, my December Daily still sits unfinished, and I have been feeling completely lethargic creatively.

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Until last weekend. My dear SIL, Pam, and I had a girls' morning last Saturday and she took me to a little piece of heaven - a small, unobtrusive little shop called "Wishes". The minute I walked in, my creative heart fluttered and then sprang back to life! I was surrounded by bits and pieces of history, small primitive pieces of art work, old furniture pieces begging for some love. My own personal heaven!

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I did show some restraint and only made a few purchases, but that little store has been on my mind ever since. That afternoon, I "hit" the craft room and did a small amount of purging. Then, Friday night, I hit it again and purged more. Then last night I did the same thing - and I feel fantastic! My creative brain has awoken from the comatose hybernative state it has been resting in for the past several months - I am seeing the room re-created, along with the kids' "playroom" and laundry that share that level. I have also envisioned our family room re-created - and all without an ounce of apprehension or feelings of being overwhelmed. What a wonderful feeling!

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So, how can a simple purge (that I have done dozens of times) be a catalyst for such a change of heart and rebirth of creativity? Well, I have to be honest and say, it isn't just the purge itself. It's more what I am purging.

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Deep breath...

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Much of what I have purged, without even realizing it until I had done it, was my scrapbooking things. The trip to that little store made me realize that I have "cornered" myself in creatively and, if it wasn't scrapbooking, I wasn't creating. Since I have a strong loyalty feature built in, I wasn't able to acknowledge that scrapping hasn't been fulfilling me in the way it used to. I am not throwing in the towel, so to speak, on scrapping, but I am setting it aside and letting myself indulge in other crafty ventures.

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So, the scrappy heart lives on - because what is more exciting than making little bits and pieces - scraps - into wonderful works of art?

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