Creativity Challenge #29

Posted on December 15, 2016 by prairiemoonquilts in Creativity Challenges

I’ve decided that this is going to be the final Creativity Challenge for the year.

I’m just too busy doing other stuff to add any more things to my list. How about you?

I want to slow down from here till the end of the year, not speed things up.

Creativity is supposed to be relaxing, not stressful; natural, not forced.

So for this final challenge:

Pick something you’re working on and give it a little extra

Something you’re doing anyway. Don’t add anything extra to your plate.

Pick a project or an activity that you are planning on doing anyway, for the holidays or otherwise, before the end of the year. Look at that project with fresh eyes, and give it all you’ve got. Put a little extra love into the stitches, a little extra whipped cream on that pie, extra careful attention to a meal, a little more care into how you wrap your Christmas gifts. Slow down and enjoy what you’re doing, don’t rush through it just to “have it over with”.

This is a magical time of year, and it’ll be a whole year till we do it again, so enjoy it while it’s here.

I’m a little bit of a Scrooge myself, because I always find myself in a heated rush to beat the clock before Christmas, and this year doesn’t seem to be any different. But in my mind, I want to slow down and enjoy this time of year, and do some of the things that we normally only do at this time of year.

My Cowboy and I went to see the Christmas lights in Callao, Missouri, put on by the Latchfords. He couldn’t make it through the entire thing because he was sick, but he let me walk through it all. It’s amazing!

Instead of stuffing my gift for the guild Christmas party into a quickie gift bag, I took the time to wrap it. Never mind that I forgot to buy wrapping paper! I had a piece of Christmas fabric, and since the gift was for a quilter, I wrapped the gift in fabric instead!

I can even say that I haven’t minded Christmas music on the radio this year! I may be curable!

And I still have one more party to go to, and Christmas dinner at my sister’s this weekend, where we will play Bingo for gag gifts — always a fun time full of laughs and good food. I’m taking the Swiss Beans. (Better than Green Bean Casserole — just sayin’!)

I still have a few customer quilts to finish up, but I’m on track to get it all done, and then I plan to enjoy the season (and hope the weather doesn’t foil any of my plans). Maybe by this time next year, I’ll have my living room remodel done, and My Cowboy and I can sit in front of our fireplace with our stockings hung up, and he can eat Chex Mix to his heart’s content while I knit with a cat on my lap!

As it is, we’ll be glad if we can finish our utility room remodel before the year’s out, and Christmas Eve will find us sitting on our ugly couch, eating popcorn, with the dog at our feet, watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” — our annual tradition.

So my challenge to you is to venture forth and put a little extra creativity into everything you do from now until the end of the year. And enjoy your annual traditions, or have fun making new ones. I’d love to hear if you have any annual tradition(s) for this time of year, or what you’re working on. Leave me a comment!

Have a wonderful, magical holiday season!

PS: And if you’re anywhere near Callao, Missouri, go see the Latchford Christmas lights!

5 responses to “Creativity Challenge #29”

  1. Elna Williams says:

    Nice inspirational final challenge. And while you are sitting on the “ugly”couch… decorate it with your “one Christmas quilt”… then after the holiday, cover it with other ones you like to look at in your house… what better coverings for a quilt lady to use?

  2. janequiltsslowly says:

    Thanks for this post! Just what I needed in the final rush of Christmas!

  3. Whipped cream on the pie? THAT’S a challenge I can really meet! lol Thanks for the inspiration; I’ll actually try to apply it in the quilt studio too.

  4. Rose Marie says:

    I might get George to drive down to Callao to look at the lights. We are planning to be home on Christmas day after church. Big sigh!! I just realized that I have one more big thing to do by January 1st. Oh my!! I’m not getting any quilting or creativity done at all. I cleaned out the storage room where flowers are kept at the church today!! See what I mean?

  5. Janet Thayer Smith says:

    I always enjoy your posts, not a quilter, but good ideas
    For organization.
    I’m never “quiet ready” for Christmas. As you
    Mentioned I try to no avail. Went to farm yesterday
    Saw Latchford Lights. So pretty. Home today.
    Drove from Brookfield to home on black ice.
    Took 4 hrs total. Happy to be safe at home.
    Have. Merry Christmas with family & a
    Blessed 2017.

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