Problem solving


When the results of first attempts are guaranteed to be imperfect, creativity gets the room it needs to work its magic. The finished product may end up on your coffee table, in your garden, or on the scrap pile. The creative process can turn from fun to frustrating to fun again in a matter of minutes. But that first moment of surveying something finished, something surprising, something not at all how you imagined it, is empowering. So bring on the next project!

October 21, 2011

Early A.M.


I wish sleeplessness didn't occur in the dark. When the birds are visible outside my window, I am better equipped to rally my optimism.

During this past week I've been waking up around 3:30 am, anxious. Mostly my worries revolve around predictable, pregnancy/baby-related fears. What is a sheet saver, and why do we need 4-6 of them? How many hats does a baby need during a winter in the Midwest? Will we need to buy a stroller with extra rugged wheels b/c of our road, or will we always need to drive the baby and stroller into town so we can walk along sidewalks, and along roads with a 25 mph speed limit? Is it already too late to install new carpet in the baby's room b/c of those new-carpet vapors? Will our baby develop weight problems because I can't stop eating Halloween candy?! Ugh. I know logically that we will be okay and we will eventually figure things out. Yet I feel nauseated over the prospect of being ill-prepared.

Maybe the daylight helps conquer worry because it enables a person to take action, rather than lying in bed, staring at the ceiling as all those thoughts bounce around, trapped. If only someone were available for a carpet installation consult at 4am. Or if I could find a comfortable sleeping position...that might help too.