Take a moment
When something comes up a puzzle, project or something at work and you are hammering your head against the wall you know what the best thing to do is? Leave it, walk away. Take a moment to do something else. Those moments you can’t see the answers, your eyes feel glazed over the best thing you could do for yourself is disengage from it. Go do something else or do nothing and go back to it later.
When you are so focused on something and you feel so drained that you can’t see the answers to it then that is your brains way of telling you to step away. I know we all want to get things done right away, but sometimes that small break will allow you to come back with fresh eyes. It may open you up to some new way of seeing you didn’t before. That fresh start may shed light on something that was staring you right in the face.
I did a project over the weekend. I refurbished a buffet that I love. It was this red color and just needed some new life breathed into it. I knew I wanted to make it clean looking, and as modern as I could yet keeping a sophistication to it. I did all the work to the point where it was just this solid white color. Ito another piece of wood I used a wax over to get a warped effect and hated it. I even tried a gel pen to outline it, and I just felt like it wasn’t the right thing. So instead of trying to figure it out in one day I stepped back from it.
By doing that I decided that I definitely wanted to outline the scrolling on the piece and I wanted to do it in gold. I tried numerous gold pens and finally found one I liked and that is when I said, If I don’t like it I can paint it again. But what happened? I loved it. I stared at it and was in awe over my first refurbished piece. And on top of this I found out my grandma and my great grandpa use to do this exact thing. As I sat there feeling proud of my accomplishment I took a moment to feel them being there with me. It was a small victory for me and it came out beautiful. I’m so glad my dad told me right before I finished the piece that bit about my ancestors. It allowed me to feel honor and true joy because I knew I was walking in their footsteps and it made me feel closer to them.
How many times are we rushing about to get things done that we are blind to see the answer is right there, or we don’t truly appreciate our own genius? Because I did something everyday I was able to come at this from a fresh place and it made the final result the way I wanted. I’ve rushed so many other projects and I either get frustrated, irritable, or exhausted and drained. Those things don’t allow me to be present with it, instead it makes me bitter and not wanting to even finish it. It’s normal to get to this point, but let’s instead of sticking with this feeling pull back and normalizing taking a moment.
What are some things you do to recharge your eyes, mind and soul when you start to feel drained? I love to play video games to focus on something I can do. It helps clear my head so that when I am done I feel more creative. I also love to watch a show full of creativity like the great British baking show, or tiktok artists, that allows me to boost that creativity and want to tackle the project again. I also love to nap, eat, meditate, read, listen to audiobooks, and anything that sparks that inner genius. So next time you feel yourself getting frustrated pull back. Come back to it in a bit. You will get there my friend! Don’t be so hard on yourself, there is no such thing as perfection, just the illusion of it.
Today was a 8.