Allocating hobby time?

Discussion in 'Chatty Pad' started by QuiltyMom, Apr 24, 2022.

  1. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    (Sorry - I’m in a chatty mood! :giggle)

    I know I haven’t been around much the past few months. It’s not that I don’t love y’all (I really do!!) but I’m trying to get my hobby/crafting life in order. I have to laugh about it because I love doing so many things (too many things?) that it’s gotten out of control.

    So, for the past five weeks or so I’ve been concentrating (hyper focusing? Lol) on my sewing stash. I’ve literally gone through every drawer, box, cupboard, basket and pile that’s overrun my sewing room to rediscover what I have and have “Marie Kondo’ed” and “Home Edited” it to the point where I now almost have a beautifully organized space (I’ve still a few days of work to go before I’m officially done). I’ve also sorted through all my fabric and have bagged it up with the pattern and every notion needed to complete the garment/project). To date I have some 50+ projects bagged and ready to go, and this doesn’t include my knitting, quilting and needlework projects. Or my scrapbooking projects which really need to get done. Eek! o_O Honestly, I have no willpower when it comes to crafting because I love to do it all!

    Which brings me to this. How do y’all successfully manage and prioritize all your hobbies? This really is the hardest thing for me to do, and I’d really love to know how you do it. Everyone here always has such wonderful ideas that I look forward to hearing what you do! Thanks!! :heartslub
     
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  2. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    I feel ya!! Well about 4 years ago my daughter and I turned my son's old bedroom into an Art room. It also had an entertainment center and loveseat in it. However, it had gotten quite messy and I did not enjoy being up there. So in February -- I remodeled it! I love it now, even though I still have work to do. Organization was the key and we are still working on that, but now the "problem" is where should each thing go. We have more storage space than stuff - at the moment. I have also been adding in several new hobbies that are more hands-on.

    As for what - there are some hobbies I do every day, some once a week, and some whenever. I do try to schedule the time to do some of them. For example, I find it very hard to crochet unless it is daytime. I decorate all my planners on Sunday evening for the upcoming week. I try to Bible journal in the morning, but art journal in the evening.

    And lastly, I make myself work on UFOs for a set amount of time before working on something I enjoy - so I can get the UFO done. That seems to work for me - a reward of sorts.
     
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  3. QuiltyMom

    QuiltyMom I'll never run out of things to do!

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    @BevG -wow! That sounds like quite the room! My problem is that I have more stuff than storage, so my thinking is get some stuff made then it’ll be outta there. Lol!

    I think this is what I should adopt … working on a ufo before something fun. I’ve so many of those, including a mother/daughter knitted purse set that I made when my DD was three and never put in the lining (she’s 21 now). That would definitely clear out some space!

    I'm also thinking I’ll need to have an area for projects that I can continually work on, like making fabric hexagons for eventual projects.

    I’m also thinking I should set a weekly goal such as X number of pages scrapped, 1 ufo worked on, and a new project started and finished. Otherwise I’ll be all over the place gathering supplies for a new project!
     
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  4. gonewiththewind

    gonewiththewind I choose joy.

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    I find that I'm quite circuitous about my passions. It's why I don't scrap chronologically. I move in and out of projects frequently.

    Having said that, though, I enjoy cross stitching more in the fall and winter months, and love binge watching The Golden Girls or another show that I can basically just listen to while I'm working on a project. For cross stitching, I only have one UFO as I've finished all the others. It's Tinkerbell and I bought it when we took Olivia to Disney for the first time. Yeah. That long ago. LOL I'm not really sure where the project will go when I finish it as Olivia is definitely not a little girl anymore. I do have a main piece of delphiniums and peonies that I'm stitching that I've been stitching on regularly. I tend to work on it rather than the Tinkerbell because I really want to have it framed and on my wall soon!

    I haven't drawn or painted in quite some time now. I haven't made it a priority, and I really need to schedule it in at least once or twice a month if not more.

    I have loads of planner supplies, but I haven't used my planner in months. I just need to set aside time like Bev does. Olivia and I had our planning sessions on Sundays most of the time as well, but we stopped doing that a long time ago, and I can't even remember why.

    As far as scrapping, I start the year with MOC and then continue on with other challenges around the internet to try to keep me creating at least one layout per day. So far this year, I make it until about day 20 or 25 and then something always happens. I hurt my back at the beginning of this month and I'm just now to the point I have the ability to sit at my computer and design or create layouts . . . so I have less than 5 layouts to show for this month.

    Reading is one of my passions that has been a daily fixture for my entire life. I can't remember a day when I didn't read at least one or two pages. I don't have to make time for it. I'm just drawn to it and enjoy it so much.

    I do know that when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, that it was an overwhelming journey. While it was happening, I felt like it was someone else and not me. I didn't realize how much longer into the future that I would struggle with emotional and physical issues. It made me reassess loads of things in my life, and I have been quite selfish for a long while now, just doing what I want to do for the most part. Life seems so short.

    Anyway, apparently I'm quite chatty today as well. LOL Thanks for making me stop and think about my passions and how I want my next week to shape up!
     
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  5. sharonb

    sharonb Cher Memere

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    I do have paper scrapping that are left over from years ago that I haven't used and planned to, along with plenty of photos ready to be scrapped!!!

    I still need to put together albums and albums of completed layouts that will probably need some work on the layouts as it has been a while. I can't possibly say how long. It will age me!!!

    I have a project I will be working n now for over 1 year. My DD and SIL make a HOME sign that is made out of wood and the O becomes something seasonal. I bought stuff last Christmas I have yet to use, but I don't have my sign yet either!!!!

    I used to cross stitch when I was pregnant and after the babies were born, but now my eyesight doesn't permit it.

    I love my digital scrapping and start the year with MOC, MOD and other happenings during the year as well as CT team work. It is much cleaner, takes less room and is easier than paper scrapping. I did paper scrap for a long time and spent lots of money on it. Most of it gone now.
     
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  6. HavaDrPepper

    HavaDrPepper Space. The final frontier

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    I tend to go in cycles as to what my hobbies are. Some I do for awhile then move on to something else. Others I have had to give up due to vision issues. Like Cheryl I had a counted cross stitch project that I had started before Mom died in 1996. It was the Navy crest for my Dad. It got put to the side for many years. About 10 or so years ago, I pulled it out again and continued working on it, even took it to a scrapping retreat for a break from scrapping that weekend. Ended up putting it to the side again and when I got it back out back in early 2016, I realized that because of my eyesight I had made a major mistake that would entail ripping out 1/4 of it to fix. At that point, I said forget it and threw it in the trash. Dad passed away a couple months later so I guess it was a good decision especially since he never knew I had it.

    I got burned out on genealogy in the late 90's because of spending too much time on genealogy society business and not enough on my own genealogy. I boxed it all up and put it in the basement. I've had several cousins contact me for information for their grandchildren just in the last 2 months. I referred 2 of them to another cousin since I know he started researching since he retired. His info is probably way more current than mine. However, the other one, I pulled my info out and was able to help her. She's on the other side of the family and my grandmother had done lots of research back in the 1950's. When I was working on it, I only had to fill in a few things since it was pretty darn complete. I did take some time and sort through the papers I had and organized them so that if I do decide to work on it again, it won't be a jumbled mess.

    At one time I was trying to learn to knit and still have the supplies packed away in a closet right along with the cross stitch stuff. For both knitting and cross stitching, my fingers cause me problems. I do believe arthritis is setting in.

    I would say in the last 10 to 15 years, my main hobbies have been scrapping and reading. I have to be in the mood to read. Some years are more prolific than others. I did read a book this past week. I had put on hold on it from the library ebook site in early December. 180+ people later, it finally got to me. I did find that I struggled some with it so I'm thinking it is probably time to get the eyes checked. It's been about 16 months.

    So in the long run, I don't really schedule hobbies because my main hobby is scrapping. I do it when I feel like it which is almost daily now that I have a good computer to use!
     
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  7. Cherylndesigns

    Cherylndesigns All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz

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    About my other hobbies - I read whenever I get a free moment. I watch TV with my hubby from 8 to 10 almost every evening - I guess that's a hobby - we love watching the newest shows and especially documentaries. We're SO interested in WWII and the awful things that happened - but we also love The Golden Age of Hollywood Stories.

    I don't really have any other "hobbies" like I used to have.
     
  8. bcgal00

    bcgal00 Say, "birdseed!"

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    I'm like Cheryl, we watch TV usually from 8-10 each night or more if we are in the middle of binging something, so that is like a hobby I guess. I gave up my other hobbies years ago (cross stitching, sewing, knitting, crocheting, decoupage). Reading, watching TV, scrapping and photography take up a big portion of my day and the rest is playing and hiking around with the dogs.
     
  9. rach3975

    rach3975 Well-Known Member

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    I've had to teach myself to be a serial monogamist when it comes to hobbies. If I take on too much or try to split my time among too many things, nothing gets finished. UFOs haunt me, so I try to avoid them. Scrapping and reading (mostly audiobooks, since that fits better with having time to scrap, get housework done, etc.) are my two constants. If I start to feel the pull of another hobby for a while (sewing or crocheting) I generally take a scrapping break and concentrate on the other hobby for a few weeks. I have more other hobbies (needlepoint and jewelry making) that are further on the backburner--I rarely do those, but I'll get back to them some day when I have more time.

    One of my main rules for myself with my other hobbies is to only take on 1 project at a time and I must finish what I start. Otherwise I finish nothing, and like I said--UFOs haunt me. I'm a happier person when I finish things. (Don't ask me about the projects I've bought supplies for but haven't started--I tell myself that technically they're not UFOs, LOL. It's probably only 5 or 10, but I feel guilty for not doing them after I've bought the supplies.) If I liked to take on more time consuming projects that couldn't be finished in a few weeks, I'd probably do like I do now (each hobby being my focus for a few weeks) and just take multiple rounds of going back to that hobby to finish. Or maybe I'd divide things by day or whim.
     
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  10. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    All this talk has inspired me to make a page about it - maybe that will help me feel less regret overing not doing digital scrapping in any consistent way.
     
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  11. AJK

    AJK I plead the 5th ...

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    Honestly, I think we are too hard on ourselves. Creating is supposed to be a joy- fully, completely. Scheduling for me would dry up the enjoyment! There are enough "have to-s" and shoulda coulda-s in life! :yup
    I have "redone" my studio twice in the past year- purging and re-arranging and each time it gave much improvement. I have a sewing space, painting/drawing table, and a big counter space for whatever else. My weaving supplies are in my closet, but hubster built a rack on the wall to hang the looms.
    Now I do a quick sweep about once a month- straighten the closet, the armoire, or the bookcase. It makes me feel more drawn to the space. I limit myself to 3 unfinished works at a time. I know its time to do the "sweep" when I start bringing stuff into the living room, LOL! :giggle That signals that I am not comfortable in my studio cos its a MESS!

    [​IMG]
    That said, I do have these two in common with Cheryl @gonewiththewind :
    Have been thinking about that for two weeks. Nice weather motivates me to spend more time in the studio because I have more sunlight then.:heartlub:cloud9
    and I love what Bev is doing:

     
  12. littlekiwi

    littlekiwi I charge by the hour for anything before noon

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    I don’t really dedicate specific time to hobbies as such, all depends on fatigue and wellness first of all. It’s been nearly 3 months since I’ve been well enough to want to spend time at my computer. Dealing with the trials and tribulations of health issues has taken priority and if it’s not that it’s been job stuff though that’s been reasonably quiet as of late or lastly it’s family….I want to say dramas but it’s not really super serious in that way.
     
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  13. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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    I've reached the point where if a project is making me feel guilty because I'm not doing it, I revisit it and ask myself:
    Why did I start it?
    Do I still have a plan for it?
    Do I enjoy it?
    Do I want to make time for it?

    If any of those is a no, or in the case of the 1st one - I don't remember - then I let it go. I can't recover the money or time I've invested so far, but I can stop wasting time and mental energy on it. I will ask myself what I learned. Was it a skill? Was it that I don't like xyz project? Or, maybe it was just that I picked up too many projects in that season of life.

    If my answers are all yes, then I ask myself why I haven't been working on it?
    Like my son's baby book. I haven't been working on it because I'm not organized. And I haven't taken the time to get organized. But, I realized this, so I started getting organized last week. So, that project will be in a spot I can get it done.

    I do this with all my hobbies. And sometimes the answer is I need a break from that project. I may still like it and want to finish, but I may need to set it aside for a bit because of time, space, or something else.
     
  14. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

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    Oh, and I agree with @AJK about not wanting to schedule craft time, but I've also found that has changed over the years for me. When it was just dh and I, I didn't schedule time. It was easy to go play with my hobbies. Now, with church responsibilities, family responsibilities, and caretaker responsibilities, I have to schedule some time. If I don't, I will struggle to make time for my hobbies, and I can tell in my demeanor. So, I do a little bit of block scheduling. I know I have most mornings during the school year from 9-11 free. So, I use that time for hobbies. I also block out one of the mornings for errands.

    Plus, we are going into Hockey playoffs, and I do better with something in my hands. So, I have been doing diamond paintings, which I enjoy while we watch hockey.

    So, I think that having to schedule hobby time can ebb and flow with life seasons.
     
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  15. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    I am going to scrap my art room transformation in a little while. But in the meantime, here are some of the non-digital projects I have been up to. Stickers make me happy.

    And no pictures yet because I just got my art book, but I am diving into mixed media art journaling with ink, paper, stickers (ones I buy and ones I print), etc. just for the fun of it. I still love real paper and decided I really missed it. I also have an entire bookcase of tradition scrapping supplies. I hope to get back to them soon too because I have 20 years of printed photos waiting.
    [​IMG] [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2022
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  16. AJK

    AJK I plead the 5th ...

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    OOOOOOOO- those yarn colors!!! Good for you- getting a groove going!
     
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  17. IntenseMagic

    IntenseMagic Some grannies cuss a lot. I'm some grannies.

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    I'm really struggling with this right now. Life is pretty chaotic with DS participating in track this year and home commitments. I'm not finding time to do much of anything that I enjoy or want to do. I have a list of projects a mile long and just when I think I'm going to have a block of time, something else comes up. All I'm doing right now is hanging on til summer break and reminding myself that I only have about a year left with kids at home, so I'm also trying to soak it all in.
     
  18. Scrapping with Liz

    Scrapping with Liz Crafts for days.

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    I set aside every Sunday afternoon to scrapbook. That's probably my only traditional hobby.

    I do enjoy cooking, reading, and running. I cook every day for my fam...a few nights a week I'll cook something more fun. I read every day, usually right before I go to bed. I run almost every morning...my back was preventing me for a while but I'm slowly getting back into it.

    I do homeschool my kids and I joke around that one of my hobbies is organizing and planning everything for the year. It is one of my favorite things to do. It's more enjoyable than actually homeschooling them. Haha!
     
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  19. BevG

    BevG If I can't remember it, it didn't happen

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    That was always one of my favorite parts!!!
     
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  20. rach3975

    rach3975 Well-Known Member

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    That's hard! I feel this, too. For me it's balancing work, family, and going back to school. Technically I squeeze out some time for myself most nights, but in reality I'm too worn out by then to do anything creative so I end up wasting the time online. (Case in point--it's 11 pm and I just finished all of today's must-dos.) This thread made me feel like doing some crocheting, so I'm going to finish the last few rounds on my current crochet project and then start a quick one that I can finish in a day or two. Since crocheting from a pattern is a very different type of creating than making scrapbook pages, maybe it would be a better nighttime activity until things calm down and I have some mental energy again. (Parent/teacher conferences ended today and my grad school class ends in 2 weeks. I'm taking a heavier course load over the summer so I don't know yet how busy I'll be, but I should have a very manageable month or so between semesters. I can't wait! I'm also changing jobs for the fall so that I have more flexibility. I love my current job, but something has to give because I feel like I never have enough time for my family.)
     
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