Your Joy Your Rules... plus March Calendar inside!
Discover our design for March and why this month I really need a reminder that it's okay to create in my own way
I think it is fair to say that the second half of February didn’t quite go as expected, mostly due to having a bit of a wobbly time with my mental health. I’m later than I’d like with our March Calendars (you’ll find links to download at the bottom of this post) and still finishing getting the rest of the Feel Goodies together… but I’m almost there!
For our March goodies I decided to revisit my crafting notions collection, which I haven’t yet used for a monthly design. It’s a very fitting collection for the reminder I feel I need in my life right now - more on that below!
This year my starting point for each of our monthly designs is quilting inspired patterns within patterns. I bring together patterns from one of my collections into a bigger pattern, just like you would bring together different patterned and coloured fabric into a patchwork quilt top. This month’s design is based on a pinwheel quilt.
When I started playing with it I had no idea where I would end up. I’ll share more in another post about the evolution from the patterns above to the designs below… but what I will say now is that when I started it didn’t even cross my mind that I’d end up with a rainbow design!
This past few weeks I’ve become very aware of how self-conscious and anxious I am because my approaches to creating and crafting often aren’t the “proper” way to do things, and it leaves me feeling a bit of an outsider. Whenever I pick up something new I do usually start with tutorials to get the basics, but then once I have the hang of it my brain will go off on all kinds of creative tangents, thinking of all kinds of things I could do with my new creative skill.
Like with quilting. Last year I tried hand quilting, and after giving it a good go realised I just wasn’t enjoying the process. Yet, I absolutely love the pattern aspect of quilting and from a sensory perspective I find stitching quilting layers together very satisfying. So for now that’s brought me to designing quilt top patterns that can be printed onto one piece of fabric and used to create cheater quilts - something I find great joy in, but leaves me feeling anxious about joining any kind of quilting community because it’s not “proper” quilting.
(as a sidenote - I’d love to hear from you if you are part of a quilting community do you think I’d be welcomed or turned away? I am happy to take part in community quilting projects, as having a purpose and deadline would keep me on track to get it done, it’s just I don’t think traditional quilting is my thing for my own projects)
I will always be the first to tell anyone else to do things their way, that it’s about their enjoyment of the creative process, regardless of the outcome or what anyone else thinks of it, yet I’m really struggling to let myself be okay with the way I create and craft… despite the fact I don’t actually think I can create and craft in any other way!
For me, the most important part of doing anything creative or crafty, is the enjoyment in the process. There’s no point in trying to follow someone else’s rules about how things “should” be done if it doesn’t work for me. What’s the point in doing something creative, for work or for fun, if it doesn’t bring me joy?
So I felt “My Joy My Rules” was a really good reminder to myself that it is totally okay to craft and create in my own way if that’s what brings me joy! I wanted to share that reminder with you too - whether it’s related to creativity or anything else you do for fun and relaxation. It’s all about what brings you joy, so that means you get to decide how to do it in a way that is joyful for you!
What do you think of our March design and quote? Is it a reminder you need too?
As I mentioned at the start, I’m a little behind myself at the moment, but I am aiming to get the rest of our March Feel Goodies to paid subscribers next Monday 4th March - with free subscribers getting one of the phone wallpapers that day too!
DOWNLOAD YOUR MARCH CALENDARS
Your March calendars are ready to download now using the links below…
I hope you have fun making your March plans - and I’ll see you back here next Monday with all the rest of the Your Joy Your Rules Feel Goodies!
There definitely needs to be an element of joy in creating or else our creations won't feel authentic to us. I think there can always be joyful pieces that don't sell well and we need to look at that and ask ourselves if we are still better for creating it instead of just whether that piece was sellable. However, I won't deny that if the goal is to make money from our art, 100% satisfaction isn't always attainable in all our creation processes or the end result. Just like how we can have a loving and joyful relationship with someone yet there would be times of tension and things that occasionally disrupt the peace. Such is life I guess, for me.