Saturday, December 23, 2006

Will we be in our minds when the dawn breaks?

I used to overeat as a kid. Not all the time, but certainly when nice things were on offer, things that weren't everyday foods. So birthday parties, with their neverending bowls of chips and lollies, would almost always lead to me getting home feeling not just full but totally green. I blamed the fact that they always brought out the really sickly sweet things, the chocolate crackles (made from coco pops rice bubbles) and evil lamingtons, towards the end, when you were already full of chips and fairy bread. Sweet things still really tip me over the edge quickly. These days I hate chocolate crackles (but do they even get made any more?), and I approach lamingtons with extreme caution.

Some part of me knew, even as I was planning all the presents I might make or have a go at before Christmas, that my eyes were way bigger than my stomach. A few things didn't go quite as planned, but the real problem is that I am simply in denial about how time works. You can really only do one thing at a time. (Athough you CAN knit on the bus and also while waiting for pages to load when the internet is running really slow). Everything takes longer than you think it will. You need time to think, and look, and feel how the item is turning out and what the next step should be.

That said, I need a certain amount of pressure to work at optimum efficiency and creativity. So I'm ok with continuing to bite off a bit more than I can chew, as long as there are back-up options. (Like, maybe, not knitting gift bags to put presents in). This week I had to come up with some back-up options. But everything on the plan will get made, eventually.

4 comments:

zjcroft said...

I have faith in you Liv, you'll get it done! I hope you had a good Christmas. And I can empathise with the over-eating part, I still can't face a mince pie!

Bron said...

ew I know what you mean about the chocolate crackles!!
I can't eat them anymore either or mars bar slice - what is with mixing sugar butter and rice bubbles and calling it dessert? hehe

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm the same I have lists of things to make some in my head some half started in various states. And time yes its about time. The worst is when you have to leave something unfinished to work on something with a deadline and find it hard to finish it off or realize you are lacking in a skill needed to finish it so many attempts are needed and it becomes a drain (my new leather handbag will be finished shortly and photographed with my new digital camera which will be bought shortly..) And the time thing is definately deceptive there's the vision then the process which does involve unexpected details which can seem/be hard to overcome or mean that things get put off. I guess I'm talking about big plans too I wish the vision could reproduce itself in reality as easily as it does behind eyelids and in excited conversation. Greedy.

Bells said...

i had to let some projects go in December too. It's ok. I figure if it's not fun to do them, it won't be fun to give them.