There are times when we have to walk away from hooking for a while. Have to…for good reasons like a trip to the Bahamas, or moving to your perfect house, or the kids and grandkids taking over the place. Or reasons that are not so good like a crazy deadline at work, or a sick someone who needs care.
Then there are times when you choose to not hook. It’s been too long since you hooked. Can’t get into it. Can’t bother. Can’t get motivated. When the muse ain’t there. Then what…. Just give up on something that used to make you happy? Feel guilty that you have a piece half done? Put it all on eBay? Take a minute and see if you know why.
Maybe I can give you some help coming back into the joy of hooking…
Are you putting off diving back in because you are hooking a difficult part of a rug and you just can’t figure it out?? Then just start somewhere else on the piece. There are always areas that are kind of mindless hooking like a border or a background or a sky. Just start pulling loops and get back into the rhythm.
Are you just unable to focus for whatever reason that life threw at you? Are you are between projects with no inspiration? Or you just don’t want to pull out the project from the closet. Pull out a few magazines or catalogs or just start browsing on the web. Look at others’ work on Facebook or Rug Hooking Daily. You might get a little spark to plan a new piece.
Another tactic is to go back in that room and start organizing. Pull out your wool and play with it. One reason we love hooking that we love color. Start making piles and then putting piles next to each other. Before long you’ll be putting together great colors for something, even if you don’t know what.
If the thought of pulling out all that wool is too much, pull out your box, bag, pile of worms (cut strips). Organize them by width or by value or by color. So what do you think about just starting a hit-or-miss rug? You must have a piece of backing big enough for a pillow or table top – start small. Think of it as cleaning, not hooking. You will be accomplishing something worthwhile. You are not “wasting time hooking” you are using up worms and scraps and remembering the rugs they came from.
Consider looking for a workshop or hook-in that would be convenient. It doesn’t have to be for next week or next month, but just put something on the calendar that you might want to attend by that time.
Get back in the flow without thinking that you have to.Take the pressure off that you need to finish the project you are working on. And don’t feel guilty that you have to hook because you have invested your equipment, supplies, and stash. Do not name it procrastination if you don’t jump right back in. To everything there is a season. Remember that there are days that you don’t feel like cooking and other times you love it!
To everything there is a season….
Debra
