Week in Review 2016 - 0812

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Almost overnight the glorious
plantings in our atrium started
their rapid end of summer
decline.

Signs of summer coming to an end abound where I live. You wouldn't know it by the weather. Most days for the past couple of weeks have been hot and steamy. So why do our annuals look so pitiful? It must be the diminished light, cluing them in to drop their leaves and flowers. There is a last gasp feel this week. I find myself pulled in multiple directions. One very strong pull is my job as Chair of SAQA's Exhibition Committee. The Committee is working on multiple very exciting, but time consuming projects that if they all manage to come to fruition will result in... well, I'm sworn to secrecy, but if you are a member of SAQA, lucky you. 

The National Bike Challenge winds up on September 30th for another year. I've been hovering at 102 out of approximately 1,000 active riders in our community. I have become obsessed with reaching 100 before the challenge is done. Of course the top 100 are equally obsessed. 

Finding time to spend in my studio this week has been diabolically difficult. Instead of 3 solid studio days, I was lucky to manage about 6 hours for the full week. The result is very little progress was made on Siren's Song. I'm feeling like my annuals - worn out, droopy and off my game. This has happened in the past. It will happen again in the future. Fortunately, it has never proven to be a permanent state. Even now, just as I can find flowers in the garden, I can see glimmers of progress in the past week. It isn't quite as gloomy as my mood as you can see:

The angel wing begonia and sweet potato
vine by our front door hasn't given up yet.

1) Create 11 Siren's Song blocks. - Not even close.

I completed four more Storm at Sea blocks this week. They are the more time consuming of the two alternating blocks. 
2) Free motion quilting practice - Not done.

3) Do some surface design work - Not done.

4) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open. - Done!

It can be so easy to give up when the going gets tough. I faced many difficult challenges this week. I never gave up. Instead, I always looked for one step, no matter how tiny, to move forward, whether it was a new approach to a work project, walking away from a daunting list of email to work an hour in the studio, or biking one "bonus" mile to the planned route for the day.

Very slow but steady progress continues
on Siren's Song. 

Attitude is crucial to moving forward. My goal for next week is to bring that can do, determination, persistence and positive attitude to the forefront. When I do, I should be able to make marked progress on the following:

1) Create 11 Siren's Song blocks.

2) Free motion quilting practice

3) Do some surface design work

4) Beware of when I find myself shutting down and find a way to stay open.

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.