Is my book buying Ratio right?

Here we are drifting into yet another New Year with New resolutions and promises!

Its tradition that I start sorting out the studio and prioritising what needs to be done and the best way to approach it all!

This led me to my bookshelf , obviously it needs sorting because its one of the many jobs I am doing at the moment to actually avoid starting Creating again!  Its like writers block in fabric. Anyway whilst doing this important job I separated my books into general categories that will help me SORT MYSELF OUT!

I have always been addicted to book buying, so much promise of finding THE answer inside the sleeves, whether it be creatively or personally.  However, am I alone in flicking through lots of inpiring pictures and not reading much of the content?

All I see from authors is their final product, how wonderfully creative, how motivated and determined to get into print, why didn’t I think of that etc, etc…

This year (my 47th on this planet!) I am going to try and re-educate myself to realising that their journey also had to start somewhere, creativity is a process of making mistakes, trying many techniques and seeing what works for you and developing them in your own style.  The artists in these books have done all these things and experimented.

I am impatient, judgmental of my own work and can lack focus when things are not going well – hence the number of self help, motivational books ( I have read the first 3 chapters of most)!

But is the ratio right?

Self help books are wonderful ways to just get you going and understanding that you have to a) Start, b) Stick with it, c) keep trying and d) believe you will get there – wherever there may be!

However there is nothing quite like just starting and seeing where you will be in a years time.  Looking over the latter part of 2014 I learnt new techniques and skills which helped my technique and style develop.  I have started showing my work on Twitter and have set up Folksy and Etsy accounts ready to sell my new work. I had my first ever stand at a craft fair in Bath and sold seven pieces of work.  At the beginning of last year I would not have imagined I would have moved on that far, small steps in the bigger picture but important ones.

Its about your own journey and enjoying it, I can loose myself for hours when creating and feel so lucky to be able to do what I love. So face the fear (of criticism and self doubt) and just do it!

Heres to a New Year of sticking with it, enough reading done for now lets just get sewing……

P.S.  Looking at the number of parenting books in the pile, that basically make me feel inadequate, thats a whole different blog!