The beginning of the new year started with some classic resolutions. Goals were written down and reviewed, inspirational new project ideas were discussed and pondered. Kids were back in school and the world lay out in front of me, ready and willing to accept my new and adorable crafts. To my dismay, the swing of things didn’t start happening. I couldn’t seem to get focused. Household chores seemed more time consuming than usual. Dishes seemed to never get washed. Dogs needed more frequent walks. What was going on? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks while passing by my office/studio space, it was a complete disaster, really.

Before:

Every project I tried to start involved some missing fabric, a misplaced tool, a runaway must have item! My mojo was stalled, writer’s block had taken over, the magic was gone. My time drifted away from me perusing other people’s blogs, design magazines, television with real life crime drama. I wasn’t creating anything, a complete contradiction of every resolution goal I so carefully laid out.

I started to dream of a streamlined space with no clutter and organization that would be marveled at by everyone who knew me. The process to get there would require hard work and utter dedication.

After:

Deciding what stays and goes, extremely hard work! Organizing the essentials, crucial! Putting like items together, finding the perfect spot for them, exhausting! This process took one full day from morning to night.

When I was done, not only was I completely proud of myself but I felt my spirit of creativity coming back, full force. I couldn’t wait to look for specific fabric or even the stapler. My productivity of adorable items has increased and I’ve got a handle on my space and my time and that is a resolution I can live with and keep.

About the writer: Alison is a folk artist from South Dakota, she lives and works from home in her newly streamlined studio space. She shares her time with husband John, two boys and three mangy mutts. See her etsy store online gallery.

Happy New Year I hope 2008 was good for you – and 2009 will be even better.

We begin the New Year with an almost new house as our renovation year comes to an end – its been a whopsy year (as the BFG might say – have just finished reading this fabulous Roald Dahl classic to the kids).

Been reading some of your new year resolutions and want to share some of them here:

Hanna’s creative and reflective new year resolutions:
Pick a word that can follow you through the new year. It can be any word, but make it your own. It can be about your intention, your needs or your cravings. It might become a mantra to repeat when you need it or a mood you want to live in. … Pick one daily creative practice and Set your goals

Lime – eco resolutions:
I’m working toward a simpler, less consumer-driven lifestyle. I also crave ritual and tradition, but I want it to mean something to my family. I want our choices to have meaning, and I want to make acting responsibly for the good of the world make sense right here.

Kitty’s creations – some financial resolutions:
Hopefully, with these strategies, I can be a bit more responsible with my money.

eco chick has some resolutions:
Teach my children about personal responsibility and the environment
Eat as little processed food as possible and eat local
Make my house more energy efficient
To Connect With Nature
To Forge New Paths
Make my own things

treefall has a fun meme going on – what have you done – or plan to do?
taught yourself an art from scratch
taught yourself a new language
started a business
pieced a quilt
published a book
saved someone’s life

so what are your resolutions – do you have crafty pursuits in mind – or to be more eco friendly – or perhaps spend more quality family time – for me its all of the above: here are my New Year Resolutions – what are yours? what is the one crafty thing you want to achieve this year…?

1. Spend more time with the children – organise fun family activities – go on family bike rides, do lots of family drawing time and cooking sessions, grab my kids and squeeze them tight – don’t yell so much – parenting inspiration from soulemama.
2. Get some couple time in – spend time with my husband – go on a date – organise baby sitters, hug and kiss each other more often every day, go for walks together, do projects together.
3. Eco – green – family – save water – put in those water tanks I have been planning on all year, be more frugal, buy local product – go to the farmers market every week, don’t drive so much – ride bike everyday.
4. Make stuff – be more creative – do something crafty everyday, get back into sewing kids clothes – they need new pants and so do I… , finish that quilt, make new table mats, need some floor cushions, practice my knitting, learn to crochet – get into dying fabric, practice my drawing – keep a daily visual diary again. Take photos everyday – do more interesting creative things, go for bush walks, start a collection, make a found object collage and mobile, read more books – do more writing. Wish jar journal is a great place for creative inspiration – so is abigail doan and Jude hill.

My favourite things of the year – I highly recommend:
1. blogging – connected with like minded souls all over the world has been life changing for me – thank you
2. volunteering at my kids school – while it takes perseverance dealing with different personalities in a volunteer organisation – I have met some great people and feel I have been able to contribute something unique.
3. Garden – I have spent quality time this year in my garden – and it has really benefited – and so have I – it really is my calm place – my meditative space – I recommend you find a space like that – or tell me what yours is.
4. writing – doing more freelance writing – and special projects – I plan to do more of these in the future – writing really taps into a different part of my brain and I feel like I am expanding my brain cells – I want to do more of this in 2009.
5. cooking adventures with the kids – this year the kids have really become good little cooks and we hope to make more cooking experiments together – this year we have perfected croissants (from scratch), meringue, chocolate caramel slice, chocolate bread, sour dough crusty white bread, we still haven’t managed to make a successful batch of marshmallows though. cooking inspiration from delicious days and travelers lunch box.

etsy how-to tuesday helps you get organised with this weekly planner - download a pdf or create your own.