Thoughtful Thursday - Community

Sorry for the lack of words and pictures lately. (I promise this post is not a downer, but if you don't want to hear my brief grumbling, go ahead and skip to the next paragraph. :) I've been feeling a little burnt out and a little lost. I spend all day at work thinking about sewing and about all the cool crafty things I want to do. Then I get home and, by the time I've taken care of the dogs and dinner, the only thing I can think of doing is curling up on the couch with a good book or some trashy TV. Please tell me you guys all go through this stuff too?

But yesterday I forced myself to sit down at my sewing table and just push through it. Fake it til' you make it, right? Well, it worked. I started to feel energized again and I was disappointed when bedtime rolled around. The other thing that helped was the support and encouragement of other crafters.

As much as I bemoan the Internet sometimes for the way it often replaces face-to-face interactions, it is a great tool for instant support and feedback. I love being able to reach out instantly, via e-mail, blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, to so many awesome like-minded people. I've made many wonderful connections, and I appreciate beyond measure their kind words, encouragement, stories, problem-solving skills, openness, and laughs shared.

Through the connections I've made online, I've actually met a lot of great people since in the real world, like Laura, who is so, so awesome. And, it turns out we have mutual friends. Weird, right? But in a good way.

Without this community of awesome crafters, I couldn't do what I do. So a big, huge, corny but heartfelt thank you to all of you. Know that even if I don't always say so, your words and ideas are endlessly inspiring and encouraging. An extra big thanks to Laura, Kate, and Lisa for your help this week! Props to Isara too—I love our lunchtime crafty sessions, even though I'm bad at scheduling them!