I spent a great deal of this weekend cross-stitching. Yep, cross-stitching. I'm working on a project I can't even remember buying. I pulled it out of the closet last week and found I'd done a tiny bit and then abandoned the project. So I decided to get to work. And work I have. I'd estimate that I'll be close to finished by the time we finish the third season of Mad Men we're watching!
But as I was sitting there stitching yesterday Angela asked me a question. She wanted to know if I enjoyed doing it or if it was something I felt I had to do. I told her I did feel like it allowed me to "be lazy" and watch TV but that I also liked the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finished a project, or even a row of stitches.
Every day I get up and think about writing. Some days I write, other days I just think (I know, I know, I should write every day but whatever, no one does. And if they do I say they have problems, namely nothing else to enjoy in life). For me writing is a job. And for a lot of people they see results at the end of the job. They see a ditch dug or a person put back together or a grade on a test. But for me, I rarely see solid results. So much of what I do on a daily basis happens in my head. It's all me. Sure it's the paper and the computer but it's not terribly concrete. And I know, God willing, when I sell a script, it won't ever look like it did when it left my hands. It will change, it will never be finished.
But cross-stitch is something I can finish. I can do the french knots, I can finish up all the red stitches. I can frame it and put it up on a wall. I can give it as a gift. And I derive tremendous pleasure from that. From knowing something concrete has been accomplished.
Now the only problem is I'm running out of people to give things too!
2 comments:
I love*love*love my apron!!!
I am the same way. Except I crochet. I make hats. Tiny little kid hats for my children, the children at church, and anyone else who needs a hat. I never quite know what I am going to do when I start one, I just do it while watching t.v. and see how it goes. As for writing, I don't write every day either. And yes, if you find someone who does write everyday, they have serious issues. I think having a life outside of what you do for a living helps you write better. If you don't live life, you can't write about it. Oh, almost forgot... Have you heard anything since you gave your script to your friend? Hope it goes well.
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