sallysetsforth

I didn't do a lot of crafting in 2014 - my emotional and physical energy was sapped, and it was an effort to engage my creativity. There were a few brief spurts, notably my short participation in #ICAD last year, but overall I struggled to find the time or inspiration.

Towards the end of the year, I decided to change all that. It might sound like a cliche, but I felt like I was only living half a life when I had nothing creative going on. So I made a deliberate effort to make the time and opportunity for creative activities.

Each day, I spend nearly two hours just getting to and from work. Of that, one hour is spent on the train (half an hour each way). The trip home is usually very crowded, but in the morning I catch a train that begins at my station, so that I can always get a good seat. I decided to start using that trip to do some crafting - not necessarily every day, but at least a couple of times a week.

I picked out a few small projects that would be manageable, starting with some pretty cross stitch Christmas ornaments. I put together a small travel pouch with all the necessities: scissors, needle, fabric, thread and pattern. And off I went :) I usually did 15-20 minutes of stitching during the train trip (the time it took to finish a length of thread), and within a few weeks I had completed one pattern, and then another one just after Christmas.

Here are the photos I took, in situ (i.e. on the train), just after I'd completed each design:





I really enjoyed stitching these designs. The single colour motifs made them especially easy to do while travelling. Luckily the train ride is pretty smooth, so there were no pierced fingers involved. And doing something creative on the way to work was such a wonderful way to start the day - it's definitely energising rather than draining.

The little projects have now been framed and are ready to go on the Christmas tree in 2015 :)



Now I just have to choose my next commuting project ...