Everything is New

[vaneramos]

I've been so engaged lately I think I might be forgetting to breathe. I have used the WordCount Blogathon to dedicate myself to developing Speed River Journal for a month. Of course there is no money in it yet. However, it is stirring up interest on some level. Other bloggers are starting to link back to me. Today someone not even participating in the blogathon linked to one of the posts (how to make dandelion coffee). The blog is turning up high in the Google search for certain keywords like permaculture. I'm building a platform for my nature writing, and hopefully it will begin to pay off somehow. My concentration has never been better. I can't remember feeling so happy and purposeful about what I am doing.

I finished weaving these scarves weeks ago but only got around to photographing them today. A third scarf is the same colorway as the one on the left. The warp is a solid dark teal Cascade and the warp is Noro Silk Garden. Weaving makes me as happy as writing does. I have a new project on the loom now. The one on the right is going to my friend Lori for being such a good bud. But the idea is to produce enough of these to start an Etsy store and go in some fall craft shows. It took about 15 hours to make these three scarves, five hours per scarf. Materials for one cost about $30, so selling them for $80 to $100 each would be viable.

I've tried to do things like this before, but maybe I wasn't ready. Of course weaving is new to the creative mix. I don't remember ever being able to stay focused for so long. In the past I had so much anxiety. I had some good reasons to be anxious, but I also doubted myself.

I need some income before long. Courageous planning might help, but worrying will only rot my soul. I think I have never lived as intensely and consistently in the moment as I'm doing now. I have been so far off track for so long. Now I am on some kind of path that feels like me. It gives me hope to see how hard I work when I do what I want, instead of following instructions. I seldom get hungry between meals.

Danny and I leave on vacation Thursday. I will continue blogging daily, although I've pre-written enough posts to give myself some down time. It will be good to break from routine, reflect, breathe and experience some unfamiliar things to fuel my mind.