Posted on February 20, 2014
Here are some interesting links and articles I’ve come across this week. They’re not all about crafting, but what is a blog for if not sharing interesting ideas, right?
1. The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap
I just signed up for this. This site (Do What You Love) will assign you a partner, and you’ll each make a handmade postcard and send them to each other. The card should include some sort of stitching, and this year’s theme is “Create.” You can see postcards from previous years to get your ideas flowing. Here are a couple cute ones on the theme “Celebrate”:
by Ursula
by Shannon
2. Writers are the worst procrastinators.
This article in The Atlantic really resonated with me. If you’ve ever experienced “imposter syndrome”—the idea that you’re not as good as your peers, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re found out—it may resonate with you, too. It’s not actually about the act of writing, but about the types of people who tend to become writers, and what we can learn from writer’s block:
Most writers were the kids who easily, almost automatically, got A’s in English. … Their natural talents kept them at the head of the class. This teaches a very bad, very false lesson: that success in work mostly depends on natural talent. If you’ve spent most of your life cruising ahead on natural ability, doing what came easily and quickly, every word you write becomes a test of just how much ability you have. … [Writers] seem to be paralyzed by the prospect of writing something that isn’t very good.
The article talks about having a “fixed mind-set” vs. a “growth mind-set.” Developing a growth mind-set sounds key to feeling confident while learning new things. Which is important for us crafty types, right?
3. Responding to challenges with mindfulness
A conference presentation on mindfulness was interrupted by protestors. So what did the presenters do? They invited the audience to be mindful about what had just happened and how the protest had affected them. (Protest that!) I found this anecdote particularly interesting:
[One presenter] closed with a story about her executive team… The team adopted a two-minute silent meditation before each meeting, quickly noticing the benefits on both their meetings and their state of mind. After a few months, the senior executive asked if they wanted to continue the meditation, and even the employee who was initially most skeptical said, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m a better person for those two minutes. So I’m all for it.”
So here’s your challenge for the week: Take action on one of these things. Meditate for two minutes; learn more about the growth mind-set; practice a skill outside your area of expertise; or sign up to make a crafty postcard!
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