The Magic of "Flow"

 Retirement is interesting and wonderful.  15 months ago I stopped working even part time.  Then Covid came.  I have done a lot of sewing, improved my organization (still a long way to go) and housekeeping.

I have really enjoyed online quilting classes.  Tuning into Zoom for instruction has lots of advantages.  I am sitting in my sewing room - no regrets that I didn't bring purple fabric to class.  Also, there is an up close view of the teacher's demonstrations.

This last week I have taken 2 classes from Mancuso's Spring Quilt Festival   https://www.onlinequiltfestival.com/    I have a third today.  I will, hopefully blog about them and other things I have been working on.

So Friday was a great class with Phyllis Cullen  http://phylliscullenartstudio.com/   She is an excellent instructor.  I will show my progress soon.  Even though she had us stretching regularly and I even got on the floor and rolled the kinks out of my back I still ended the day stiff from being bent over my sewing table picking tiny pieces and putting them onto my project.

Now that I have been vaccinated, I plan to sew one or two days a month at the Retreat Center   My goal for this year is to do more.  I can get caught up in browsing the internet, reading or playing games.  I often sew a half hour in the morning but frequently don't go back and do anymore later. Taking a sewing machine and setting it up at the retreat center ensures more productivity and some socialization.  

I thought that for the month of May it would be a good goal to do ART 3 hours a day.  I think I can commit to sewing, quilting, or learning each day.  Today is easy - I have a 6 hr class.  I plan to count watching teaching videos in my time too so if I'm stiff or it's dark and not easy to see my work I can review or learn something while sitting in my comfortable chair.

But...this post is about "flow"!  Let me tell you about my morning flow.  I woke at 3 am unable to get back to sleep.  I can't just take a nap later as I have a 9 am class.  So I meditated in bed hoping I'd fall back to sleep.  Didn't sleep.  Got up at 4:15. 

 I browsed the internet.  Another teacher from this week, Estrita Austin had recommended working vertically if it was hard to see the pattern you were tracing or painting.  I browsed amazon and found an/easel drafting table drawing/sketching board.  It sits on your desk but would enable me to work vertically.  I put it in my Amazon cart.  Next I browsed for one of the large flat light tables.  A couple friends got them and I have been struggling in the last year with tracing patterns.  I put it in my cart, knowing I'd like it but I had no extra money until the middle of the month.

I really wanted to lay back down and sleep for a couple hours but I still couldn't.  I was browsing the internet, again.  I thought I'd play a few games on a social casino.  Legal in that you don't gamble, but can win sweepstakes prizes.  So here is my serendipity.  I had $9.74 on that site.  I started playing.  I won $50, then I won $120 then $360 up and down it kept mostly going up.  I cashed out $1000 and bought my easel and light table.  It was a wow! morning.