Well, there certainly hasn't been much sewing around these parts lately has there? I'm of the opinion that this isn't a bad thing though (right?). Sometimes you need a break from doing the things you love lest you get a visit from the dreaded burn out.
David and I have been back from visiting family and hanging out in the glorious Sydney weather for a week today (you can now call me Ms Dr. Jennifer Lauren #notthatkindofDr). I've pretty much tried to avoid the internet and sewing during this past week, mostly because my sewing room and computer have become uncomfortably attached to my leg over the past few months, not from blogging (obviously) but with the responsibility that comes when you release a sewing pattern (or two...). I really love answering emails and questions I get about my patterns - to the point that almost as soon as I get one, I'll answer it within seconds if I'm not asleep and close to my computer (and will be one of those annoying people tap-tap-tapping away on their phone if I have to). I feel a big responsibility to those people who are buying my patterns, and I want to provide the best customer service that I can.
This, however, is sort of leading to a tiny bit of the aforementioned burn out.
While we were away, we stayed with my parents for a long weekend. They live about 20minutes out of the city I grew up in, in a small community filled with native trees and beautiful bird song and are severely lacking cell phone coverage. Now, contrary to what some might think, we don't live in hobbit holes or mud huts in NZ. We're a westernised country with internet, and cell phones and heck, even Starbucks infiltrated when I was still in high school. And this little place in NZ is only a handful of well habited places that lacks cell phone coverage.
I have to admit though, it was lovely. Normally the first thing I do when I wake up is reach over for my phone to check my emails. I couldn't do that there. I had to wait until we'd driven over the hill, into the township to get at my inbox.
In Sydney, while we had internet where we were staying, I didn't have cheap access to internet when we weren't there (and we were very rarely there. We literally came home to sleep, and spent the days catching up with friends and eating our way around Sydney). So, when I may normally have checked my phone for emails or convo's on the train back and forth between various Sydney suburbs, I couldn't, unless I wanted to pay a pricey premium (uh, no thanks...). This meant that I had only set times I could check emails, and most of the time, once we had arrived back to our accommodation, we'd chat to my friends (who we were staying with) and then promptly crash out for the night to get ready for the next busy day ahead.
I've been trying to keep some of the same distance that was forced on me during our time away (and honestly, failing slightly miserably). But it's been a good lesson in being constantly available. Nobody can sustainably be constantly available.
Life gets in the way, as it should.
xx
J
