Sunday 2 March 2014

The "Blog Cos You Want To" Club


Time for another meeting? After all, I am trying to get going again. Cos I want to...

Want To No 4: Don't Strain Yourself, Don't Explain Yourself

Here's a quick one (and you might find it has surprising results...). 

Don't sprain yourself, don't explain yourself


Simply post a picture of your project. Maybe something you made years ago? Something you'd like to revisit? You don't have to say how long it took you to make, or where you bought the supplies, or what you ended up doing with it. Just show us the photo! All crafty bloggers love to look. Reading is dandy, but looking, some days can feel just right.

But wait - here's what I found; and maybe this will work for you too. Freeing myself from thinking about a post with words .....helped me to come up with some words.

WHY WILL THIS WORK?  I told myself I just needed to find the felt hat and take a picture. And as I looked, I remembered why we made it, all those years ago now and it was an easy story to tell.

There was a hat competition in school. And that's fun if you are a five year old girl. But an eight year old boy wasn't quite so enthusiastic. It had to be a good hat. So we decided on a rugby playing theme and, for inspiration, we used ideas from a felt "league table" wall hanging he had seen in a magazine. The plan was that you could move the flags round your hat, or put on new ones, depending on who you were supporting that week; so he coloured and I sewed on some velcro and made a rugby post from a bendy foam hair curler thing and we created a rugby ball shaped pompom for the top, and he took it into school - and he won a prize. Job done!

So, deciding not to tell the story had me - telling the story. And it did something else, too. It made me realise that, over the years, I've made lots of things (and the rest of the family has too) that have gradually worn out, or been passed on, or donated; and each of those things will gradually slip from view and be lost..unless I take a minute to take some more pictures. This hat was lying in the bottom of an old toybox. Next stop? who knows? I think we know where it was probably heading. But, even if I do end up moving it on now, I have a picture. And the story. And a post, too.


So, go on, give it a try. Find something you made. Tell yourself you aren't going to right anything. Then wait. You might find yourself unable to walk away. You'll start typing, maybe just a little, but you'll have some words. because you told yourself you didn't need them. Push yourself a little and you'll end up with an entry for Abi's One Photo & Twenty Words. Two photos, and you'll have something for Helena's Zoom in, Zoom Out.

Oh, the possibilities...

Blog Cos You Want To - also found here (Play on the Popular), here (Five Things) and here (Leave a List Lying in Limbo)

24 comments:

helena said...

oh yes, yes - I love this approach. also loving the hat and practical approach to rugby watching that accepts that we watch games where 'our' team is not playing but still want to barrack (lovely ozzie word) for a team - go Ireland (except when they are playing Scotland!)

scrappyjacky said...

Another great idea,Sian.

Susanne said...

You are right, some don't more photo less text can be the way to go. Off to grab my camera.

Barbara Eads said...

Oh to spend just 10 minutes in your brain! Your ideas amaze me!

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

Great prompt idea! Love the hat!

Miriam said...

Sian, she of the brilliant ideas has another one. Love it!
So glad you are feeling well enough to blog again x

Becky said...

Great story and wonderful photo!

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

How very creative and certainly worthy of a prize. Funnily enough I was going to post a picture today and then decided I didn't have much of interest to say about it. Sometimes just beginning is the thing I guess.

Sandra said...

Barbara has taken the words out if my mouth. You have just the most creative mind

Lou said...

well you know how we love a little rugby. 2 games and 2 wins today..so we're happy bunnies here. It's a great piece Sian and as the others have said a great idea from a great mind x x

Lou said...

well you know how we love a little rugby. 2 games and 2 wins today..so we're happy bunnies here. It's a great piece Sian and as the others have said a great idea from a great mind x x

Jimjams said...

Definitely a thought to keep in mind when the mood for de-cluttering strikes - should make me ven more ruthless once a photo or two is blogged!
Love the hat - no wonder it won a prize.

Carmen said...

Ah this made me smile :) Great idea and FABULOUS hat.

Melissa said...

Such a great idea for Blog Cos You Want To! I have just the item I could share ...

Karen said...

Another fine idea, and another fine story!

Amy said...

And then I find, usually, that 'not telling a story' leads to one, and another and another again!

Ladkyis said...

excellent idea! now which picture shall I start with?

Abi said...

I like this club! I am like Amy too I think. The more I find in the cupboards and the craft drawers, the more stories there are to tell.

Anonymous said...

Now I remember a little strawberry hat that was made for a little girl when she was 18 months old and it has a story to tell - must find it!

alexa said...

Another super and thought-provoking post :). And a lovely hat to boot!

Beverly said...

Adorable hat! Thanks for the inspiration. I am getting ready to redo both of the boys' bedrooms now they are grown so no doubt will come across a few treasures.

Maria Ontiveros said...

Thanks for the terrific idea with the blog cos you want club.
I know exactly what I want to photograph, and I will be combining with another challenge (but not zizo or 20 words). I'll be doing with the sill life class I've yet to finish.
Just the inspiration I needed!
Rinda

Ruth said...

I'm convinced Blogger is eating my comments! Anyway, great idea and very cool hat.

Jennifer Grace said...

Oh wow, that hat is fabulous, especially the rugby ball pom pom! x

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