the end is near

There are a few things on my long-term "to do" list that are cycling down.  Or circling the drain.  One way or another, I'm probably going to be making some amendments to my self-assigned agenda within the next six months. 

First on that short list of project cuts is probably this blog. I started it at a time when I thought it might prove useful as a way of communicating with potential students or clients (when self-employment was a preferred alternative to not working).  Now, I am happily employed in what I hope will be a long-term situation, one in which the blog serves no professional purpose at all. 

And, importantly, should I renew my certifications and undertake the teaching/training life in the future, there are now tools available from professional organizations that will serve that purpose much better than a personal blog. 

This blog has also, of course, served as a means of communicating in a general way, about various topics of interest to me, with family and friends (and a few Internet acquaintances).  Facebook has taken over a good bit of that, though it is certainly not a platform for the kind of long blatherations I've indulged in here.  

And the blog has further served as an excellent "exercise book" regarding the act and craft of writing.  With over 600 posts written at an average of 500 words each ... it's been good practice.  But I can pull all the content off and publish it otherwise, if I so choose; and really, nothing I have written here is work that I feel compelled to leave up unto eternity. 

Another thing I'm probably going to scale back on is the patio garden.  Keeping plants has been good exercise in several ways, but it's also perenially disappointing as there is such a very small range of organisms that can survive the conditions I have.  It's just one more piece of housekeeping (especially since, with our current upstairs neighbors, Mr. P and I spend essentially no time outside). 

I will probably be purging the collection fairly soon, and while I do not promise that I will not re-think this come spring and the arrival of new tempting flowering things, I suspect that I will be less frustrated by stifling that urge than by the inevitable deaths of another round of innocent plants. 

A third thing I will probably drop the kill switch on is the Etsy store.  This was another very good exercise, but one that has basically served only as a means of educating myself about how to set up a small (hobby-sized, really) craft business.  I am simply not a "high producing" artist and have no desire to turn art/craft into real employment, at least not at this time. 

The reality is (as Mr. P likes to say) that doing handwork requires time and eyeballs.  By the time I get home from work my eyeballs are spent.  On the weekends, I have other things that are more important to our personal economy, and quality of life, that need doing. 

Keeping the store up is a low-investment commitment - it really hasn't cost me anything worth speaking of - but it is also not serving the original purpose, which was to sell the stuff I make.  I don't expect to ever stop wanting to make things.  But ultimately I may be better off assembling a collection of several hundred pieces over a long period of time and having an Ali Baba Trunk Sale some years down the road.  Which would also be more fun, because I could interact with potential buyers in person. 

The stuff I make doesn't take up much space.  I can stockpile quite a lot without impinging on our lifestyle.  So while I do plan to keep the shop open through the holiday season, I predict that it will be quietly retired not long after. 

I have already significantly decluttered my life, in the sense of fewer possessions, tidier recordkeeping, and a firm (and frequent) application of the word "No."  The next year already has big chunks of time accounted for.  I need to clear my decks.

Comments

[R K Young]

Had a feeling the title of this post was indicative of its personal content. Can't say as I blame you! It is quite a commitment of time. And even if this served primarily as exercise for your other writing...then it was worth it. Have enjoyed the read!

[nicoleandmaggie]

I hope you keep commenting! We will miss you if you completely disappear.

[Dan @ Casual Kitchen]

But... but... it was only just a few short weeks ago that you got your first troll!! :)

Blogging is a time commitment but it doesn't have to be a permanent commitment. And the best thing about a blog is you can leave it up: it'll still be there in the future when the muse strikes you to write again. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll certainly still stop by to read whenever something new from you shows up in my feedreader.