Try New Things

Good thing one of my obiettivi for 2021 wasn’t to blog more…because I’d be failing miserably.

Even as I write this single post, I’m thinking of the dozens of posts I could have written: All the things I have baked. Close-to-home places I’ve gone. Books I’ve read. Babies snuggles I’ve stolen. New words I’ve learned.

When I think of them all, when I tie them up nicely with a pretty bow and consider the theme which connects them all, it is this: Try new things.

It is so easy to fall into a rut, especially when spending a lot of time at home. I know this is what often frustrates me about my weekdays. They look something like this: Wake up. Work out. Do the dishes. Do school work. Do Italian work. Try to write. And then, it’s dinner time and I wake up the next day and do it all over again, wondering why I find myself squinting in the distance, looking for a spark.

Spark: Something that ignites you. Gets you excited. Makes you want to talk to others about it.

Usually, I find my spark by purposefully trying something new. It might be as simple as reading a book I wouldn’t ordinarily read or it could be as unplanned as driving to DC on the way home from a weekend in Baltimore just because it is only 45 minutes away*.

*And yes, in the opposite direction from home.

My friend, Amy, is such an inspiration to me for trying new things. This girl breaks creativity barriers every single time I look at her. One week she’ll be making art from old cassette tapes, the next she’ll be teaching herself to play the zither.

Most recently, she inspired me to do this:

I’m not sure that embroidery would’ve been something I considered necessary to attempt were it not for her. But I found the process therapeutic, addictive, and to hold a spark which definitely glowed strong the moment my last stitch was made and I looked at what I’d accomplished.

If you find you’re lacking a spark, feeling a little hum drum, wanting to break from the monotony of dinner dishes and the What’s new on Netflix feels, open your eyes. Look for something new to try. You might surprise yourself not only with what you can accomplish, but also, where you can find joy.