Stopping Mid-Thought

I’ve taken to leaving these bits and pieces scattered across my desk as of late.  Ok.  I always leave bits and pieces of one sort or another scattered across my desk.  But, these pieces are not simply uncollected detritus of past projects.  They are intentional.  

They are an invitation to my future self to sit down and play for a moment.

This project has come to one of those tricky spots where it feels a bit more perfunctory than exploratory.  I’m nearly finished with this quilt top and the question of how it will turn out no longer animates the endeavor.  So, I’ve applied the Hemingway injunction to stop mid sentence to its fabric equivalent.

When I leave my intentions on display, I can pick up two pieces and sew one seam here.  Maybe I’ll do just one more on that side.  I don’t have to create the time for a full sewing session.  I only have to complete one or two connections.

I’ve found, though, that a funny thing happens.  When I have these pieces, left mid-thought, on my table, somehow, I find more time for full sewing sessions.  The project feels, again like a bit of an open question.  I feel drawn to consider possibilities again.  A fresh momentum emerges. 

It feels like an excellent return on investment for plotting out a few steps ahead so I can leave these open invitations on my table.