Through the years, crafts have been fun hobbies and often I looked for exciting new things to do. This led to a room full of projects in various stages of completion, which then led to feeling the opposite of my intentions; I felt guilt and anxiety instead of happiness. Feelings of guilt escalated from not starting a new project and then anxiety settled in from merely looking at the unused art supplies. WFS provides healthy ways of managing feelings in sobriety and recovery, and, with Statement #3 in action, I was able to reclaim joy and contentment with creativity.
First, examining all the incomplete projects, I determined some favorite craft activities. From there, I boxed up anything that was not a favorite and chose to give it away. I shared acrylic paints with a woman who worked at sandwich shop, a girlfriend was given alpaca fleece, and many items were donated to a center devoted to teaching art to kids. This created a portal for happiness to develop.
Feelings of guilt began to decrease and a sense of balance returned. With a new focus on favorites, I am able to encounter opportunities to learn and experience the joy of creating. Additionally, instead of feeling the need to collect more and more craft stuff, with Statement #3 in action, feelings of contentment outweigh chasing after flashy colors or bright lights.
Hugzzz
Karen