A confession about my productivity

This is going to be a very personal post. I have done a lot of costume projects this year, and not the least I finished all 12 HSM challenges for 2018. For those of you reading this blog it's easy to just see all finished results, and of course I tend to only post things that I'm happy with so you only get a (mostly) polished look at my costume projects.

One thing that is not visible on the blog is the fact that I have had a tough year on a personal leveWith a bit of perspective I can easily say that my mental health has not been the best. I was probably on the verge of a burn-out at the end of the spring, and even if I had my three weeks of holiday I didn't really recover. The whole autumn I have felt tired and exhausted. What does that have to do with my costuming?

Costuming is my escape, especially the HSM projects. I've had periods when I've felt both restless and anxious. To sit down with a small sewing project has been a way of occupying myself with something else than what's been going on around me. In a way it's good, it definitely helps with fending off anxiety attacks, but the larger projects have also added to my general stress level, and I have in some instances prioritized sewing over other things that I should probably have done to feel better in the long run.

This year I'm hoping to find a better balance, even if it means that I might say no to events even if they are fun and inspiring. I guess what I want to say is that just looking at the number of costuming projects of a year doesn't really say anything about the costumers life, and it's not always something to envy. In a way I hope that I will not finish as many sewing projects next year, if that means that I feel less stressed and in a better general mood. And if you are wondering I have a good dialogue at work to make sure that I get a more balanced workload in 2019.