Monday, March 23, 2009

Chaos Theory

Creative chaos.
It's quite evident that I'm not any good at balancing my creative life with my everyday SAHM/housewiferly life.
All around me (in blogland and occasionally reality) are women who seem to write and photograph and sew and cook and publish books and create beauty with everything they touch. While also raising housefuls of kids and nurturing loving relationships.
My Creativity seems to fully compete with all the other things I'm supposed to be doing. My head is bursting with ideas and thoughts and energy while the laundry is waiting to be folded and toys are strewn from one end of the house to the other. And I should be going to the grocery store.
But it is such a force to be reckoned with. And the more attention I give it, the more it wants.
And I try to do all those other things. But the force will not be ignored.
So I try to keep it under control. Even when I want to throw all the clothes out the window and let the kids get their own lunch. And the force is threatening to burst out of my chest like that little alien head.
I try to control it but it generally ends in chaos.
I suspect my husband wishes he were married to one of those people who gets a rush out of tidiness and shiny silverware. Although I certainly have never given him reason to suspect that's what he'd be getting here!
I have such a difficult time managing both. If I ignore the force long enough it will subside. But then all you have is the housework. And who can live like that??!!

How do you manage your Creative Chaos?

7 comments:

Daisy Patch said...

I can't seem to do it either and I have a small house.Most of the time my house suffers for it.I would rather yield to the creativity.Hmmm... it seems my laundry is waiting too!LOL

five out east said...

My creativity has to compete with those things too, and my kids are old enough to get their own lunch. The house and hubby's business keep trying to call me away.

Jamie said...

Ha - so true. So much I wish I could accomplish, so I just try little things, one at a time. I'm a quick project person - I have to be able to complete it in a day or two. And the things that suffer - sometimes my children and husband, mostly sleep. My house used to be so clean, I used to never leave dirty dishes in the sink and huge piles of laundry all over the house...But something has to give.

Anonymous said...

Lara, what are you thinking? Manage Creative Chaos? What's the point? What fun is creativeness without the choas? I admire that you want to manage them but someday you'll realize that it just takes the fun and suspense out of the creative process. Oh, don't listen to me, my mind is like a messy room all the time.

Mrs. M said...

Not very freakin well!
Never let your talents go untouched! That's one of the beautiful things about you. And doesn't your husband tell people you are an artist? Well, the title of artist defies everything to do with everyday order. I think so anyway.
The TV goes off and I hide away. Or I try and include the kids somehow...which is a challenge...which is why they like to play in the crawlspace...and sit on my knee while I sew...and play with dried beans....and there's laundry to do, and dishes, and dinner (thank the heavens for a crockpot and meal planning...and pizza toast courtesy of you!)...
REally, I don't think those amazing women who's blogs we read have it all down pat either.... we just don't see it is all...they don't post the reality of it all.
That's my longwinded story and I'm sticking to it!
PS: Come on over to my house and you'll feel better about the state of yours!:)

Two Mittens said...

I love you all!

JessyB said...

Hmmm, I must be seeing you through the eyes that you view these "other" bloggers/SAHMs.....I see all of your creativity and am amazed by your photo skills (the way you are able to capture the everyday moments and make them look like your mind's eye recalling a cherished memory). And you somehow manage to keep up a blog, something I'm failing at (been over a year since my last post, lame-o me).

The truth is, I feel a lot like you, except you actually accomplish more. I have approximately 2735 creative ideas floating in my head, yet I only ever seem to do a snippet at a time. Snippets are quite small, so I've got a lot of work ahead of me if I'm ever going to get my creative alien to burst out my chest wall.