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I took up stamping about 12 years ago as sort of a therapy (unknowingly) because I had to deal with a VERY difficult family member, my elderly aunt who needed my help. I used to do TONS of swaps on SCS and in my demo group, and then in November I just stopped signing up for swaps. I believe it was a total "God-thing" because in January my aunt was diagnosed with leukemia and that is likely when I would have had swaps become due. I had to live with her four nights a week and take off time from work during the week. In between my work and taking care of her, I haven't had much time to stamp at all. She recently passed away, and now I can't seem to do anything at all. There is still much to deal with (she didn't have children of her own), but I used to make time for stamping even though my life was crazy, and now I can't seem to focus. I want to have the passion back for stamping the way it used to be. Does anyone have advice for me? Thanks!
Maybe you just need to give yourself some time to adjust to your "new" routine. Being a caretaker, especially for a difficult person who becomes ill, is quite a load and very emotionally and physically draining.
I speak from experience as I cared for my mother when she had terminal cancer some years ago. We had a good relationship, and she was a very sweet undemanding person, but even then it was a terribly stressful and demanding time for me. Somehow, like you, I managed to care for her and my family as well.
Looking back on it now, I think I kind of got in an "auto-pilot" mode and just did everything I needed to do, no matter what.
When she passed away, it took me a long time to readjust to living my life in a normal, non-stressful way.
Keep coming here and reading about stamping and looking at others work, even if you don't quite feel like creating anything yourself for now.
Don't push yourself too hard. Everyone has times when it "just ain't workin'. It will come back, I promise.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
It takes awhile to get back into your old routine. It can take some time to get back to the things you did for fun especially after the death of a loved one. My mom passed away a year ago and I finally feel my life is somewhat normal again. One day at a time...
Time does wonders, I know exactly how you feel too. A few years ago our son was having some very serious issues, and then my mother almost died. She ended up living with us for four months (we made the living room into her room), and the stress of being a caregiver to her and help our son, I didn't do much of anything, didn't feel like it.
Finally I started embroidering, which I still do a bit of, and then slowly began to feel that ole stamping urge, and then things just got better.
Take some time for yourself and don't even think of stamping right now. Before you know it you will be feeling that desire to place rubber into ink and then paper : )
I too lost my Mom about a year and a half ago. It was a difficult time of adjustment as I went everyday for 7 and a half years to the nursing home to visit her. All of a sudden I had nowhere to go and nothing felt normal. I have crafted for years and all of a sudden I had trouble staying with it. It's depression and missing them and always wondering if you did enough. Schedule yourself an short time everyday to "have fun" with your stamping and you will find that the fast pace of a short time period will keep you upbeat and eager to get your work done and get to playing.
Life will get better again. Give yourself some time. Maybe one of these days when you get on SCS you'll see a challenge that you think you can handle, and it will all come back to you. Al the BEST to you and take it one day at the time;)
__________________ My tiny gallery Sabrina And check this out, I now have a blog.
I think you need time. Your desire to stamp and create will return . . . when you are ready. Just take your time, you've been though plenty, given plenty, just take some time for you.
It takes time - just let it happen without stressing over it. It wasn't card-making that I found hard after my mother died, it was playing the piano and flute. It took having to practice for a wedding that got me back to the piano a few months after she died. I think it's quite normal not to feel creative after something like that - there is a lot of emotional drain as well as physical.
I'm sorry to hear of your aunt. What a difficult and emotional situation to deal with.
As everyone else said, you need time to get over your grief and learn to live again without all of that stress. Don't add guilt or grief over not enjoying your hobbies on top of all that you've been through. I think none of us really give ourselves time to adjust to big life changes.
Maybe for some reason you associate your stamping with your aunt and all of the emotion that went along with caring for her. You could try doing something else for a while, like reading magazines about stamping or other hobbies. Eventually, the enjoyment you get from stamping will come back. And if not, that's ok too.
I went through something similar but I was dealing with my parents and I just could not wrap my brain around creating at the time. I would find that when I did find anytime to create the inspiration didn't come. You just have to take the time to deal with everything and when the time is right, you will know.
When I was ready I felt like I needed to have a community to share with and that is what brought me back around to the creative side. I started a group called the Polymer Clay Artist Guild of Etsy and while building the group I met a woman name Kira who is now my co host on a weekly podcast and videocast on creating with polymer clay. Believe me a couple of years ago, I would have never thought I would have my own internet radio and TV show but the whole experience of dealing with my parents changed me and sent me in this direction.
Follow your heart and you will be led where you need to go. Best of luck in what ever you do.
Regards,
Ilysa
Thank you all for the wonderful advice and the time you took. I know I'll want to stamp again, so I'll just listen to you all and take the time I need to heal.
I agree that you probably just need time. But if you want to get stamping again, definitely pick out one of the awesome sketches (under the wednesday sketch challenge on the right side of the front page) and use that --- it makes it very easy to make a card and it might just be the push you need.
There will come a time when you are ready and everything will click.
I find that I enjoy stamping with friends. It's more fun with a couple of others to get you into the mood. When you are ready you might think of inviting someone over to play with you. If you don't happen to have friends who stamp, invite a friend over who might just love to stamp if you show them how easy and fun it is. anyway, as others have said, time will help, and it will come back to you.
Warm thoughts to you in this difficult time of adjustment.
SuzyQue in TX
__________________ SuzyQue in Texas Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons
for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
(borrowed from the quirkey card sayings thread).
Sorry for your loss. As you can see, so many of us can relate to what you are feeling. My mother passed away last October from cancer. I was the only one in my family that was with her every day while she was in the hospital. Needless to say, I didn't do much stamping but did get some needlepoint done.
After she passed, it took me a while to even begin thinking about stamping. But finally, one Sunday, I took out some stuff and it took me about 6 hours to make 8 identical cards. My son even helped with the ticket corner punching and the cuttlebugging, but it still took forever.
Slowly, my urge to be creative came back. It will for you too. Take the time to grieve. It is a process that you have to go through but you will and you will get your stamping mojo back.
I am so glad that I have found this site, as a Newbie it is difficult to "fit in" but after reading how many of you offered so many kind words of support to gv-copperdog, well, what a great community you have created here.
Gv-copperdog, hang in there, and know that you have many "sisters" here anytime you need some help.
If you need it, I hereby give you permission to cut yourself some slack. Grief takes a lot of emotional energy, and being creative takes a lot of emotional energy (Gee, I sound like Oprah or something!). Often times we can't do both at once. I'm sure everyone who has suffered a loss can tell you that grief almost takes IQ points for a good while. After my husband died, it was all I could do to get through the day, much less be creative.
You are in my prayers, and, for what it's worth, here's my advice. Let it "go" for a while. I'm guessing that one day you will have an urge to create something again. And who knows, maybe it will be totally different than what you did before - because, you are different. Life probably won't be better or worse, just different.
Hugs and prayers to you. You have already gotten good advice, along the same lines as I wanted to give (only more articulate ;) ) but I did want to let you know that I will be adding my prayers to the others as you grieve in your own way, and in your own time. You have been through an extremely trying time, and it's completely understandable that it has left you not knowing quite what to do next. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself time.
__________________ ~Wendy
Air Force wife and homeschooling mama to two
In my spare time (ha!) I love to stamp, scrapbook,
{blog} and eat chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.
HELP! I can't bring myself to stamp anymore ...
