Year of Projects, Year 2: My thoughts on continuing in YOP
You may have noticed I haven’t posted a Year of Projects update for the last two weeks. I have been following along with my favorite YOP bloggers, but I think I’m taking a break from the Year of Projects for a while.
I say “I think” because this has been something I’ve debated about for weeks. I’ve actually previously written posts about this and then never published them. I love participating in the Year of Projects because it is a great crafting community, and I’ve “met” some of my favorite bloggers this way. Last year, my YOP goal list was tied to one amazing book
This year, I tried a slightly different approach. I set up a list of goals that included my crafty aspirations for learning new skills. I added some projects that I wanted to be accountable for completing but where I might need some community support to help me stay on track. In some ways, having a list that has so many different types of things on it has made it harder to choose what to work on next. Yes, I know I can sit back and reform my list at any time but I’m not sure that is what I want to do right now.
You see, some things have changed in my life since I joined this year’s YOP. I’ve been given some more opportunities to publish my patterns, and for the most part, I’m not able to share anything about those projects until publication. This means that I’m working on more and more projects that I can’t share with my readers while simultaneously having less and less time for projects on my list.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about three blog posts lately:
- this one from Crochet Concupiscence describing why she isn’t participating in the Year of Projects for 2012-2013,
- this one by Thistlewood Farm asking bloggers to consider what they want their blog to be when it grows up (which I originally discovered through a post from Project: Stash), and
- this one that I wrote back in back in January about my fear of becoming over-memed.
I know I don’t want my blog to be a place of obligation and crankiness, nor a place of feeling like I don’t live up to (my own) expectations about completing goals. I have a lot of ideas about the direction I’d like my blog to take in the future, but I also have to be realistic about the amount of time I have left after accounting for my full-time and part-time jobs, attempts to have a personal life, etc. The solution that seemed the best for me right now is to step away from participating in YOP until I have time to work on specific projects and I feel energized about posting about them!
For more YOP updates, visit Come Blog-a-long on Ravelry.
We’ll miss you, but I can certainly relate to your reasons. My time has been really in demand lately too, and it’s meant that I haven’t been able to work as steadily on my projects as I’d like. As a result, my posts have suffered, and I often DO feel that I haven’t lived up to my own expectations. I’m going to carry on though, because I think it’s just a temporary thing for me.
There’s a big light at the end of the tunnel in the next few weeks. I’ve been working away on helping my brother publish a book, but the launch is in two weeks and after that my time should be my own again.
I’m sorry to hear that, Minding My Own Stitches, because I love your posts! I didn’t realize you were helping your brother with his book – what a cool project!
I think the reason I do like YOP is because it makes me accountable to my blog (and makes me actually blog on a regular basis). It also makes me really scrutinize my Ravelry Queue, my stash, and actually think about what I’d like to work on. My queue was getting out of hand at one point because I kept adding things that I liked but would never use/wear and that just seemed silly after awhile.
But, you do what you need to do and that’s all there is to it. There’s no law that says you can’t change your mind…
Those are all great reasons for joining in, Renee Anne. I may join in again in the future.
It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, so stepping away from YOP is totally understandable. Crafting should be fun, not add to your overall stress. I like to have a bit of spur-of-the-moment freedom when it comes to choosing my projects, so I have never committed myself to YOP. Although I really admire the amazing bloggers who participate in it.
I agree, autumngeisha, and I feel much the same about blogging.
That’s so wonderful that you are designing and very understandable why you cannot share all that hard work. I’ve missed a lot simply because I kept frogging the same thing over and over….I was knitting but getting nowhere with nothing to show for it! LOL! Good luck and stop by when you can…it doesn’t have to be all or nothing….keep us informed about your designs when they’re out there! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for the encouragement, Sandra! I’m definitely planning to keep following along with what other folks are doing.
I post some weeks, and not some weeks, just depends on what I’m working on and my work schedule. It doesn’t bother me though when I don’t post. I enjoy the interaction between people and am sorry to hear several folks feel it’s stressful. I just look at it as a list of people who enjoy the same craft as I do, it’s just a sharing to me, a list of blogs to visit.
Best of luck, we’ll leave the light on for you.
That’s a great point, sandy. Perhaps I’ve been taking it “too seriously.” With a more casual approach, I can participated when I have the time and inclination.
Just wanted to commend you for making the choice to step away from the project for now … not because it’s not a great project because of course it is but because sometimes it is really hard for us to say that our personal self-defined goals are no longer right and being able to assess, admit and move on is difficult but so important.
For my part I’m thinking that I’ll set some personal crafting goals for the 2013 year and maybe see if there is a way that I can connect with the Rav YOP community around some of those with less commitment to the full project.
Thanks, CrochetBlogger/Kathryn. I do love participating with this group of crafters, which is what makes it so hard to step away!
I like the idea of the ‘YOP community’ thing, it had honestly never occurred to me.
What I don’t like is having to have a plan for my crocheting life. I just do what i feel like when I feel like it and the same about sharing. Actually making myself blog weekly on YOP is not something I want to do.
I used to get a bit obsessive about WIP wed and FO fri too, now I jsut post whenever and link up if i remember.
I think that makes sense, Tanya. I just wanted to share an update with my fellow YOPers because you never know why people stop participating.
Well, I’ll miss you, but I’m sure I’ll still be reading your blog, because I really enjoy what you can share with us. But I think that if it’s the right choice for you, I’m glad you told us rather than just vanishing from the group.
Thanks so much, Emma. I’ll definitely keep following along my favorite YOP bloggers, and I may join in again later
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[...] Marie for mentioning my post on choosing not to do YOP this year in her post on the same topic. [...]
[...] Marie mentioned my post on choosing not to do YOP this year in her post on the same topic [...]