Reckless Abandon

Yesterday, I did some very bad sewing. Yesterday being Sunday, which is my free day. It's a day where I can write whatever I want. But writing in any way, shape, or form is not my most relaxing pursuit right now. Which is why I've turned to hobbies--like sewing.

Terrible, terrible sewing. You see, I grew up learning how to sew correctly. I know how do it right {in theory}. I can use a pattern, though I've never done it successfully. But these days, sewing is my hobby.

And by hobby, I mean that I don't have to do it well. I can if I want to. {I recently converted a petticoat to an adorable knee-length skirt, and I'm quite proud of it.} But I don't have to. That's what happened yesterday. I was attempting to turn a short-sleeve, men's, button-up shirt into a skirt. {There are plenty of shirt-to-skirt do-it-yourself directions on Pinterest.} And since I didn't feel like breaking out the iron...it turned into a free-for-all.

I won't go into the details here, but let's just say that any self-respecting seamstress would be horrified. But I'm not a seamstress, I'm a writer. And sewing is my hobby. I had fun. I broke thread, sewed curvy stitching, didn't hem the "ribbon"/bow.

And I don't care. I had fun. {And it honestly is a wearable skirt.} I played around and messed up and fixed things and messed them up again. There was no perfection. There wasn't even the excellence that I ascribe to. There was just a hobby.

Which brings me to my point. I do have one. I used to write for fun. That's why I decided to be a writer. But recently, writing is a lot of work. {Which, of course, everyone said it would be. I didn't listen.} I still love it, but the reckless abandon has disappeared.

Everyone needs some reckless abandon. There has to be something in your life that doesn't require your perfection, your excellence, your 100% passion. There has to be something that will never make it to the "big, big world". If you are a creative person, there has to be something in your life that serves as a free-for-all creative outlet. A hobby.

For me, it's sewing. {And painting, and crayon-drawing, and beading, and decoupage.} That's my hobby, and it's mine. I get to have fun and let go of perfection.

Everyone needs a hobby, a place where they can enjoy reckless abandon. What's yours?