I Swear I’ll Finish Them…

A cozy confession about unfinished projects, creative chaos, and the joy of making anyway.

Fabric, clay, vinyl, paint, you name it, I probably have it.

It always starts the same way.

I see some random video, have some random thought, and immediately think, I can do that.

Next thing I know, packages are arriving at my house full of “essential” supplies that I absolutely needed.

Half of them usually show up after I’ve already moved on to something else.

Last fall, I decided I was going to make polymer clay earrings.

Not one pair.

Not two pairs.

No. I bought an entire case of clay, a bunch of cutters, and enough supplies to fully convince myself this was about to become my new personality.

Then I learned something very important:

I hate making clay earrings.

They’re hard. The clay gets everywhere. I don’t like the way it feels on my skin.

So now I have a pile of clay sitting next to my Sirdar Halloween Crochet Along blanket the one I started, got bored with, and never finished.

Not because I didn’t have time.

I was just… over it.

And I know I’m not the only one who does this.

We get inspired for approximately 0.5 seconds and immediately think, I must do this.

I’ve realized that sometimes the part I enjoy most is actually everything leading up to the project.

The planning.

The researching.

The ordering.

The excitement of new supplies showing up at the door.

And then the novelty wears off.

And sometimes the project goes with it.

I used to look at all of those unfinished projects and think, Wow. I wasted so much money.

I have a garage full of supplies and half-finished ideas, and for a while it made me feel like I had nothing to show for any of it.

But eventually, I started looking at it differently.

Maybe it isn’t all waste.

Maybe some of it is exploration.

Trying something new.

Learning a skill.

Figuring out what I like.

Figuring out what I absolutely do not like.

And occasionally actually finishing something along the way.

I’ve started giving away supplies in Buy Nothing groups when someone says they want to try a new hobby. And honestly, I love that.

Something I lost interest in gets to become someone else’s exciting new project.

I’m also trying to teach my kids that almost anything can be made.

You just need curiosity, patience, and the willingness to figure it out.

And probably a few supplies you absolutely did not need.

As always, creativity isn’t linear.

We already know threads aren’t straight.

And apparently neither is my list of hobbies.

Your projects don’t all have to be finished.

They definitely don’t have to be perfect.

Sometimes making something or even just trying is enough.

Always a little crooked,

Angie 🧵