Keeping All My Passions In Life

I have not written anything for the past few weeks, and it's eating at me that my blog's content hasn't exactly been "meaty" or "relevant". Most of my posts are work-related or affiliate posts.

What I've Been Up To
Don't get me wrong, I value and am grateful for these people I've worked with my husband and I have just been busy the past weeks fixing paperwork, yah we're so getting divorced. (*sarcasm* because you can't hear my tone of voice)

@ the Commission of Higher Education (CHED)

That and being financially strained has limited my blogging, event-attending and shopping (huhuhu) capabilities for almost two months. I say almost because I hope everything goes back to being "breathable" this October. Today I want to write about my passions in life, because that's what I had been up to besides errands.

Re-igniting My Passions in Life
During our busy, energy-draining adventures I found time to think about my passions in life and what I'm doing now  about it. You'd think errands would make you busy but travelling through EDSA gives you A LOT OF TIME to reflect...too much in fact.

I realized that I haven't tended to my passion in art: painting. While I have been blogging (caring for my writing passion) I've almost forgotten about drawing and painting. I felt bad about that and had been trying to use my spare time to refurbish my skill.

Thankfully, I've had some positive advice + feedback + motivation from my number one fans: my siblings. Support from your loved ones will help boost your confidence and that itch at the back of your head that's telling you to just take the leap.

My brother gave me a book for my birthday by Austin Klein, and the instagram link of MALL (May Ann Licudine) and that has inspired me to revive who I used to be as an artist, before all this happimess.

Motherhood and Art
Motherhood is awesome, it's joyous in it's own, loud, messy and random way but I do miss "quiet". I miss solace; being submerged in your work and not breathing until you get that clean brush stroke.

If you see my Instagram you'll find most of what I've been doing, besides mummyhood, the past two weeks without the blog-life. I needed to let go of blogging for a while so I could manage my time drawing and taking care of my son. Seeing other people's artworks, how they've evolved from when we were in college, I feel so left out and...really rusty. So I dove in and drew everyday.

While drawing and reading Austin Kleon, I realized I'm not being fair to my other passions. See, I also have a passion for sewing, and it's been a long time since I did anything creative with my sewing machine. Since I started blogging, a lot of my other hobbies and passions have suffered.

Sewing and Stuffed Toys

Realizing that, I halved my drawing time and use the other half for sewing. In a week I managed to finish Sharky the Pencil Case, Velveteen Rabbit, Sunny Cat and Starry Bat.

See my Instagram posts... or just the photos here, if you really don't want to visit my Instagram, which has 84 followers right now. If you want to be number 85.....hahaha! Follow me if you feel like it. And, yes the things I sew are for sale (made to order) so if you like them just send me a message and I'll be happy to answer your questions and take your order :)

*PLEASE BUY SOMETHING FROM ME!!!*

Hey I'm gonna post a giveaway for this next time. I'll make something nice. *Ideas in the morning!* Awesome!

What Got Me Back to Blogging

Well, to be honest I nearly forgot about blogging, being caught up in all those errands and then suddenly getting pulled into these new projects. I missed a lot of events that I had listed and saved in my planner.

I missed an event at the Enchanted Kingdom, the WAH Expo and two other events in the South, just because I didn't have the money. I have not written swack about motherhood (not even this post) because my son and I haven't done anything new, due to almost daily errands. Truth be told, I slightly blamed my blog for not being able to nurture my other passions in life, even motherhood at some point.

Then I got an email.

When I'm stressed, busy with a project or with my son, I don't check my e-mail. At some point last week I got brave and sneaked a peek at my phone and something caught my eye. I received a message saying my blog has been nominated at the Bloggys 2015 under Family & Parenting category. 

Surprised, but secretly blaming my cousin who voted my blog (that's right Heyna I'm talking about you), a wave of guilt swept over me. I mean, Cripes! Nominated for an award and I haven't even written anything relevant this month! I mean, the last parenting-related thing I wrote was the WAH Expo and it's not even all me!

So here I am writing again, because of the Bloggys Awards, which by the way is being organized by Essays.ph my writing career lifesaver. If you're looking for a way to earn money online through writing, without needing to be a graduate (but are fluent in English and has excellent grammar) visit their site and give it a try.

When my husband and I didn't have a job and I suffered from baby blues Essays.ph was my source of income and it kept me sane enough, and my writing passion has been well-nurtured. And yes, I still freelance for them :) Here's a Tumblr post of mine about my experience at Essays.ph, give it a read if you're interested.

So, anyway... I know being nominated at the Bloggys isn't such an impossible thing especially with so many blogs nominated right now. Seriously, and winning is a long shot, like a billion light years long, and I'm not expecting but it's heartwarming to know that some people read my posts and actually thought it's worth being nominated.

THANK YOU...dear reader, you really made my day.

Ano Ba Talaga? Passions in Life
So I reassessed myself and reflected again while sewing. I've always believed that motherhood doesn't really get in the way of your career or anything you normally do when you were single. I know that because I can still play badminton twice a week, write, draw and sew and work from home.

If motherhood never really gets in the way of your passions in life, then why should one passion get in the way of another? Thinking on this I remember what Austin Kleon said on having more than one real passion,

"Don't feel like you have to pick and choose between them. Don't discard. Keep all your passions in your life."

Don't Discard Any Part of Yourself

I shouldn't give up or just forget about one passion for the other. Not writing for drawing, not sewing for blogging and definitely not motherhood for anything. If I have more than two real passions in life, it's my responsibility to work it out nurture them one at a time or all together. Just like the talents in the bible.

If I draw everyday, write every week, sew every week and be a mom and wife everyday, will it hurt me? No... will I be any different? Yes. Any better? Of course. One project at a time may not seem much but if I keep at it, like this blog that posts once a week, something good can happen: Bloggys 2015 (read more about Bloggys here and don't forget to Vote for me!)

Happier and Surely Messier Future Up Ahead
I am imagining ruined drawings, splattered paint on the carpet and more tantrums while I'm trying to sew something. I'm not a pessimist, just realistic, but knowing this gives me strength. At least I know what's ahead, and won't be surprised anymore and besides...

I learn this way: messy, unplanned leaps and taking deep breaths with eyes closed. I wouldn't learn better any other way, as Mommy Ginger said and continues to advocate: "Love the Leap".

If my blog managed to get nominated at the Bloggys in a year, then my art can get noticed in just the same amount of time as long as I nurture it too. My sewing projects are no different... and motherhood? I think that my entire being and identity shifted overnight when my son was born.

Everything I do, I do out of love... and love is what parenting runs on, mostly. As for myself, if I can nurture my passions in life and my family at the same time, then my soul is nurtured on its own. I won't  need anything else.

sincerest,

Drixkie