Sigh...

Usually my life is pretty laid back and rather boring but lately I seem to be running in a hamster wheel and it doesn't take long for me to feel stressed. I jokingly call myself a hermit, but the true description is that I'm one of the world's biggest introverts. It's not that I don't like to be around people, I do! It just drains all my energy.

The two co-op galleries where I sell my jewelry reqire that I work there about two days a month, each, and I've picked up a couple of extra days working for some of my fellow artists. This means that I have to interact with people - potential customers - all day long. Last week I worked Tuesday and Thursday, this week I work Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. On Saturday I'll be participating in Carlton Gallery's Jewelry Trunk Show, so that day is full of people, too. Friday I HAVE GOT TO DO SOME YARD WORK. Monday is another play-date with Debbie Keen (last week got cancelled because her husband broke his leg) to finish up our resin pieces and perhaps make some more things with copper clay. Then, back in Main Street Gallery next Tuesday. Today was an opportunity to spend the afternoon over at Watauga Lake with a group of friends, but I just couldn't handle it. I needed a day away from people.

While I was prepping for the Carlton Gallery thing I realized that I've hardly made any jewelry this summer. That's usually the case as I make the majority of my jewelry during the winter. But I hardly made anything last winter, either, and inventory is mighty low. I have a two other shows coming up this fall and a few orders to fill and a class starting in three weeks. Now I can't seem to find the TIME to get in the studio and be creative!

I made this piece last August and it's still available in my Etsy Store...

All of this while Mercury is retrograde. For those of you who don't follow astrology, it's the Murphy's Law of astrological occurrences that happens about three times a year and lasts for about three weeks. It messes up communications and transportation can be tricky. If your car is planning on breaking down, it will do it during a Mercury retrograde period, for sure. I had to get another mouse nest removed from the dashboard of my car. If you make a plan, it will probably get changed or cancelled. For me it's also a time when I'm accident prone. I dropped a steel bracelet mandrel on my foot the other day. The swelling has gone down, but the bruise is now into my toes. I also split my left thumb nail the long way and it bled like a stuck pig. Then I burned my right thumb.

So for now I just have to remind myself to breathe, stop and assess the situation often, BE CAREFUL,  take one day at a time and get enough sleep. I also need to remind myself that, other than firm obligations like working in the gallery, I don't have to do anything that I really don't want to do, and many things can wait until a less stressful time.  This too shall pass.