Mask Maker: Thursday's Reflection

Feeling a bit uninspired, I turned to a favorite book about creativity, Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. One of my favorite lines in this book is "I firmly believe that we all need to find something to do in our lives that keeps us from eating the couch." (p. 172) 

During this challenging time, I suspect many of us are "eating the couch." We are frustrated by what needs our attention now or takes our energy. We are distracted or fearful or sad or angry. This is not what we envisioned for ourselves. 

I thought I would be close to finishing the draft of the last part of my memoir by now, but I have not written a word since the beginning of March. Of course, I understand that the bulk of my daily energy has been and still is directed towards my father as he continues his journey towards death, but I also wonder how much I would be affected by the swirl of the adjustments and emotional chaos caused by the pandemic. Would I be "eating the couch" instead of writing? 

It is time to meet Maria. 

Maria, who is 12 or so, I think, lives in our neighborhood. Her life has been turned upside down, just like the rest of us. I don't know what she would be doing if she wasn't sheltering in place. Perhaps she would be going to baseball or play practices, singing in the church choir, planning sleepovers with her friends, maybe babysitting in order to earn some money for summer camp. What she isn't doing is "eating the couch."

Instead, she is making masks. Wearing a mask, she sits behind a sewing machine on her deck and makes and sells masks. $5.00 each and $1.00 from the sale of each mask goes to the Minnesota Food Share program.

How could I resist? I bought two and then asked her how long she had been sewing. She scrunched her eyes, as if in deep thought and then after a pause, said,  "Last week." Of course, I would love to know more details, like whose idea was this or how many have you sold, but instead I just thanked her for her contribution. 

I continued on my walk, walking a bit longer, inspired by Maria's alternative to "eating the couch," and when I returned home I opened my journal to jot down a few thoughts about what I don't want to forget about this time. 

I don't want to forget Maria. 

                If you can't do what you long to do, go do
        something else.
                Go walk the dogs go pick up every bit of trash
        on the street outside your home, go walk the dog
        again, go bake a peach cobbler, go paint some
        pebbles with brightly colored nail polish and put
        them in a pile. You might think it's procrastination,
        but --with the right intention--it isn't; it's motion. And
        any motion whatsoever beats inertia, because inspiration
        will always be drawn to motion. Big Magic, p. 254

Invitation
What are you doing, instead of "eating your couch"? I would love to know.