There is an old saying that Mainers are known for living out: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Many beautiful things have been made with the make-do approach. We think of quilts, hooked rugs, tramp art, many make-do dolls. But it only makes sense to save bits and bobs if you are truly going to use them. Otherwise, it just clogs up the works.
We are doing a huge clean out at our house. The Izannahs were a little concerned! We are pretending we are moving (but we are not). It's just time to shift some things out. Anyway, cleaning out my creativity zones mercilessly is opening space for future works. I cleaned off the painting zone and now am moving to the sewing area. While cleaning out, I am asking myself questions:
What do I want to do?
Answer: Doll making and fiber arts, maybe quilting, maybe shibori.
More questions, as I sort through supplies:
Do I enjoy doing this?
Do I have space for this?
Is this a past craft I tried but will not to continue?
How old is this paint? 
Is it dried up?
Is it dried up? (Goodbye 2006 prim staining solution)
Is this a path I want to continue or did I learn what I needed to from it?
Since my time and space are pretty constrained, there are certain things I will choose to not pursue. Molds I made from antique china dolls are out. It feels good to accept that I have a certain amount of space and a certain amount of time and to identify which pathways will best use that time and space.
The Izannahs make the cut, of course.
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