A month ago I receive an invite for a fancy dress fundraiser in town with the theme “Sparkle in the Dark”. I love a good theme, and any time there’s an option of getting dressed up, I go all in. So instantly I was thinking I wanted something full of sequins, with a cape, something bright and beautiful, and feminine. I google to find out what dress shops are near me, and turns out there are zero fancy dress shops on the North West Coast of Tasmania where I live. I stopped in an a couple of Op Shops to see if a second hand one was an option, and they just weren’t the vibe. I looked online and found heaps of options from Temu that somehow dominate my search engine results but after being burnt by Temu too many times I don’t even consider buying from them anymore. I then found a beautiful dress from a bridal shop online but the tag was like $500 and I wasn’t willing to pay that. So I did what I would normally do and I put it in the too hard basket and didn’t think about it. A week to the event and I’m aware that I haven’t bought a dress, I start looking through my closet and see that there’s a dress I have that is from pre-second child and a bit tight, but could work in a pinch, but nothing like I had envisioned. Two days before the event I decide I’m going to just sew one myself, so I drive to the closest city and found some fancy red sequin fabric, bought a few meters, and headed home. At home I have this fabric and I wrap it around myself in various ways and decide that sewing it would be too hard since it’s sequin and procrastinated a little more.
The night before the event, I know I have to get this sorted, I have an enormous amount of beautiful fabric just waiting to be made into something and I have less than 18 hours to be in that dress and at the party. The whole time I kept reminding myself “don’t overthink it Jennifer” because something wonderful happens when I just allow my creative self to take charge. I pulled out the fabric held it up against me folded over to where two ends touched the floor and the fold was at my shoulders and laid it on the floor. I cut a four inch-ish straight cut along the fold right in the middle, enough for my head to go through. I pulled the fabric back up and over my head so it was like a giant poncho and cut another piece for a belt and tied it around my waist. It was amazing. Like truly. I was so comfortable and I felt fabulous and I had a cape! I made my husband also wear another velvet cape to match me and I cut a sequin tie for him too.
I realised I need a few things for me to not procrastinate and for me to complete projects. I need to have a FAD. Some kind of Focus – it can be a theme, a niche, a genre, a limitation, something that helps eliminate other options. Then I need Accountability – like someone else needs me to do this because we are in it together. Lastly and importantly I need a Deadline – There has to be a moment where this thing, this project, this paper, this dress has to be done. Then I can knock it out of the park – and feel really good about it.
Maybe you also need a focus, accountability, and a deadline. I’ve had accountability partners in the past, and it can’t just be me communicating up to someone else, otherwise it feels to suffocating and if I’m not doing what I’m supposed to at a typical pace it makes me want to shy away. I do that thing where when I have the energy I can go full force with it, but when I don’t it’s painful to work on whatever it is.
If you want to talk about this sometime, send me a message. I’d be happy to explore if we can work together to help you get your stuff done too!
I’m add the pic of the sequin dress from the night – I didn’t take a solo pic so this one also features my loving husband.
