My to-do list has always been miles long. Since the age of five, I’ve pursued many different art forms and crafts (the quality of my earlier works is highly debatable) resulting in my long-standing habit of working on 10+ different projects all at once. Furthermore, since I've dabbled in so many hobbies, I always felt bad buying things I felt that I could make because I would only have to pay the material costs (and most of the time I already had the supplies).

This ideology manifested in my eight-year-old self as I used to make all sorts of accessories for my Barbie Dolls. I would make them jewelry, beds, classrooms, clothing, etc. My most memorable project from that era was when I made my Barbie Doll a blue romper made from a painted Clorox Wipe. While the end product resulted in my doll looking like a Smurf (the paint stained her skin) I was proud of the results and showed it to everyone in my family.

However, as I got older and school got harder, I had less and less time to accomplish the ever-growing pile of projects I wanted to do. Additionally I started to make all of the presents I gave out. I now had deadlines I had to complete projects by which ultimately resulted in gift cards with I-owe-yous attached to it in High School. With the addition of other clubs and joining more dance companies at my studio, everything took 3-4 business years to complete; my hobbies felt more like chores sometimes.

It wasn’t until I got my first job at a daycare that I finally had a revelation. I remember it was the day before my friends’ birthday (they’re twins) and I had to go buy their gifts because I had been too tired in the weeks leading up to it to make them (kids are a lot of work). I ended up getting a plushie for my friend’s collection and a bath & body works set for my other friend. Although I was disappointed that I couldn’t make them something, they were ecstatic about their gifts and at that moment I felt free. I finally realized that my time isn’t a negligible cost of creation.

While I still start multiple projects all at once, they are all things that I’m passionate about making as I buy the things that would make me content to have but not content to make. My favorite projects I’ve made recently are some 3-D cross-stitch Hot Air balloons (based off of my Grandma's design), crocheted flowers, a star pillow, and cat magnets. I’m excited as ever to keep on creating because I have learned to prioritize my projects…At least when it comes to art.