I received a few well-meaning messages these past couple days in regards to all the work I’m doing. By work I mean lots of sewing and quilting.
Yes, it’s stressing my wrist. I have a special brace I wear overnight that’s just shy of being a cast. In the morning my wrist is happy and allows me to work all day.
I’m not actually working all day. I’m up at around 6am because the sun fills the bedroom by 7am and there’s no sleeping through that. Most especially because it gets too warm in there due to the bedroom being on the east side of the house. After breakfast and a shower I need to be doing something, I need to feel productive. Housecleaning takes less than a hour because I do it daily.
Being disabled means I can’t work a “real” job. I receive $720/month, all of which is eaten up within 24 hours by our bills. My husband is the only one who can work, but he’s not getting paid enough (who the fuck is?) so I do my best to make money. I create things and sell them. Or at least list them on Etsy and HOPE they sell.
I stop working under any of the following circumstances:
- Not feeling “right”, which is usually what happens a few hours before a seizure.
- Sunset has arrived. Yup, I stop working at sunset.
- My sewing room is too warm. It’s on the west end of the house, we live in a desert, it gets REALLY hot in there from May-September. By 4pm I’m done. It’s why I start at about 9am.
- I feel a burnout coming on.
- My wrist is being a bitch.
Currently I’m grieving. Sitting idle just makes it so much harder for me to grieve. Creating things isn’t distracting, it’s cathartic. My grandfather LOVED quilts. My grandmother is a quilter, he 100% supported her, adored her work, and encouraged her. He was thrilled when he learned I’d taken up the family tradition. I create because it makes me happy, I know it made/makes him happy, and it helps me through this emotional mess I’m dealing with.
Not only am I grieving but am also poor, as you may have guessed. I create because it brings me joy and satisfaction, but also as a means of extra income. I’ve made $160.50 thus far this year. It’s not enough, so I make more and hope someone purchases the work. My financial situation isn’t helping with my grieving and has me extremely stressed. I need to stay occupied.
I appreciate your concerns. I ice my wrist when it swells or hurts too much, I take an NSAID (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug) before going to bed so the swelling and pain diminish overnight, and I don’t rush my work. Thank you for your comments, but know that I’m well aware of what I’m doing as well as my limits.
If you really want to help you can purchase my work: https://www.etsy.com/shop/naynaymacrame
Simply because it’s relevant.
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