I often have half finished projects lying around the house. I start them with great enthusiasm and then for some reason or another (life gets busy or I get distracted by another exciting project) I don't get around to fishing them. Last year I was making hand-bound books using eco-dyed silk. I made one as a farewell gift for a good friend. Since then the others have lain in a box in various stages of completion.

This week I wanted to get back into using my hands to create (off the screen that is. There's been far too much of that and square eyes lately). I laid out all the paper, thread, scissors and silk on top of the blanket box in the snug where I craft. And then just didn't feel like doing it. I'm tired after a week of camping and not sleeping very well. I found it hard to muster the energy.

I finally told myself to just go ahead and do it anyway. There was never going to be a perfect time to start so I may as well jump in. Slowly, slowly I got back into the groove. And as I was sewing the pamphlets together to create the text block I had a realisation. I had been wanting to go straight from housework to a state of flow. Straight from mundane tasks to being fully absorbed in my project. Straight to the feeling of ease and the hours slipping away. Of course, flow comes when it wills and sometimes not at all. You can't force it or flog it into submission. It must be coaxed gently by doing, one step at a time. And then if you're lucky, you'll look up to find that hours have passed and you are feeling fulfilled.