Thoughts On My Studio Cleanup Journey

There's a beautiful story about 2 famous basketball players, Charles Barkley, and Moses Malone. Charles Barkley was the #5 pick of the 1984 NBA draft. He felt he had the world by the tail, and that he would take the NBA by storm. He weighed in at close to 300 pounds, and was shocked to find himself sitting on the bench with limited opportunities to play. He approached Moses Malone for some guidance. Malone pulled no punches, he told him that he was fat and lazy. Brutal! He told Barkley to lose 10 pounds and meet him at the gym the next day. When he reached the goal of losing 10 pounds, Malone instructed him to lose another 10. The weight loss and workouts went on until Barkley weighed in at 255 pounds. Barkley asked Malone why he didn't tell him to lose close to 50 pounds when he first approached him. Malone replied that it was too big of a goal, 10 pounds was attainable. The relationship between Barkley and Malone remained so close that Barkley called Malone 'Dad' until Malone died. Barkley gave Moses Malone a beautiful tribute;

"He never said anything about what he did for me. Most guys when they mentor a young player like that, they go around saying, 'Yeah, that was me. I did that.' Not Moses. He never told anybody. And that was the best part."  

When I began cleaning up, and cleaning out my sewing studio, I cried to myself, "I can never buy another piece of fabric for as long as I live!!!" Then, I thought about the Barkley/Malone story, and realized that I was setting myself up for failure. So, I made a smaller, more obtainable goal, no new fabric shopping until August 1st. That was a 3 month goal, and one that I felt I could do. So far, so good :) But...whew!, in the last week or so, I have REALLY wanted to go to a fabric store. What helps a lot, is going into my studio and cleaning up a space, or a drawer. That's enough of a reminder, and the bonus is that I get excited about something that I want to make.

I did another little exercise that was rather difficult. I went through my fabric, pulled out 5 pieces that I love, and put them in a bag. A friend of mine and I had made a date for tea. I took the bag with me, handed it to her and told her that she could have all, some, or none, it was her choice. I then explained that these were pieces that I love, so not castoffs. She took all but 1 piece. As I sat there and watched her go through the fabric, I'll be honest, I thought of all the wonderful things I could do with it, but I held tight. A day later, she sent me a picture of a fun shirt she had made to wear with tights, using a piece of the fabric that I had given her. I could not have been happier! She was happy, I was happy, and it was all because I let go. 

I then decided to take my exercise a step further. I invited another friend to come by, go through my fabric and choose a few pieces that she would like to have and felt she could use. As I sat there and watched her touch the fabric, I cringed a bit, but once again, I held tight, and let her choose what she wanted. And guess what?!!, as much as I cringed, I can't remember exactly which pieces she took!!! And even better, she left excited about her new projects. 

My fabric diet is not music to any fabric shop owner's ears, but it is a journey that I am happy that I have embarked upon. At this point, I am learning to let go, and use what I have. 

I hope the Barkley/Malone story will inspire you in some way, It's one of my favorites, but then, I really like Charles Barkley. He makes me laugh :)

Rhonda