Four months ago, I started a monthly bring-your-own Craft Club at my favorite bar. I almost cancelled this month.
The past few weeks have been rough, and my enthusiasm for hosting Craft Club took a hit along with what feels like every other area of my life. It’s hard to want to be a happy, friendly host when you’re genuinely not happy. I thought about cancelling September, but then forgot in the spin of everything going on (surprise, surprise) and had to keep it going, business as usual. Then on Monday I got legitimately sick with a fever and sore throat and REALLY wanted to cancel.
I’m still learning to say no and to explain my limited capacity where I can without apologizing. I could’ve cancelled, and people would’ve been overwhelmingly kind and understanding about it. Cancelling probably wouldn’t have affected attendance the next month. To be perfectly honest, no one would care as much as I do.
The thing about me is that when I’m already struggling, it’s even harder for me to let the few things I have going for me go too. It feels like, “Well shit—everything else is falling apart. If I drop this one thing that’s fine, even though I barely have the capacity to enjoy or complete it, it’ll compound the struggle by becoming another perceived loss.”
This is both a good and bad thing about my personality. It’s allowed me to push through to some really amazing achievements, but it’s also a behavior that keeps me depleted if I’m not careful.
I waited 24 hours post-fever to make sure I didn’t get anyone else sick, asked my best friend Lauren for help, and made it happen.
Even though I paid for pushing myself a little the next day, I’m glad I sacked up and hosted Craft Club. I’m really grateful that I have a great friend who’ll jump in to help share the social load of hosting. It means a lot to me to keep showing up and providing this time for my community. Every month, people stop to tell me thank you for putting this together, and I go home feeling really lucky that people find so much value in this little idea brought to life.
And if I had cancelled September, I might not have heard that Craft Club is reaching as far as it is.
This feels so crazy, but a crafty girlie all the way in Nashville, Tennessee heard about my Craft Club in Phoenix, and it was one of the first things she chose to do after moving here. I even had a local vintage store, Gouter Goods, offer 20% off to Craft Club attendees for their little pop-up shop inside Neighbor Market.
Seeing tangible evidence of the reach and value Craft Club brings—on top of the thank-yous and stories to repost—is a form of payment that money can’t touch.
I’m planning to make October Craft Club a little mini birthday party for me, with a sprinkle embroidery bar and tiny gifts for everyone, and to do a Craft Swap in November for a little seasonal closet cleanout.
Sign up for Craft Club update emails here, and I’ll see everyone back at The Churchill on October 14!
