When Great Ideas Go Missing

At the start of 2010, I had a great idea. (They do happen.) I bought a large, spiral bound sketch book and slid it into a little nook by my computer. I am forever running across good ideas on the computer and used to have a terrible habit of sketching things out or jotting things down and scattering scraps of paper everywhere. Worse yet, I would trust something to memory, which is the kiss of death for any great idea, but because I have no memory, I could never seem to remember not to trust mine. :)

Anyway, the sketch book turned out to be a fabulous tool. I divided it into sections (recipes, quilting patterns, inspirational sites and blogs, and notes) so that all my brilliant ideas could land in one space. I also kept a running list of EVERY SINGLE project I started this year, since one of my new years goals was to be a finisher, not just a starter!

One of the most important things in the book at this time are instructions for a project I am currently working on. I have all the measurements, requirements, and sketches for a particular idea paper clipped together in the middle of my sketchbook. I'm ready to resurrect this project, so I went to grab my book this morning to refresh myself about where I am in the process. I also wanted to review all the ideas I have gathered so I can start making lists for Christmas.

NO SKETCHBOOK.

Not in the nook by the computer. Not in my quilting drawers. Not in my closet, the homeschool closet, or the homeschool room shelves. I am not by nature a pile person. Sure, things stack up from time to time, but they usually start driving me crazy sooner rather than later and I disassemble my little piles. So, it isn't like there are a million places a great big, spiral bound book could be hiding.

Now, here is the ugly truth about situations like this. I have launched an all out search and rescue for my book and can not even begin to rest or focus on the 8,465 tasks before me today until I have located it. I can't even remember the last time I used it, so I don't know exactly how long it has been missing, but my guess is a good while. I have not even thought about it, much less been concerned about it in months, but now it is urgent that I have it in my hands right this very moment. If not yesterday.

My memory has been completely off duty since I started my sketchbook at the start of the year. I haven't taxed myself to remember a single great idea or hold on to the tiniest pinch of creative inspiration because all that information was stored securely away in my book.

This day is off to a rocky start. The longer my book is missing, the higher my anxiety level gets. The higher my anxiety level gets, the more likely I will start to tear apart closets and clean out drawers (which I absolutely DO NOT have time for right now), and the more likely my regularly scheduled productivity will be on a steady decline.

Here's the kicker........if I had the capacity to remember where I kept my memory book I wouldn't have needed a memory book to start with!!!

Oh dread. I feel a major melt down coming on.