When I moved to Texas 10 years ago (*gasp* has it been that long??), the first fall we were here, I spent several days picking up pecans at a local school ground. I used the pecans to create this turkey (see photo above). Over the years, this turkey has made a reappearance at our house each year during the fall. His hat is a bit crushed at this point. The cats have stolen that balloon goggle off his neck every year and there are little cat teeth marks on the beak now. I have glued stray pecans back on numerous times, but overall he’s doing ok.

This year, I pulled that box out of the closet and set it on the table in my studio. My daughter wanted to be an elf ranger for Halloween, so we had gotten some fake leaves out of the box to make her a crown leaf wreath (say that three times fast!). And the turnkey (still in the box) sat on the table… and sat… and sat.

Now it is the end of November and the turkey is still in the box. Sigh. I never did manage to get out any fall decorations (the leaf wreath is sitting on the fireplace mantel. Does that count?).

I decided that if we didn’t decorate for Christmas soon, that probably wouldn’t happen either. How is it that time flies past me so quickly? I don’t watch tv. I don’t go to movies. I don’t have many friends, so it’s not like I’m out doing whatever it is people do when they’re out. I don’t do the grocery shopping. Actually, I dislike shopping of all kinds. So where is my time going? I spend a lot of time thinking and planning. That Artist Way book had a great chapter this week. She said: Don’t call it laziness. Don’t call it procrastination. Call it what it is: Call it fear. Artists who think they must make the best, most amazing art block themselves from making any art at all.

Maybe it doesn’t have to be perfect. Maybe it doesn’t even have to be good. Maybe it just needs to be. And it should be fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?

After all, I could just slap a Santa hat on the turkey.