A Project With No End: Creative Liberation Through Homesteading
Homesteading has gifted me a creative liberation like I have never known. It is an infinite, cyclical collaboration with life. Every day there is a rhythm of chores to be enjoyed, each season has its own needs, and each year has the heartbeat of the seasonal projects running through it. The more I let go, the more I savor the freedom to create within my space.
When Austin and I moved to have a playground to do what we love, we knew that the work would never be done. We are lucky to have a home we are fixing up, a virgin orchard we planted, a large field where I grow in-ground, a yard where I am planting a pollinator garden, historical fields which I am converting to fenced pasture for our animals, and acreage of woods where Austin is implementing fuels reduction strategies. Finally, we will never be idle!
I love that this homestead requires patience among a constant stream of projects, improvements, and creative opportunity. Some critical initial projects happened on a schedule, like building the chicken coop and small barn for the goats. But for many projects, there is no timeline since there is an acceptance that the work will never be done. Beyond every project’s completion is another project's beginning, so what’s the rush? Even when the house is beautifully remodeled, all the irrigation is dialed in, the fencing is done, the studio is built, and the food storage is full… something will need fixing, or spring will arrive again and it will be time to till the field, plant seeds, rotate the pasture, pull weeds, snuggle the dogs, raise chicks, and so on. All of which are creative opportunities which can either be savored or rushed through.
Austin and I have an understanding that the improvements will take years. This is partly because we are choosing to doing things the slow way. For example, Austin is harvesting and milling all the wood for things like stair treads and baseboards. This is a waiting game, as the wood needs to dry before we can install it. But the result is beautiful and worth the wait. For now, we live with the very unfinished state of things. Rather than rush to the finish line with plug and play products, we are taking our sweet time to indulge our creative ideas.
Our homestead also calls me to release creative control, either by necessity or by choice. Every year countless variables feed into the progress and outcomes on the homestead, and there's no predicting them. I am co-creating with the thousands of living things around me and must adapt to what the environment has it store. For example, last week I shifted my plans to spend a day chasing down a leak in our water line after a bear broke a connection. I had no choice but to respond to the environment’s demands. But I also shift creative priorities when motivation for a different idea comes up, even if it gets in the way of something that “should” get done. Recently, I spent time blending and packaging herbal teas to sell at market when I was “supposed to” make progress on the bathroom remodel. The bathroom will still be there when I am motivated to pick that project up again. I have learned to trust that everything always gets done in due time. If I didn’t take this approach, I’d surely be burnt out and resentful of the work by now.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love my to-do lists, and keep a quite organized approach to my garden (think crop rotation spreadsheets and planting calendars). Those tools allow me to get things out of my head and onto paper so I can free up space to embrace a more relaxed attitude as I work. I owe this looseness to my time here, embracing the shift of creative energy and focus that comes with each season on the homestead. The liberation comes when you accept that the work is never done, there is no finish line to race toward. There is only a slow and steady march through your creative landscape.
I believe anyone can embrace creative liberation in the routines of the home. Because it is my passion, I choose to devote time and creative energy to my home life at an intensity that many people wouldn't desire, but at any scale and in any home, the principles apply. Whether it is preparing your meals, decorating for the holidays, or fixing a worn-out piece of furniture, there is always an opportunity for creativity, always a speed bump to realign your plans. I hope you can embrace the never-ending nature of it all, ride the rhythm of the seasons, and approach each challenge with patience, flexibility, and most of all, creativity.
Reflection Questions:
What creative opportunities have a been rushing through?
What household activities do I enjoy? Can I savor them more?
When do I feel most liberated creatively? How can I make space for more of that?
