Atlas Insider
Atlas Insider: Eat. Paint. (Live/Laugh)Love.
In my 35th year of life, I have come to realize that we all need to hit the reset button every once in a while. (Hard to believe that sentence even found its way to this highly-functioning-under-stress-and-a-tight-deadline-Capricorn’s cold, staggering fingertips and onto the keyboard, but here we are.)
My reset button reared its “self-love, self-care, you deserve this” head on a 138th-ish day of March and said, “THAT’S IT, I’M GOING TO TUSCANY TO PAINT THINGS!”
I packed my suitcase, painting overalls, and brand new pink art CaboodleTM and set out on my solo journey.
How beautiful was Tuscany? Couldn’t tell ya. I decided on a much more practical first “E.P.L.” journey. I traveled to Glastonbury, Connecticut’s Connecticut River Valley Inn—a beautiful, historic home built in 1740. My instructor for the week was Kim Myers Smith, a fascinating painter who has gained a huge following on Instagram for her beautiful oil paintings and her uncanny ability to create an entire painting in one hour while Live on Instagram every Wednesday at 8 am Eastern (tune in with your morning coffee … it is so worth it).
My three expectations: to spend time with myself, find my footing traveling alone—first timer!—and start a new journey of creative growth through oil painting.
What I gained was beyond expectation. I found healing and life encouragement in the form of 5 incredible women: Carolann, Jackie, Jen, Kim, and Leigh Ann. We showed up alone—together—from all walks of life and left as lifelong friends, complete with a group chat. I even shed a few tears when they left. (Look at me being vulnerable and stuff). As far as what was discussed during our late nights at the wine dinner table? I’ll never tell. That’s a secret only The Inn Girls know.
As soon as I got home, I dusted off my old easel and unpacked the art supplies that lived in cluttered boxes for years. Here is a little peek at what I’ve been working on, and some of the paintings that began my newfound obsession. Kim, if you are reading this, thank you for creating this new monster.
A Giveaway
This week’s prize is a favorite reset button pastime at the Atlas Craft Table: A Potholder Loom Kit!
How to enter?
Two steps:
Step 1: Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Snippets, right here. If you’re already subscribed, you’re set.
Step 2: What are your favorite things to do when you need to hit the reset button? Let us know in the comments.
Deadline for entries: Sunday, June 26, 11:59 PM Central time. We’ll draw a random winner from the entries. Winner will be notified by email.
Come Shop With Us
Favorite thing to do to reset is taking a razor and scraping the oil paint off of the larger piece of glass in the studio. A true party animal.
I love to snorkel.
My favorite pastimes are definitely Knitting and then some jogging or hiking through the woods with my Collie, Teddy.
When I need a reset, I like to get out in nature–nothing too crazy, just hit the trail at the local nature center or even just taking a mindful walk around the neighborhood to admire the plants and birds.
I try to reorganize or get a fresh look at everything
I go for a walk at the beach, on the sand with water lapping at my ankles. I love watching the birds, collecting a few seashells. So relaxing.
I decided to try to paint with watercolors. Couldn’t believe how different it was to try that new thing. I loved the process and have since returned to it a couple times. Each time it was really fun.
Start a new project!
Connect with a friend or family member i haven’t seen in a while, knit a small project just to see if an idea works. Complete a task I’ve been procrastinating. For a bigger reset, time away on Lake Superior.
Get out in nature. Walk, bike, even a drive through a scenic area. No artificial sounds (hate those earplugs everyone wears these days), just listen for birds or a word of comfort and inspiration from a higher power.
I go somewhere for walking and birding. Works every time.
Going to the Smoky Mountains each November is a reset for me. It gets me excited and ready for the coming holidays. Also beginning a new knitting project is a good reset.
Traveling alone. It’s interesting to see which “me” emerges without the structure and habits of my everyday people, places, and things.
I, too, am a walker and birder!
My reset is to sit under my oak trees and watch the cardinals cardinals.
Just doing something makes a difference but I am reminded of this line from an old song and it usually works for me “make someone happy, just one someone happy, and you will be happy too.”
Swim!
Do something for someone else!
I live in a beautiful area and a walk can always bring a new perspective as I observe the natural world.
I tackle a little household chore with care (instead of slapdash) that I (and sometimes only I) can truly appreciate after the fact. You know, instead of just putting the silverware away, I clean the crumbs out of the drawer and set things straight. 😉
A beautiful hike, reading and knitting.
I go for a walk and let nature’s rhythm reset mine. I often do a walking meditation, or just watch the birds and bunnies. (Yes, I said bunnies, babies everywhere)
Sometimes it’s knitting swatches on a really colorful yarn sitting in the bin. Or, taking the dog for a walk at the state park, which is just down the road.
I reset by immersing myself in my knitting! Listening to early morning birdsong in my yard!
I’m doing a lot of that now as I heal from a broken leg/torn tendon – sketching.
That loom kit would be LOTS of fun!!! I gave them to my grandkids & it’d be fun to loom along w/ them!!
I sit on my porch and knit a minimum of 10 rows, while reflecting on why and what wound me up so tight. After 10 rows I am reset and can enjoy the beauty around me.
I go to a long lunch with a girlfriend where neither is in a rush to leave and take time to just be with each other
I get out a knitting book and start dreaming of what I could make.
Me too!
On low energy it is colouring in with coloured pens. Just the doing helps to re-focus.
A walk in the woods and/or alongside water is ALWAYS good for my soul.
I’m with you. It’s even better when I go to the spot that starts out in the woods and ends on the rocky beach with the wind blowing.
To reset? Well, first I tap into my Christian faith, then there’s anything to do with hands, knitting, sewing, did in the dirt, art journaling, etc.
A mushroom forage
Birding
Get more sleep, take vacation days from work, visit friends and family
I need that reset button everyday! An early morning walk has been the solution. I walk for an hour, trying to think about nothing, deep breathing and always finding something beautiful in nature to observe. Yesterday it was five wild turkeys sunning themselves on a fence.
My favorite reset is to spend a day in the woods, to walk, to sit and just drink in the quiet and enjoy the nature sounds around me. I also read or knit or spin on my little e-spinner. I recently learned that this is called “forest bathing.”
forest bathing!!!! that is grand. i will take it one step further and call mine ‘forest soaking’. thanks for the word!
classical music is also aettling me down….
Yes! I can’t think of anything better to re-set than to go forest soaking! It helps to calm me every time. Ty for these descriptive, wonderful new words!
My favorite thing to do for a reset is to try a new recipe – especially baking.
When I need to reset, I go for a walk. If that’s not possible due to weather, I put on some classical music and just sit back and soak it in.
Reset for me is being alone, after Sunday church change my clothes and sit on the porch, listening to nature while I knit or read .In the winter months and I’m in doors, lite a candle a listen to an audio book and knit.
Barbara, you get crumbs in your silverware drawer? I thought I was the only one. If only I would remember to Close the darn drawer! Otherwise, long walks are the best, but household chores work, too, and you get such a satisfying result.
My reset is to brew myself some tea & sit out on the deck. I’m lucky to live in a rural area. I can see what is going on in the woods & hear the birds enjoying the day.
It has to be something JUST for me Sometimes it is sorting through my stash,. Or working on a project for ME, or cleaning a (small) corner of my house.
A walk in the woods!
I call my BFF & we go to garage sales, Fleatiques, etc., then out to lunch. A slow, leisurely way to unwind.
A walk on the beach at sunrise
My reset is to spend time at my old family cottage that rests in the woods on a small lake. I have to wait until August this year, but am already counting the days. No tv, just reading, playing with the dogs, hiking, napping, watching the water. It’s glorious. Lots of knitting too – that goes without saying!
Some solo time in the woods. Works every time.
I like to sit out back and listen to and watch the birds and chipmunks, maybe read a little. Just being in that serene space.
Going on a hike or reading.
I don’t even know what that means in my life or how to do it.
Not in any particular order: Forage for mushrooms, ride my bike early while it is cool and quiet, knit, stare at my stash and think of all the possibilities I did not think of before ☺️
My reset button is taking the dog for a walk. Watching his pure joy in exploring the sights and scents along the way gives me a new perspective on things.
Walk, read, knit or take a power nap!
Going to the beach. There is something about the repetitive sound of the waves and the overwhelming beauty of my surroundings. I can’t help but, slow down and take it all in and be grateful for everything I have.
I recently pulled out my watercolors and have bought some “watercolor with me” books that teach step by step. I like to sit down and do one of those exercises or to paint in a watercolor coloring book.
I sit down and knit to reset. I also knit when I am stressed out.
I love the picture of a robin – how gorgeous! For me, it’s curling up with my knitting, or a good book. Preferably outside on the deck on a cool day so I can listen to the birds singing. I also love taking my dog on a long walk through the woods, when everything is peaceful and I can let my mind wander.
I think its a bluebird.
Sleep, knit, eat. Coffee.
Knitting and listening to an audiobook!
Getting fresh air. A walk, hike, even a few minutes watering my balcony container garden.
I head to the Maine cottage and don’t invite anyone to go with me! Hannah, if you make prints of that baby bluebird, I’d buy one – absolutely love it!
Knitting, listening to music – Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Dvorak, playing my flute, knitting, reading.
That sounds like a lovely way to reset- now I may need (yet another) new hobby!
I head to a friend’s house on a lake and spend a few hours pouring over patterns, yarns, and buttons, while knitting. Works like a charm!
Actually getting back into my knitting. It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to focus on anything other than a sock. It feels good to be working on a bigger project again.
I quit my stressful job in 2021. Never seeing my terrible, uncaring manager again was just the reset I needed.
I would love to do that. If next year is like this where our administration lets the students do whatever they want it will be my last year.
Reset? Read whatever I have on hand and immerse my thoughts in someone else’s life. Might last all day, or even just an hour.
Watercolors!
Have a group of women friends over for game day. A little wine, snacks, and lots of laughter!
Thai massage. My first time was a gift after a particularly stressful couple of months last spring.
Knit! I barely have time to sit down and knitting to an audible book is so relaxing!
Playing a few games of pickleball – lots of running around and some socializing too!
Walk, knit, listen to a calming podcast. More importantly, I think about gratitude. If it’s a rough day I remember to be grateful for a roof over my heat, food, a car, my body still works… It’s very easy to take things for granted.
My new obsession for a reset is revisiting the piano which I used to play when I was WAY younger. Right now I’m pouring over YouTube videos in search of a keyboard.
Walk walk walk. No distractions allowed!
Read or try a new recipe.
I immerse myself in handwork of any kind….knitting, sewing, painting, weeding the garden, breadmaking….and get “lost” for a few hours. The ultimate reset is wandering in nature.
Head to our New Hampshire home on a hilltop complete with strong storms, mountain views, beautiful skies and an “Alpine meadow” under cultivation.
I always wanted to paint but was intimidated when i married into an artist family. Now rid of them and at least some of my trepidation i started painting along with videos. Im barely s beginner but having fun! When im not painting im knitting do im happy
A weekend up in Asheville for some reason, recharges the creative energy.
I reset by going for a long, slow bike ride, focusing on reducing my typical cadence, and stopping more often for swigs of water, and savoring the visual enjoyment of the blooms of the day.
Take my paddle board to a nearby river and paddle while the stars come out.
Getting outdoors….even virtually (tv) as a last resort.
Sit on dock on lake at night.
My favorite resets are painting with my beloved pastels, weaving something, reading for a block of uninterrupted time, and starting a new knitted piece.
My reset this week is a beach vacation collecting beautiful shells!
When I need to reset, I pull out a small project – maybe a simple scarf I’m knitting, maybe a simple watercolor. Sometimes with soft music, sometimes just the sounds of the birds singing their way through their day. So perfect.
Take a walk. Listen to the birds. Pull out the old sewing machine and make something.
Since I made a full 360 to knitting after some 30+ years long hiatus, my reset is designing knitted shawls… and I developed this need for a reset on an almost permanent basis… 😉
I head on over to Central Park, which is only a few blocks away from my apartment in Manhattan. I watch the changing flora with the seasons, the newly hatched families of mallard ducks, the turtles in “turtle pond” sunning themselves in the mid-day sun, and find a nice bench on which to sit and knit. Sometimes I make a new friend. It really doesn’t get better than that.
Kinda depends on the reset. Sometimes knitting, sometimes crochet, sometimes gutting and cleaning a room (!?!?)
Knit of course.
I do whatever will make me happy in the moment usually something creative. I have several creative hobbies and several I want to try. I love learning new things.
I head up into the mountains of Colorado, sometimes solo, sometimes playing tour guide, sometimes just seeking “the cherry store” with one of my daughters. Along the way there is inevitably time in the trees.
My favorite reset is to find three new recipes and make them all in one week. We tend to get in horrible ruts. Of course, by we I mean me.
I sleep, hike, or knit.
My favorite thing to do is spend time with my grandchildren. So refreshing and energizing!
The beach always soothes me
Good for you for going! Beautiful paintings! Beautiful place to reconnect with self! Glad to read that you met up with kindred spirits. Very nice!
Long walks truly help and shopping…retail therapy is good for whatever ails you!
For an afternoon? Watch some screaming obnoxious reality show. Really? Occasionally when that’s all I have time for her. Mostly I like to do something I
alone that I usually do with others. Even just go to bingo or something like that.
I love walking on the beach, I really love walking on the beach when it is stormy. If there are lots of people I just keep going until I am truly past the entrances and it gets quieter except for the ocean.
A day trip for me
This time of year I sit in my garden and listen to the birds.
I knit a hat! Must be a new cast on and I must finish it before resuming normal programming on the WIPs— even a reset needs some structure. (Related, I knit a lot of hats.)
Sit and stare at the ocean.
I work in the garden to reset. I find weeding oddly contemplative.
My favorite reset is to go grab a cup of tea take my knitting and sit on the balcony ! just to listen to the birds and watch the rabbits
Warm water and breezes. Very few people. Think Kauai or one of the less frequented Caribbean islands. I haven’t allowed myself that option in some time, but today’s MDK post may give me the nudge.
I work in our glass studio. I do fused glasswork. Plates, bowls, jewelry (some of my favorite are little round earrings that look like yarn balls) and buttons,from molds, that I have for sale at the local yarn shop. But when get bored with these, I make up designs. Lately, I have been making plant spikes, one of my favorites is a gnome. Also there are magnets with glass faces and wire hair. For Christmas, I made everyone a candle holder- actually my husband made the wooden holder, and I made a glass Christmas tree that slid into a spot in front of the candle. I have been making glass replacement pieces for birthday gifts, to update the holder. Now I am making a sushi dish (using a slumping mold) which is actually very easy. But the hard part? I am going to try to make chopsticks to match. The glass studio is a place where I can concentrate on something different every time. The hard part? Trying to avoid slicing up my hands on the glass,
walk the dogs
Knit. It keeps me sane!
I knit or cook
I knit or walk outdoors….
I love to grab an epic novel and one knitting project that involves a technique that I haven’t tried. I allow myself to roll with it.
My reset is a quick weekend get away, that is no longer than 4 hours away. My quick reset is usually a long, lazy nap.
Walking, riding the tandem with my husband, reading, knitting.
I take a walk
Walking. Outside. In the woods.
A road-trip, me driving and the Man trying to read a map. Just seeing where the day will take us.
I weave. I have three looms of various sizes so I pick one and start weaving. The results vary from practical to exploration. And of course I KNIT.
To reset I like to visit my sister in VT (I live in NY on Long Island) and we take walks, knit and enjoy good food.
My reset is getting out in nature. Hiking, forest bathing, sun bathing, gardening.
Knitting , as the yarn works together to make a series of stiches, I unwind.
Just yesterday I participated in a day of fabric dyeing as a new member of Red Rose Quilting Guild, and I want to delve in to the world of art quilting.
Just spend the day doing nothing in particular – maybe getting lost in a good book, maybe doing nothing. One of the things I have found to be really great is learning a new skill (letting someone else be the teacher)
I spend the entire day sitting out on the porch listening to the birds, and knitting or reading. No electronics allowed.
Switch to a different craft for awhile. Charity knitting is what I do a lot of so switch to some embroidery or cross stitch for awhile. Haven’t used a loom in forever so that would be a fun diversion!
I have discovered Yin and Restorative Yoga. It has allowed me to learn how to truly relax.
I go on a vacay with some of my bestest friends – all of whom encourage me when I need it.
I look for beautiful but invasive plant materials to cut for Ikebana (the Japanese floral art. Unfortunately (though perhaps not for me) there are a lot of them where I live!
I organize something. Books, stash, kitchen drawers. The calming effect of putting something in order soothes me. Then a nice cup of tea and a half hour with a favorite book.
To reset… I make items for others. I’m involved with making baby hats for miscarried & still-born for our local hospital’s grief support program for families in mourning and distress. I also knit or crochet baby blankets… the majority of these are given away by my husband to new parents in our neighborhood. My husband will come back from his daily walk with news of a new baby or baby to come. Spreading cheer in the neighborhood… it’s so much fun to be the “unknown gift giver”.
A reset can be small or big – a quiet morning enjoying nature and Creation, or a daring solo travel with an openness we don’t normally allow in our usual surroundings. It brings confirmation, or resolution, and almost always peace. Courage to know when to hit pause, and strength to do it! Carving out 5 days to leave responsibilities and embrace the unknown and to be changed because of it… that’s a reset I’ll take anytime! Thank you Hannah for capturing and articulating the beauty of a reset and the results that come from one, like this article!
Eager to connect next month!
Inn Girl Leigh Ann 😉
Walk~
I love to go to the Gulf, preferably to one of the white sand beaches, and just be immersed in the sights and sounds of the ocean waves. But because I can’t stand getting too hot and shouldn’t get sunburned, this means sitting on a balcony or in a waterside restaurant!
Go through my yarn stash and organize some new project ideas.
It is very simple, I take a book and a cold drink and head to the bathtub with or without bubbles.
I attach my little teardrop camper Queenie to my car, find a Nebraska campground, knit or hook rugs, and enjoy a star show at night. It sounds as if you found your bliss, too, and maybe it was that you ventured out alone. I recommend it. 🙂
Rereading a favorite book is always a good reset.
I am an egg tempera painter. It takes me places that nothing else does, even knitting which I do daily. After a painting session, I am clearer, cleaner, a better person for the contemplative place the painting has taken me.
That’s easy. Knit, of course, often starting a new long-dreamed of project.
your paintings are beautiful! for my reset button, i like to sit on a beach in the warm sun with a big hat and read a good book, listen to the waves and relax.
Move to a new place and start over. … or fly to visit friends. Unfortunately- with responsibilities it’s no longer possible. I imagine i’ll have to settle for a road trip sometime. Maybe a walk around the block??maybe a few minutes on the front porch or the bench under the trees….
I head for nature. Walks, Bike rides, quiet , large pines or deciduous woods, & wild life. I draw and paint plus I knit.
My reset button is usually to do a crochet project; it’s adjacent to the knitting I do year round, but still a departure that I enjoy, and also ends up making me return to knitting with refreshed excitement.
I’ve tried embroidery, sashiko, hand lettering, kumihimo, sewing and indigo dyeing … who knows what I may or may not return to with so many knitting projects in the queue?
In the summer, sit out in my tiny but private backyard with my knitting and watch the birds and check on my flowers. In the winter, make a fire and knit and maybe write a handwritten note or two to people I care about. (I’m proud of you for going by yourself— would love to do something like that but not sure I could!)
Take/steal an hour for a long solo walk on the farm road. Quiet is a blessing and a cure.
Going to the mountains and collecting flowers to press. Smelling the fresh air always revives me.
My reset button is to walk my morning coffee to the beach to watch the sunrise and dolphin.
Those potholders are addictive … they are creative as well!
Defined get out in nature, go for a run or walk and enjoy the beauty around me.
I am between the memorials of my mother and my father and, because of a foot injury, I can’t turn to my beloved yoga. So I showed up at a Tai Chi class and was accepted with the greatest open hearted hospitality. Now I have a new form of moving meditation and a new community.
Go for a long walk
Browsing patterns for new inspiration and checking stash.
I grab my golden, Sophie, and head out for a walk. Good exercise, and I also clear my head!
Get out my spinning wheel and make some yarn
I work on organizing some part of my stash. Yarn, fabric, books, they all need a hand most of the time.
I reset by trying to learn a new skill – last time I wove some espadrilles.
Try something new, grow some new neural pathways! Like right now, I’m crocheting my first adult garment, and it’s composed of two hexagons and a strip in the middle. Having to concentrate hard on what I’m doing is pure meditation.
My resets include Zentangles, singing (preferably in groups), hiking, learning a new cuisine, and reading a new author (especially poetry).
I sit outside, breathe, and admire the nature around me. No phone. No tv. Just nature and me.
I pull, or hoe weeds, or put seeds in dirt and pray for rain. I must remember to wear gloves or my wool fondling hands will suffer. Happy Father’s day, and Reverent Juneteenth
When I need a reset I like to clean and organize something in my home. It makes me happy and makes way for new things.
A nice long walk, and a change of scene.
get outdoors! mountains, desert, beach…they all can help with the reset. and make potholders, of course!
Attend the MDK knitters retreat at Shakerag Workshops!
I like to sing. For a long while I sang in organized choirs and choruses. Even indulged my bucket list by singing in an opera chorus. Now that I am retired from retirement, I sing for myself usually in the car. I may sing with the radio or with a CD, but I also sing a capella making up songs. I can lose myself into the music…it feel like I become the music.
Nancy Damico
I reset by camping…taking my knitting, of course.
I remind myself that I don’t have to do the 300 things on the list for today. Pick one and use the extra time to lose myself in a great novel. I’m currently in the 4th book of the Outlander series
Last weekend I went away with a group of friends for our annual trip to the Butter Tart Festival. After missing 2 years to Covid, it was a great weekend. And next month I have a weekend planned with some friends from high school. One friend has a beautiful cottage on Georgian Bay that he generously invites us to. That will be the ultimate reset weekend for my year.
Generally a long hike will help reset me or cleaning out the closet or tackling a major project. Lately I have been contemplating taking trip alone for a different perspective, it’s been a long time since I made a solo trip.
I love to play my violin and keyboard inside my living room with the windows open listening to birdies and the wind while our 3 kitties listen
Sit at the piano and play for as long as necessary.
cuddle with my loving feline, Hunny
To reset, I meditate and then tackle something new.
To reset I go for a walk, read or knit.
Hiking. Switching to needlepoint from knitting.
Sew. Garden. Read. Something creative with no time pressure
Knit a washcloth or crochet granny slippers. But, in my youth, I made at least a hundred potholders, for every aunt, cousin and grandmother every Christmas.
I clean/organize/sort through things that nobody else cares about but that have been bugging me.
Well, knitting, of course, but also baking something amazing tasting for a friend (or myself) but I love to think about the person I am making it for. Baking almost always puts me in a better and happier mindset. Food is love.
Playing with my dogs!
Very sweet.
I love to go outside and walk in my pool with my kindle. I always feel refreshed afterwards
Weed. Garden. Birdwatch.
I reset with prayer, preferably with others, and being outside in creation.
I love my potholder maker!!!! A Christmas gift to myself a couple of years ago. Each Christmas I order more of those t-shirt loops. Congrats Hannah on being a lone traveler and finding your inner painter!!!!
My favorite reset is going for a walk-and-talk with my friend Hank. We wonder through a neighborhood, park or museum, chat about anything and everything, and usually stop somewhere for a drink or snack.
I spend time on Ravelry, dreaming…or if I can concentrate I will read a novel, or maybe take a nap. Boring but it works for me.
Crochet granny squares with Noro. Don’t always love Noro, but the color changes surprise me and make me smile. Some squares are quite big, some not. Whatever happens, happens!
A walk for when my mind is going a mile a minute and I’m awake way too early… or some new craft project that I’ve been eyeing but telling myself not to pick up
If my space needs a reset, I take time to clean up all the surfaces and reorganize the various boxes that hold everything. Sometimes this means that my giveaway bag gets full! If I feel like my body needs a reset, I treat myself to an at home spa day. Feeling sparkling and pampered really helps some days!
Oooh, I love hitting the reset button!!! I usually “cruise” the stash, pull out some leftover yarn from a long finished project and find something new to do with it. And, if that’s not enough, I’ll make another something (usually something wee for a small person) until I feel the palate has been throughly cleansed. If there’s not enough time for a project, a quick walk with friends and dogs will do.
Reset button? Take walks, drink wine, be in the quietness and truly think about what prompts the reset!
I would say knitting, but since retirement, it is more like a daily habit. When I hit reset, I try something new, something that is a bit of a challenge…for me this is usually trying out crochet stitches. Focusing on continuing to improve the stitch. I also have found that coloring with pencils is a relaxing reset.
I take a break from daily walks for exercise and read, read, read.
My absolute favorite thing to do is to “hit the road” with my husband and dog, Jackson, who looks exactly like Hannah’s dog! I thought I was looking at a photo of him in the byline. Traveling and exploring places with my dog gives me a whole new perspective on the place I’m visiting, and the most mundane stops turn into adventures of sights and sounds when interpreted through my pet’s senses. Watching his reaction to beaches, forests, parks, and strangers reminds me that the world is for all living creatures and gives me perspective on my role on the planet.
Leisurely page through a beautiful book of design, flowers, or cooking.
Knit! Hike! Kayak!
Go on a vacation by myself where I can do only what I want to.
Curl up with a good book or hike alone at our local arboretum, taking pictures of things that catch my eye.
Nature works for me. Walking, woods or near water.
I like to cook risotto – it takes about a hour to make, and I always add a little wine to the pan (and to my wineglass). It’s the perfect thing to cook and watch Netflix on my laptop.
Read a book. Or at least a couple of poems.
Take a walk in the woods or pull out my watercolor gear or both
Start a new project!
I either take a walk or sit on my porch and read a book.
When I hit reset, I go for a walk, listen to the birds, feeling refreshed I cast on a new project
Head out to the garden.
I recently dusted off my crocheting skills and have been playing around with crocheted flower motifs, somebb be of which are circles within squares. It’s still turning string into things, but different from my usual knitting.
I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out how to reset. I still have my 53 year old pot holder loom. Maybe I should get some loops and get busy.
My reset button is to sit and play the piano. It always lifts my spirits, even when I don’t play Mozart or Brahms as well as I used to.
Putter in the kitchen and read cookbooks. Never fails to lift my mood and reset my thinking.
Read
Resetting is difficult for me. I like the sameness, order and process of my days. When I finally have to admit that I’m not enjoying my days (usually due to my moms health situation), I chill out with a perfect cup of coffee (the process of brewing the coffee is the first step in the chilling out) and then I set on my mom’s deck and just savor the coffee. The smellof the coffee, the weight of my Bodum coffee cup in my hand and then the first sip…life slowly resettles into my norm as my cup becomes empty.
A long walk is my tried and true.
your article amazing
ittelkom jakarta
Your paintings are wonderful. I love the bird – so cheerful. The beach is my favorite reset spot…..walking, picking up shells, making new friends- both dogs and people, watching the birds, and sometimes dolphin, and taking pictures of it all.
Taking a slow walk in nearby Tuscarora State Forest to see the ferns in a different light, and hear the stream tumble over rocks.
Many years ago, when I badly needed a reset, I abruptly took a week off work, packed a bag, left my surprised family, and drove through several states to the outer banks of North Carolina. I’d never been, but the ocean drew me there like a magnet. I walked the beaches alone, I ate out at lovely restaurants alone. I read, I wrote,. I sat in stillness alone. And I found myself again.
Spend time with or call an old friend from my early years, someone who knows me inside and out. So good for the soul!
A walk outside does it for me. Nature is an effective healer.
When i need a reset its nature all the way for me. I have a friend I’ve gone backpacking with every year for over 20 years now. We’ve missed a few due to wed, funerals, births, pandemics. But i look forward to it every year and every year i come back calmer and more hopeful and ready to take on life again.
An hour alone with my knitting, a cup of tea, and a yarny podcast. Everything else disappears.
Sit down at my potter’s wheel. And a smaller mood changer: go to a clay class, visit my sister across town, work in the garden, go for a swim.
I knit more and/or bake. 🙂
Reading. Napping. Knitting.
I like to escape into a good book!
My reset is going to the coast for a few days. Listening to the ocean always makes me better.
I walk and enjoy looking at what is growing around me and listening to the sounds of the birds.
Reset button is journaling. When I feel I have strayed too far and feel lost. I also plan a trip.
It’s only 2 hours to the Third Coast (Lake Michigan). Overnight at a B&B and toes in the sand are just right for me!
Spend more time on my peloton
When I need a re-set, I head outside to do some gardening. Even if I only have time to focus on weeding a small patch, it looks better when I’m done and gives me a sense of accomplishment. Hands in the dirt and the sun on my back makes me feel better every time!
I go “shopping” in the craft room until something catches my attention.
Reviewing my extensive library of knitting, needlepoint, embroidery, quilting, etc books is a great way to recharge!
Rearrange the furniture!
I like to reset with a long hike in the Rocky Mountains, right outside my front door 😉
A reset is best accomplished by a trip to a nearby Great Lake, watching the stunning sunsets and walking the beach. Always puts me right with the world.
I would love to have Hannah’s birdie painting across the room & staring at me while I lounge on the sofa. It has an expression on its face that says, “Well, explain yourself. You can’t just sit there and do nothing!”
I reset by taking a nap.
walk up a long steep hill breathing , taking it all in. Works well for me
Knitting is my craft of choice, but an occasional quick crochet progect will fill the reset need.
I reset by taking a walk with some upbeat music.
I pull out stash yarn, stitch dictionaries and design books and just noodle around with whatever catches my interest.
I feel like I need a reset every week, not only the 138th day of March! Pushing paint around is definitely in that category. Since it’s not my main creative outlet, it always helps to make me look at things differently. Every year my family gets together at a lake cottage & we always bring out the watercolor sets. We end up painting the same landscape paintings every year, but are they really the same? We are different each year, so even paintings of the same scenes are different….
Leave my family behind for the day and sit in a coffee shop and knit
Although I have painted, my other passion besides knitting is making jewelry. I’m even planning on reopening my Etsy shop!
I go sit with my dog; I pull him into my lap and bask in his patience with me, his stoic acceptance of my affection. He is old now, and every day is precious. He brings me back to what’s essential.
Either swim or knit! I need pot holders!
I knit, cook, swim, and go for walks. Occasionally I’ll reorganize a small area of my home.
Reorganizing all my craft supplies. Finding things I forgot I had helps being re inspired.
My reset begins with a cup of tea. Always. Then, I like best to sit on my patio where I can see the results of my hard work at gardening and, most often knit, but sometimes I have a stitching project at h and.
Meditate. The great silence does it for me.
Most favorite reset is a trip visit to the ocean. I wish it were closer.
A quiet cup of coffee and knitting, or brushing my old dog’s coat. He loves it, and I don’t do it often enough, so when I do it is relaxing for us both. He’s a 10-year old lab who thought he was a puppy until my older dog passed last summer. Then Rueben suddenly turned old. We have a new puppy who is a wild 8-month old and won’t sit still for much. But giving Rueben a good brushing is very soothing. I should go do it now…
And your paintings are beautiful; like so many others have said, I could gaze at that bluebird all day.
I usually do a different needlework, such as needlepoint or counted cross stitch. To really turn away I often go on a baking “binge” making things such as scones or fancy breads. The kneading process is especially therapeutic. Most recently, to the amusement of my adult children, I have decided to learn a little about water color painting. It has become a new favorite reset activity.
My reset is either play time with my energetic lab, or a nice walk/hike in the woods. Soaking in the sounds of birds and water soothes my soul!
Love to take a walk by the beach and meditate on a bench overlooking the wharf. Or, get the spinning wheel out for some tactile escape!
Knit, of course, walk the dog, read, and pray. Yoga helps, too.
Dog walks and cooking…marathon walks and full days of baking. It helps!
Lay on my deck and knit or paint.
Read, meditate, pray.
This is so boring, but my favorite thing to do when I need a reset for any reason is to grab a new notebook and start my “to do” lists from scratch. If there’s a need for a reset there’s a need for new priorities and maybe it’s time to let some of those old “shoulds” go. Plus, I give myself permission to use the good notebooks and pens, not the practical ones, so that always helps get things going in a good direction.
Try to catch up on my Smithsonian magazines.
I get out some colorful card stock and a few joyful rubber stamps and make a few birthday cards.
At this time of year, I like to sit on my screen porch with an ice tea and knit. My cat Calpurnia snuggles up and we enjoy an afternoon of contemplation. She never reveals her thoughts, but sometimes I tell her mine.
Reading a good book helps me clear my mind. I can get my brain to focus on the story instead of the overwhelming thoughts/feelings/responsibilities trying to crush me.
For knitting, fiber festivals and LYS events. The enthusiasm of other people makes me want to make all the things. A walk is always good for clearing out my thoughts.
Just finished a week long spinning course. Was a great way to reset and visit an old friend 🙂
my favorite thing to do when I am feeling frazzled is to sit down at my spinning wheel and spin for awhile. This usually settles me more than anything.
Hey, nice paintings. I will definitely follow these for my company to give the best possible painting services to my customers. Keep on adding this type of valuable content again and again. Hope to read more from you. Thank you.
Knitting a scrubbie or two will give me time to rewind and reset:)
Tend to my plants. Listen to music. Breathe!
I take a bike ride at the nearby rail trail. We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful rail trail with views of the reservoir and the mountains. It feels like I’m somewhere far away.
I chill out and watch movies.
When I reset, I like to go for walks, and garden. the harmony of colors that Nature provides is always inspiring!
Walking-hiking in a local park, perfect for a walk in a warm day In summer.
I’ve been frogging abandoned knitting projects, then washing, organizing, and reusing or donating the yarn.
Sounds boring…but I go outside for a micro reset. Get a pedicure for an unwinding reset. Need to get a bigger reset idea.
Knitting is usually my go to for relaxing and stress relief, but I also love to bake cookies and bread. . . or enjoy a walk with my dog. It’s good to have options!
Knit, of course.
A walk in the mountains with the dog is amazing
A ranch walk with one of my dogs is the best reset for me.
Walk down to the pond, stand on the dock and breathe deeply… and thank the universe for all their gifts.
I do yoga or quilt to reset ….2 vey different activities but calming for me
Knit garter stitch….any project will do! 🙂
To reset, I make myself a cherry limeade (hot cocoa in winter) and sit on the porch with my dogs and a crossword puzzle.
A walk, or sometimes immersing myself in a new craft project (knitting, spinning, quilting, or stained glass), will usually help me rest.
Quick reset is a walk in the woods. Longer reset is a camping trip in the wood! I like the ocean too, but to really reset, it has to be a forest.
Sometimes I feel that I’m in this continual loop of ‘teach, knit, repeat’. While that is usually ok, I do find that I need to just do something else. What that something is varies, but my favorite ways to reset involve travel – either near or far – and meeting people – new friends or old.
I go for a walk. If possible with a friend.
Canoeing is one of my resets. Just drifting along watching whatever critters are out is so peaceful.
Well, besides knitting, I like to take a long bike ride
I sit down with a cup of tea and a book, and the elderly lady cat comes and sits on my lap.
I go for a swim
Learn something new and go on an adventure.
A few years ago – I also decided to set out for a little journey! I grabbed my tent and headed for the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival. Took a few knitting classes – knit in my tent at night and came back refreshed and have great memories of that little trip!
Finger painting! I found some great YouTube videos a while back and it’s so good for my soul.
Get together with my dear friend Grace for lunch and lotto. If one of wins we’ll share and if neither of us wins we still share
Clean up, organize, and start a new project, whether sewing or knitting, doesn’t matter.
My reset usually involves quiet time at home with my knitting. I like to sit in my favorite arm chair in a sunny corner of my bedroom, listen to an audiobook or binge a podcast series and knit my heart out.
I love to good for by myself with a long book and some chocolate
Loose myself in a project – anything really – potting up annuals, painting if I am inspired, good book, petting the cat and organizing all my to do lists so I consolidate and know what I am facing in the next week or two.
For me, nature nurtures and knitting calms me. Love Snippets and look forward to it each week. WIth no LYS, you inspire me.
I bake Swedish Almond Bars – a taste that reminds me of my carefree childhood days.
Watching the birds.
Find a child to be with. They see the world the way it should be, not the way it is.
My ultimate reset moment has been retirement! Still living into that!
A true reset happens when I retreat to our trailer—only 20 minutes drive—in the country. I take refuge in our gazebo, on our big swing, and read and knit. I lose myself in a mystery while working away at a project that doesn’t require attention to every stitch. The wind and the birds keep me company and I emerge ready to face life.
To reset I love to watch videos of new techniques and stitches for both knitting and needlepoint
I have never called it the “Reset Button” but I have certainly used it many times. For me, it is more of a “parenthesis”. I momentarily pause and insert (between the brackets) something different and soul refreshing. Most often this involves a book that I have wanted to read but is far down the list or, it can also be an afternoon in the gazebo with binoculars for the birds and a sketch pad and chalks for posterity. Sometimes I just give myself a week-end to cut out and sew something for me from my pile of old and thrifted textiles. Currently I am enthralled with the simplicity and ease of the 50s house dress of which I saw my mum wear many variations.
A reset involves a walk… rain or shine.
Someday I hope to reset and go on a knitting/yarn trip to Iceland!
My simple reset is to spend the weekend home doing what I want to do, which usually involves binge-watching a show and knitting.
Sit on my front porch with my dogs and a glass of limeade.
Grab a dog for my lap (65 pound boxer), turn on Netflix, and fall asleep on the couch for a short catnap.
Walk in the woods. Let the dog swim in the creek until she barks for joy. Make a meal. Pick up my knitting. Repeat.
I knit, sew, sit in the shade with a glass of ice tea or sit in the hot tub.
Favourite reset is reading a good book. It takes to be another place and time.
look at my stash and think of something to design on paper, then knit up
My reset is baking anything, German soft pretzels, cream puffs, pizza dough, doggy treats……
I doubt I’m the only one finding it hard to hit reset these days, but I do enjoy cross stitch when I need to zone out and focus at the same time. I also like to knit a good dish towel.
Eat chocolate and peruse my binders filled with knit & crochet patterns. For hours. Then I shop my stash.
Take a walk, preferably in nature.
To reset I like to plan a new project. I may never actually DO it, but I’m a fantastic planner.
Knitting, reading, painting.
I read.
For a reset I like to visit an art museum. Something about it just gives my brain a reset and new outlook or maybe that’s what I tend to do on the rare vacations I ever take.
I knit every single day to reset for the next…
Walk. See. Read. Sew. Knit.
knitting and gardening.
low energy resets: meditate- pet our dog – call my best friends – knit- read – work a jigsaw puzzle or suduku.
high energy resets: walk briskly – drive my mustang GT – do an exercise video – sail with my husband.
My reset is painting. Acrylic or watercolor. And knitting.
When I need to reset I get a coffee and a treat 🙂
Take a walk or go to an art museum.
I look forward to an annual reset each June at the beach. None of the at-home worries, and freedom to do my own schedule and the activities I want.
That is the most expressive bluebird ever. ❤️
A long walk by the lake
I go outside, either to putter around in my yard or take a walk through the neighborhood or in a nearby park with woods. A long walk has been a favorite reset method for most of my life, and I’m not too picky about locale, as long as the weather’s decent.
Knitting, of course! Prayerful meditation, or tending my garden. 🙂
Trimming and pruning plants in my yard and garden allows me to reset and focus on only one thing at a time.
Gardening!
Must get out in nature usually with a walk to through our botanic gardens or a new trail
To reset I go active! Plan a bike or hiking trip and get outdoors.
Grab my journal, watercolors, and lunch and take off for a sketchcrawl. Or cast on a new knitting project!
When I need to reset, I roll down my windows and drive for miles on country roads. The fewer cars and more cows, the better!
Pet my cat. I always feel gratitude whenever I do that.
Get a haircut!
A nap in the lounge chair with my cancer quilt pulled snugly around me.
My reset is a getaway to the mountains where the skies are dark, the stars are bright, and the wind sings through the leaves.
Sit outside with a cup of my favorite tea. Ahhhhh…..
I think I am overdue for a reset–I don’t even know how to do that. My guess would be moving to a new place, that’s my favorite reset, but since I haven’t done that in decades, oh my gosh, no wonder…
Your paintings are a wonder, though. Keep going, your work is outstanding!
I take my dog for a walk, preferably somewhere green that we haven’t been in awhile!
I already am on the Snippet emails. In order to reset I usually listen to an Audible book or Podcast and knit!
A walk on the beach is all the reset I need!
I like to alternate activities. My 2 main obsessions are knitting and making jewelry but I also do some crochet. And if I win, I will weave pot holders!
It depends on what prompts the need for a reset. Sometimes I re-read an old favorite. Sometimes I knit something quick and satisfying. Sometimes I go through long-waiting WIPs and make decisions about them. And sometimes I just stare at the wall for a while.
Walk in the woods with my dog.
I usually reset by knitting or submersing myself in a book.
I reset by walking my dogs and thinking about my next knitting project!
When I need a serious reset, I get as far away from people and as close to nature as circumstances will allow. Preferably with a dog or two. The husband is usually welcome as well. Smaller resets can be found in a weekend devoted to crafting, whether an online thing like VKL or my own itinerary.
Recently participated in a calligraphy envelope swap for an upcoming conference. You really have to be “in the moment” to concentrate on a simple envelope for someone you don’t know….new name spelling, correct address, let alone doing the work with a dip pen and ink. I put calm music on and sloooowed down, no distractions, and it was so relaxing!
I play my favorite music and have a dance party in my living room.
When I need to reset I head out to one of my gardens; vegetable, flower, bird/butterfly, whatever. Just need to get my hands in the dirt. If the weather isn’t cooperative I look to my indoor plants. Someone always needs tending.
I start organizing things. I usually come across some long-forgotten item (beads, needlepoint, a technique book, drawing pencils, etc) that inspires me to try something different .
Hike in one of our beautiful national parks or hunt for sea shells along the Gulf National Seashore
Meditation (using the Insight Timer app) is a favorite reset for me. There are thousands of free guided meditations available for free.
Usually my reset is to knit something simple, like a self-striping sock, while either listening to an audiobook or binging a series on Netflix or HBO. But today I did a bigger reset – I went to Black Sheep Gathering. First fiber festival in two and a half years! Got to pet some sheep, might have bought too much yarn, it was wonderful!
Resetting almost always requires a boatload of hand baked goods. I dust off my tools, break out my sourdough and go to town. Eating them is not required but usually happens.
To reset, I like to walk (even just a few minutes).
When I need a reset, I grab a cookbook and scan the index. Lately, I’m looking for recipes with herbs and tomatoes to use straight from the garden. There is nothing more relaxing than grabbing fresh and pantry items to create a dinner that makes everyone happy with a feeling of satiety.
Reser by going outside and taking a walk around the farm away from buildings and people.