Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
This is what I do at 10:15 every night
Published 3 days ago • 2 min read
I saw a video at the end of 2025 that changed how I approached 2026.
The message, paraphrasing, was that if you want to get more done, you should add a constraint. Psychology shows that our brains perform better when we "narrow the path" and reduce the number of decisions we have to make.
After watching that video, I put writing a long list of goals on the back burner and instead decided to focus on developing some constraints on my time. The big one, I decided, was that every night, from about 10:15 to 10:30 PM, I would embroider on my 52 Weeks to Ms. Frizzle project.
This is a dik dik - week 33/52
If you're only familiar with my custom pet portraits, here's a quick explainer of the project: I'm stitching a new wild animal onto the same upcycled dress for every week of a year. I started it in 2023 with the intent of finishing it all during that time.
Obviously, that didn't happen, and after a valiant effort in 2023, the following two years limped along. By the end of 2025, I was on week 32 of the project. I really want to finish it, but I could never find the time.
It sounds so simple, but I finally just made the time. I decided to treat the constraint as a non-negotiable. This is what happens at 10:15 PM.
Since I started in earnest, I'm amazed by how much progress just 15 minutes a day can make, and I can't wait to see how far I can get this year. (Maybe I'll even finish it!)
If you're curious to see how the project is going, I share a snapshot of the daily progress each night in my Instagram stories and do a weekly recap of it on my grid. I'm currently working on Week 33 and stitching the dik dik, a small antelope that lives in eastern and southern Africa.
New patch kits are coming!
I'm working on wild animal patch kits! These will be a significant redesign of what I currently offer. I'm adding new animals and simplifying the designs. Here's a peek into one—a love letter to crows.
Stitch with me 🪡
I'm excited to have several workshops coming up. Join me!
You can also keep up to date with new workshops on my events page.
Sara Barnes
Bear&Bean
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Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
