Maker’s Mindset: How to Keep Showing Up (Even When You’re Tired)
- Lauren Twitchell
- Aug 7
- 5 min read
Let’s be honest—some days, the idea of stepping into the workshop feels like a win. On other days, just putting on pants and not eating cereal for dinner deserves a trophy.
But if you’ve ever stood in front of a half-finished project, dust mask hanging from one ear, wondering how to summon enough energy to even look at a sanding block… you’re not alone.
Welcome to the real world of building through the chaos.
Whether you’re balancing work, kids, caregiving, mental health, or just the everyday whirl of being a human—this post is for you. This isn’t about hustle. This is about heart. It’s about the maker’s mindset: the quiet power of showing up, even when life feels loud.
1. Real Builders Get Tired—But They Don’t Quit
Let’s normalize something right off the bat: you’re not lazy, undisciplined, or falling behind. You’re tired. And being tired doesn’t make you any less of a woodworker or maker.
In fact, some of the most meaningful progress happens in seasons where we have to dig a little deeper to stay connected to our creative selves.
Maybe you only sanded one edge of a board today. Maybe you stared at your project sketch for ten minutes before realizing you just wanted a nap. That’s okay.
Progress isn’t always loud or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes, it’s just not quitting.
2. Give Yourself Permission to Build Small
You don’t have to finish a farmhouse table to feel accomplished.
In tired seasons, shift your lens. Can you:
Sketch a project idea on a sticky note?
Clean off your workbench for 10 minutes?
Try one new joinery technique on a scrap piece?
These “tiny builds” matter. They keep the spark lit. They remind your brain and body I’m still a maker—even when I’m moving slowly.
And over time, these micro-moments of creativity stack up. The project gets finished. The confidence grows. The sawdust settles.
3. Find Your Why (and Say It Out Loud)
When you're exhausted, your why becomes your fuel.
Is it:
Creating space in your life that’s just for you?
Proving to yourself that you can build this?
Passing on skills to your kids?
Reclaiming your identity after years of putting others first?
Write it down. Tape it to your wall. Put it inside your tool tote. Remind yourself why you started when you feel like stopping.
And if your why has shifted? That’s normal, too. Makers evolve. Let your mission grow with you.
4. Embrace Imperfect Progress
Let’s throw out the myth that everything has to be done “right” to be worth doing.
The corner wasn’t perfectly square? Cool. You learned something.
Your stain dried blotchy because you forgot to wipe off the excess? Bookmark that in your mental “don’t do that again” file.
Messy progress is still progress.
In fact, it’s the only kind most of us ever really make, especially when life is already demanding so much.
Perfection is optional. Participation is what counts.
5. Rest is Part of the Process
You can’t build a sturdy piece on a cracked foundation—and you can’t create when you’re burnt out to the core.
Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is rest on purpose. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Try this reframe:
Instead of “I’m falling behind,” say, “I’m pausing so I can return with clarity.”
Instead of “I haven’t built anything in weeks,” say, “I’m in a season of refueling.”
True makers know when to push through… and when to step back, breathe, and recharge.
6. Set the Scene for “Easy Wins”
Make your space invite you in, even when you’re low on energy. A few ideas:
Keep one simple project staged and ready (like pre-cut boards for a wall hook).
Have a playlist that lifts your spirits—whether it’s 90s rock or classical piano.
Hang an affirmation sign that reminds you what you’re capable of (check out our “Sawdust Sisterhood” prints for inspo).
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy workshop to feel ready—you just need one reason to say yes today.
7. Reconnect to Your Community
When you’re drained, creativity can feel isolating. But you’re not alone. Not by a long shot.
Reach out to your fellow woodworkers. Message someone you follow on Instagram. Post your half-finished build in a Facebook group. Ask for advice, share your progress, or just say, “Hey… I’m stuck.”
The Sawdust Sisterhood is full of women who’ve been there too. Who’ve built through heartbreak, stress, illness, and exhaustion—and kept going.
We don’t build just for ourselves. We build to connect, to inspire, to remind each other we still belong here.
8. Remember: Showing Up Looks Different Every Day
Some days, you’ll cut ten perfect joints. On other days, you’ll stare at a board, cry a little, and go back inside. Both days count.
Showing up might look like:
Watching a YouTube tutorial while folding laundry
Practicing safe tool setup instead of rushing through a cut
Talking to your kids about what you want to build next
Your creativity doesn’t disappear just because you didn’t make something today. It’s still there. It’s still yours. And it will wait for you, however long it takes.
9. A Note from One Tired Builder to Another
Hey. I see you.
I see the way you’re juggling everything. The way your tools sit quietly, waiting for your return. The way you wonder if you're still “allowed” to call yourself a maker if you haven't built in weeks.
Let me tell you something important:
You’re not just a woodworker when you're in the workshop.
You're a woodworker when you're dreaming.
When you're planning.
When you're making space, even in your mind, for what you’ll build next.
You are still a builder—even when you’re tired, especially when you’re tired.
Because showing up for yourself in small, steady ways?
That’s strength.
That’s resilience.
That’s the maker’s mindset.
Need a Visual Reminder? Try These “Sawdust Sisterhood” Affirmations
Want to keep your confidence front and center? Here are a few quotes you can print, post, or keep in your tool bag:
🪵 “I am a builder. Not just of wood, but of strength.”
🪵 “Progress is still progress—even if it’s slow.”
🪵 “Rest is not quitting. It’s rebuilding.”
🪵 “Sawdust in my hair, dreams in my heart.”
🪵 “The world wasn’t built for women to wield tools. So we built our own bench.”
You can grab printable versions of these in our Sawdust Sisterhood Collection here — or design your own that speaks to you.
💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Have you ever pushed through a tired season in your creative life?
What kept you going?
What helped you rest?
Drop a comment below or tag @ThirdShiftCrafts on Instagram to share your story.
Let’s build each other up—one project, one pause, one piece of encouragement at a time.
🔨 You’ve Got This.
Even on the hard days.
Even when the sawdust settles slower than you hoped.
Even when it feels like you're not doing “enough.”
You are a builder.
And you’re doing better than you think.
댓글