Acclaimed American children’s illustrator and writer, Tasha Tudor, puttering in her garden.

When the world feels heavy (and you’re feeling overwhelmed, or exhausted, or needing to find some small joys?) I have the answer for you. You need to write about puttering.

Puttering is an odd word but even the sound of it captures its meaning perfectly. The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition:

Puttering: (verb)

To do things in a relaxed way, without rushing or trying very hard.

I would also add that puttering is meant to be a guilt free experience. You get to meander, dawdle, wander. Usually it’s in or around your home/garden/garage. Little bits of goodness you get to dabble in without commitment, guilt, or judgement.

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To putter is to give self-care

I come from a long line of putterers. My family are hard-working people and great defenders of justice. But we also know when we have to regroup and allow space for lightness to come in. Puttering gives you a mental and physical pause and at the same time? It gives you bliss.

I putter in many ways: dusting my bookcases and looking at every single item; straightening the books and magazine piles beside my chair; cleaning a mirror; organizing coins into those little paper wrappers (only paper – never plastic); I clean out a drawer (and then get bored and move on); I drag out my scrapbooks, magazine, scissors and glue and do a little collaging. (Everyone should collage. You can’t stay miserable when you’re collaging.)

And a million more. Even watering my plants is puttering.

And the best part? Puttering isn’t designed for goals. You don’t putter for productivity. You putter for the joy and whimsical nature of it. You get to do something for a few minutes or for a few hours. It’s all up to you and what makes you happy, relaxed, and joyful.

Because not that long ago? There wasn’t much puttering. Especially if you were a woman.

Imagine doing this all winter.

Jahn Ekenaes, Women Doing Laundry Through A Hole In The Ice, 1891.

And if you look closely at the background? The lake has open water. The ice is melting. Which means big-time danger. Imagine how cold, wet, and chapped the women’s hands were after chopping holes in the ice and washing the laundry in freezing water. Later, they went home and had to make lunch. And hang all the clothes outside to freeze dry. Oh, and don’t forget, to rub down the horse in the barn and give it some food. And then prepare supper. And the million other non-puttering things they had to do.

Women didn’t get to putter much then.

Which means, you really need to give yourself permission to do it NOW.

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Listen. I have a dishwasher, Roomba, stove, fridge, washing machine and dryer and all sorts of other gadgets that make my life easier. I’m so lucky not to have to stand in the middle of a frozen Canadian lake, with my trusty axe chopping ice to bits to make a hole for washing laundry and daily survival.

I am so grateful for that. My great-great-grandmothers would have been doing this or gathering and melting snow.

But because of modern technology? I can putter.

And it leaves me more time to do my favorite puttering activity of all. (Because the damn laundry can wait!)

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Now It’s Your Turn!

What are your favorite ways to putter? Are you a crafty person and you love making something with your hands? Does puttering involve making soup, bread or cookies? Are you in the garage building a bookcase or table? Do you love flower arranging like Tasha Tudor and my friend Deb? My 92-year-old mother-in-law likes to iron when she is puttering. She loves it. (You won’t find me in the ironing club!) She happily irons sheets and pillowcases and watches Jeopardy.

The wonderful thing about puttering is that you can’t screw it up. Because the meaning behind it is personal to you.

And that is a perfect reason to write about it. Because both puttering and writing bring peace.

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*Did you love this? Then check out Scribbly – my quirky and gentle writing program that we snail-mail right to your home. Each issue has a theme, so all you have to do is follow the path! We make writing easy and fun for you. We’re nice like that.