I too have problems letting the pattern soak into my head sometimes. While I quilt to free my mind and let go of the days stresses, sometimes they stay there right at the back of my conscious and refuse to let me fully concentrate on what I want to do.When that happens I just give up for the day or longer. I may go two weeks and never even think about it, just because life gets in the way. I have been an artist all my life, and I learned long ago that if the creative juices are not flowing, I have to walk away until I can get my mind clear enough to try again. Creativity is something that happens only when you have cleared the mind of all else and are completely in the moment. Sometimes my life is so crazy that it is months before I can clear my head and create! it sounds like everyone here has been there at some point or another. Just hang in there and you will know when everything lines up just right!