Tuesday, June 2, 2015

On Crafting, Creating, and Marriage



I've been spreading my wings and trying different crafts, non-jewelry things. One thing I really like to do is put together digital designs. I don't really like to create the files, so much. (That's really weird for me. I'm the baker who wants to grow her own grains, pummel the dough to death by hand, and recreate the recipe every single time.) Oh, sorry. Where was I? I like to make digital pictures. This week I put these two together:


 





 Please don't download them, but  you can purchase them here or here. Thank you!


I've also been making wreaths, not such an exciting thing since everybody makes them. But I never have! I found out I *really* like making them:


 


The yellow one is actually hanging on my front door at this very moment. Here's another. Can you tell I love color?



So what is the problem with trying all these things? For one, I don't have enough time for a zillion projects. Nor do I have the room, especially since I don't know how to clean up after myself. Another problem is that hubby thinks I should stick to one thing. Probably because....I don't clean up my little piles of beads, snips of scrap paper, and umm.

There's paint on our new footstool.


And you know, you can say "no man is gonna tell me what to do " or whatever but the fact is he lives in the house too. And he has an itty bit of say in what goes on.

I could just tell him that "CRAFTS" is one great big category. It encompasses everything.

Here's the biggie. I would really love to have a signature style, or product, or SOMETHING. Right now I am a dabbler. I dabble here and there and never actually become "she makes awesome art dolls" (or paintings, or doodles).

I guess it takes all this dabbling to find the thing you love.

One thing I love is oil painting, and another is playing the piano. So I'm trying to put more of those into my life. And I am trying to listen to myself before/during/after I create: Is it deeply satisfying? Did I get to exercise my "creativity muscle" enough?

I think I create for the sake of the process, not really for the end result. I do it because I love the doing. And I feel almost embarrassed when people gasp and say how did you ever make that. I do it because it's inside of me.

So I'm wondering, fellow crafters --is that how it is for you too?

And how did you find your "style"? Was it by constantly practicing it? Did you know it when you found it? Did you develop it, consciously and on purpose? Readers, let me know! And if you'd like to guest blog about it tell me that too, cuz I bet I'm not the only one wondering.