The other day Pete said, "Why don't you go make something... you seem cranky."
I laughed and told him it reminded me of when I was little... if the word 'bored' came out of my mouth, my parental units would find something for me to do.
Nevertheless, what Pete said started me thinking...
There are so many different types of creativity... and so many ways to make the things we create... that being said, how do *you* feel about making your creative objects just for the sake of making them? Do *you* need an end goal?
You know I love to create things. I enjoy the process and talking about the learning and the making and the end result. Though sometimes I think I am more goal-oriented, regardless of how much I enjoy the making.
Without a project in mind, I have difficulty making something just for the sake of the making.
An example of enjoying the process as much as the result would be Pete, who loves to cook.
His second generation, 100% Sicilian self loves to make red sauce and all the dishes he grew up with. It's the same with his chicken noodle soup and his smoked pork butt and other of his "specialties"...
Some of Pete's supplies...
We give away lots of food... because he just loves the making. And it doesn't really matter if we eat all of it. The process and the creating are what bring joy to his heart.
Another example... when Kari and Abee came to visit recently, Abee said she wanted to make slime.
Abee and her slime...
We had such a glorious afternoon creating with various colors of glue and mixing in glitter and assorted combinations of gold and silver and placing it all in baggies...
Bags of slime...
In the end, Abee didn't want to play with it... she just enjoyed the process of combining and creating.
I often wonder how many people just enjoy the making... regardless of the product. There are many folks I know who will find a way to make and then find homes for all their creations.
Some people I know don't have the discretionary funds to create for others. (A few I know are just too cheap. Grin.) Still, others have found ways to earn a living from the forming and the forging of their chosen art.
I know I am happiest during the creating and the making. The process of researching what I want to make and learning a new skill and creating something from nothing makes my heart sing. Regardless if it is writing or sewing or painting or crafting or...
Some of my supplies...
Perhaps I keep finding projects to make and give away because I, too, enjoy the making and not just the end product. My frugal self will keep finding projects to satisfy my need for a goal, while enjoying the making, and I'll keep finding good reasons to create.
So in the end, after all that thinking, I wrote this blog, (it took me several hours and I felt happy throughout the process). Then I read it to Pete.
"Sounds about right," he laughed.
I had to really think about this for a while. I thought for sure it was always the product that inspired me to create but the more I think about it I think the process is equally important. Maybe even more important than the product??
Hmmmm...
One of my favorite things to do is crochet. I thought that the reason I loved to crochet was because I loved to see my finished product... And although that may be true...the more I thought about it... I realized there are many crochet projects that I have done that I didn't care one bit about the finished product.. I just wanted to crochet. In fact, I have many unfinished crochet projects stacked i…
My supply shelf!!
What did you end up doing with all that slime?