From as far back as I can remember my fondest memories as a kid at school were on days we did crafts. While I was never a child prodigy artist, I was a kid who sincerely enjoyed getting my hands on crayons, markers, scissors, and oh my gosh finger paint, glitter, and you name it! I may not have realized it at the time, but crafting would become an important outlet for me throughout my youth and into my adult life.
I suppose it is in my genes. My grandpa and grandmother were gifted painters. My mom does a lot of quilting and other crafty projects. Even my dad was quite the artisan. He did counted cross stitch, leather tooling and loved wood working in his garage with all his manly toys. As a family strapped for cash, mom encouraged us to make things. We learned to sew, do embroidery and anything else that piqued our curiosity. I made some of my own clothes as a teen. To this day I still find when a birthday rolls around my first thought is always “ooh what can I make them?”
Being a maker means all kinds of life events call on that creative heart to do something to celebrate, relieve stress or to help to process grief. Crafting helped me grieve the loss of my dad in 2015. It is an outlet that helps me to process hardships and celebrate victories. I would truly not be the person I am today if I could not create.
If crafting is that important to me, I truly wonder what it means to you? Is art your therapy like it is mine? If so, what is your favorite way to express your passion?
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