Creation

One of the unexpected blessings of this crazy pandemic is that I have more time than normal to create. I love creating. As a kid and throughout my university studies I used much of my creative energy singing. Lots of singing. More recently I have found great joy in finding endless other ways to create. 

First, I see something I love. It may be something beautiful, clever, or intriguing. Then I search Pinterest for examples of how to create whatever it is. I ask the people around me who have done it before. Then I gather supplies, ideally free or thrifted. I especially love creating beautiful things from nature-so much! There is nothing like making something beautiful out of the things around you. I feel fond just thinking of it. I just love the textured twigs that fall from aspen trees, pinecones, beautifully patterned leaves, flowers, smooth acorns, rocks… What a beautiful world this is! 

My most recent projects have involved sewing. 

I determined to make a dress for my girl out of a large men’s button-down shirt. I found a beautiful blue (blue like the ocean) shirt at the thrift store. Can I just say how much I love colors and textures? Rich, bold, and vibrant colors fill me up with endorphins. I’m sure that’s scientifically what I experience. This was a beautiful blue. 

We got home from the store and I pulled out one of my girl’s dresses to use as a sort of pattern. I laid it down and started making a pattern on tissue paper. I chucked that after a bit and just used the dress as I pinned and cut around. I wanted fluttery sleeves so I pulled up a picture of how someone else had made some and eye-balled it as I drew the lines on the fabric. They were very approximate. 

I pulled out my sewing machine and set up shop at the kitchen table. I pinned the pieces together as I imagined how they needed to go to get the effect I wanted. I sewed one sleeve shut. Unpicked that. I sewed one fluttery sleeve on inside out. Unpicked that. Then I got the sleeves sewn on just right, making little folds to encourage the flutters. Can you tell I like fluttery sleeves? I don’t think there is anything more adorable than ruffles-for grownups and little girls. I think everything should have ruffles. 

The sides of the dress were significantly uneven so I cut the one side down and sewed and cut until they seemed semi-symmetrical. 

I finally finished the little blue play dress and put it right on my girl when she woke from her nap. It perfectly matched her eyes and I was excited to FaceTime my mom and sister to show them my work. My girl likes the dress ok. I am much more enthralled by it than she is, but she is young enough that it works. 

After I washed the dress I realized I needed to clean it up a bit with scissors to get rid of loose threads, etc. Now it looks perfect. Perfectly approximate, that is. When I look closely I see the unevenness and imperfections, but I just love that I was able to create this adorableness from something plain and simple. 

There is something incredibly decompressing about putting all of my mind and hands into the figuring out of something I have never done before. Sometimes I have missed out on the experience of creating something from my own mind when I surf Pinterest too much. When I am overloaded with ideas from others my own creative juices are not activated. 

I have decided that creating is one of my basic needs. I need to create. 

What do/will you create? What is creation like for you?

Fondly,

K..