Born Creative or Can You Learn to Be?
“I’m not creative”…. a familiar response when I encourage people to DIY instead of buy. I often wonder, is it about DNA or learned skills? My exposure to the DIY world started at a very young age. I remember my first embroidery project using a plastic needle and very thin Styrofoam backed canvas with a pre-printed image to follow. I remember my stencil and water color set and toy sewing machine; I would spend hours making clothes for my dolls. At around ten, my mother started teaching me to sew; my mother was taught by her mother. By the time I reached my teens, I made most of my clothes including outerwear garments. I didn’t know that this was the beginning of my entry into the DIY world that would open me up to other creative genres that would also have a significant impact on my life in the years to come.
I think ones ability to be creative, is about exposure and allowing yourself to be open to the possibilities. It’s about trying something new. Maybe, walking into an art supply, fabric, trim, bead or rubber stamp store, looking around and gravitating toward whatever catches you eye. It’s about asking questions. Are you drawn to a particular item? Is it the color, shape, texture or feel? How can I incorporate it into my own personal space? Does it make you smile? You might not have the answers right away and that is perfectly fine. However, it might be the beginning of your entry into the DIY world and the discovery that you are creative because you allowed yourself to be. Born creative or can you learn to be? I think that many people are indeed born with natural creative abilities; on the other hand, there are people like me who have learned to be.
Chain stores aside, do you have any suggestions for stores that might inspire others to join the DIY community?
[...] continue the discussion from a previous post “Born Creative or Can You Learn To Be?” here is proof positive that we are all creative beings. I loved this explanation and I hope [...]