My niece, Kahla (pronounced Kayla), called me her "craftable aunt" when I was young. She and I are closer in age than me and my siblings. It was a charming comment at the time that I still grasp to when I try and explain to people why I like to do so many things.
I hate the phrase "Jack or all trades, master of none" because I think I'm becoming a master of a few and enjoy scads more. I grew up watching "I Love Lucy." And being totally enamored of her world. Unlike me she could hardly do anything at home. Her cooking had issues, she over spent her money, couldn't sing and was always causing shenanigans. But I idolized her and still do to an extent. She did something new and exciting each episode (day) and even if it didn't go well she tried it.
My mom has been a big part of my education in crafts. We had an entire craft closet where I could delve into all the pom poms and clay to produce tiny birds' nests or broaches. Half the time I just found something at my favorite craft store, Grason's (since put out of business by Michael's), decided I liked it and tried to figure out what I could do with it. Whenever my mom and I would go shopping I would see something that I liked and point it out to her. Her inevitable response was, "You can make that." Which would send me into a huff because I didn't want to make, it I wanted to buy it! But what it really did was force me to investigate how most everything is made so I could indeed make it myself.
I took oil painting starting at age five and continue with drawing, singing, piano, 4-H, softball, soccer, Brownies, swim team, sewing, and the like. looking back on it I had total activity ADD. To be honest, I still do. If I got bored with any one thing I had ten others I could dive into head first.
This has definitely carried over into my adult life. Sometimes I see an item that I absolutely love and think about how I could manufacture it myself. This is probably what possessed me to reupholster a wingback chair. And what will make me take up metal works at some point so I can cast jewelry (yep, something I've been dreaming about for a long time). One of my favorite shows, aside from Martha Stewart, as a kid was the Style channel's Runway show. All it was were the fashion shows from Paris, Milan, New York one after the other. The creation of garments got me excited. Really, the creation of anything.
I just really like to create things! Sitting here sick on my couch, wrapped in my first quilt I think it's served me well over the years. I love to try new things, learn another trade and attempt to master it. My mom totally shocked me today in an email saying she wanted to get X.Y and Z done before she got over her quilting fetish. She's been making over 30 quilts a year for the last few years and I was stunned to think she might be toying with the idea that she didn't want to do it anymore. But I guess that's one plus of attempting to do so many things, I don't have to be 100% devoted to one area of interest. I can take a book binding class, keep my equipment together and make a book ten years after or sew the curtains for my bedroom to keep the nasty morning light from waking me up at dawn.
Creating and making are my favorite things to do. I've always got a to-do list ten miles long. But I don't mind. There's always something to look forward to. I'm not entirely sure why I felt like I needed to get this out, but I did.
P.S. I so didn't proofread this. Pardon my typos.
