Through my college and early motherhood years, I indulged my need for a creative outlet in cross-stitch. I made throw pillows, gifts, framed samplers to hang on our walls. I even experimented on shirts and table linens. Eventually my joy in all things cross-stitched petered out. My children went to school and I fed my creative needs through writing fiction, which I had dabbled at through the cross-stitching years.
Twelve years later, I’ve found my creativity in need of a change of scenery. No, I’m not giving up writing. But I’ve felt the need to add to it a bit, to find some creative accomplishment that didn’t take years until I held the final product. Something that didn’t require tons of skill or a huge learning curve.
Enter again my new favorite social media: Pinterest. I could spend hours looking at the DIY and craft pins! And I’ve actually found some things that look fun, somewhat practical, quick and easy. Take, for instance, this clipboard.
A few weeks ago, as I prepared for a speaking engagement, it occurred to me that it would be nice to have my newsletter sign up sheet on a clipboard. But I hated the thought of a plain one and I didn’t want to pay for a cute one. I knew I’d pinned something on Pinterest, so off I went to find instructions and buy supplies.
Less five dollars and an hour later, I had a cute clipboard to use for my sign up sheets! It is far from perfect, but it fed my need to create. So far, it’s my one and only Pinterest craft accomplishment, but I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. It gives me the courage to try something else when the urge hits.
Have you fed your creativity in any new ways lately? Tell us how!
Cute clipboard! I used to cross stitch too. Probably the same years you were. 🙂 So far, I haven’t spent much time on Pinterest. I think I’m avoiding it because I’ll probably become obsessed. For now, I’m venting my creativity on wedding plans, and I’ve realized how much I needed an outlet. It’s been a nice diversion. I had thought that another creative outlet might stifle my writing creativity, but not at all. It’s definitely added to it.
I think, like you, VV, I feared a creative outlet would damage my writing creativity. But like you, too, I’ve realized it doesn’t. It enhances it! Guess creativity is like a muscle. Use it in different ways and it gets stronger all around!