Staying creative in a world of ready-made

How many people do not think they have the slightly incline to be creative?  Most people say "Oh no, I'm not creative like you", or "I don't know have any sense of colors".  Unfortunately, most people will not try for fear of failing and it's so easy to go to a store to buy what you want ready-made or have someone else make it for you, for a price of course!  But I'm here to tell you it can be so easy and so much more rewarding if you do it yourself!  It's not just about the money you'll save, it's about that feeling you get.

Fortunately for me, my mother loved to use her hands to make things and gave me the confidence in myself to try and create.  Like many children, I was not so keen in following in her footsteps unless it benefited me.  Unlike my father who was not handy with his hands (but knew how to do everything if you catch my meaning) she was the one to take on minor construction projects around the house:   finishing off the drywall and painting of the basement of our house, or scouring the yard sales to buy an old piece of furniture to refinishing it.  She also sew her clothes, my sister's and mine too and she just loved to try working on different projects all the time.  It can be addicting.  I know I have the disease too!  Once you start, you can't stop.

Of all the crafts my mom taught me, knitting is the one thing I never could grasp.  She tried to teach me but I'm left-handed and just never got the knack for it: I'm not very gracious at it (the needles tightly tucked under my arms, I lift my elbows every time I make the yarn go around the needle making me look like a duck flapping its wings - yes, I'm not kidding).  But I tried!!!

I can crochet, I sew, I refinish furniture, paint my house inside and out, and even redo whole rooms inside my house with my husband.  Last time, I was very angry at one of my sons and grabbed the crow bar and knocked down tiles in the bathroom walls.  We had to start the project.  I'm not so sure that was a good way to force the issue but now we have a beautiful bathroom.

Anyway, back to creating things.  a friend asked me the other day if my husband knew how to lay tiles.  I responded that not only did he and I laid tiles we have done practically our whole house.  I mean we're no master tilers but I think our floors look pretty good and the bathroom walls do to.   And it must be true because many people couldn't believe it when we said we did it!  I mean you won't know if you don't try! And believe me, saving money is a HUGE incentive.  But the feeling of accomplishment you get is "priceless". And my friend's husband is in the trade's business so it's not like he can't work with his hands but my point is if you don't try you won't know.

These pictures I'm adding are those of a dresser my husband refinished.  I've done several over the years and he's helped me a little - mostly sanding the wood but never really doing it.  Well this dresser has been taking space in our garage for more than a year.  I started working it but than the weather got hot again and I just couldn't get into the mood.  One day, I came home from work and he was scraping, sanding, cleaning the wood.  I was so surprised.  He chose the colors of the wood stain and did the whole thing by himself.  It turned out beautiful!!! He did a superb job and I couldn't have done it better.

If he had not tried, he would not had known he could do it.  What's the worst that could have happened? Stain it the wrong color and start over (or give it away if it's that bad).  I'm just glad it turned out so good. Now I have a new dresser for my fabrics.