I love being by myself, being creative in whatever medium takes my fancy at the time. I can switch off from other people, from the running to do list in my head, and from the expectation that I should be doing something else, or being someone else.
I can give myself space to just be me, non-judgemental, accepting whatever mood I'm in at the time. I focus my mind on being creative as well as letting my mind wander, freeing any lingering stresses that have been running about in my mind.
Then, there are the times that I am creative with friends, which I love. We learn, share and laugh. Whether we're learning something new or improving an existing skill, we're in it together, all choosing and wanting to be there with the same interest and intent.
We may all have different skill levels, with a variety of abilities (note the strange looking snowman on the far left in the photo - I laugh because it's mine).
Maxine, Christina and me being creatively Christmassy
I can laugh at myself, knowing that if anyone else is laughing, they're laughing with me, and not at me. We encourage each other's successes and commiserate when something doesn't go quite to plan. It is unusual to get a group of people together, in life, without there being some sort of expectations and pressures. My experience is that a group of crafty people - whether friends or strangers - are some of the nicest and most inclusive people you can find. Perhaps creative people are less judgemental, perhaps it is because there are so many ways to be creative that there's less room for competition, especially if you're an amateur and a learner (I can't comment on professional environments). Perhaps it's just because being creative is an expression of yourself, and that therefore there is no right and wrong, but just the process.
I am lucky to have a group of friends with whom I can share my passions. We celebrate triumphs and disasters, we craft and chat round the table, or we go to workshops and tutorials, eager to learn more or to try and get better at something we're particularly interested in. Whatever the occasion, I aim to make the most of these opportunities to learn from my workshop tutors, my friends, and other course participants.
It is often by sharing that we can spark our best ideas.
Amanda and me on a glass fusion workshop
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