Made New First Class

The first class at Made New was such a huge success! I wish that I could have posted these the day it happened, but things have been crazy here lately.  I have gotten a ton of new orders of things to make, and I have been working on getting everything ready for the shop for Made New.  We actually have already had a second class.  I am hoping to share those photos within a day or two.  It was such an amazing experience to actually get to do what I had been planning for so long.  After the first meeting I was so nervous but also excited, and I couldn't believe that it was actually happening.  I think that everyone really loved it, and they all but one came back for the next class.  For the first week, we dyed tea towels.  I prepared some natural dyes with black beans, blackberries, and onions.  I also brought in an indigo and a yellow-orange indigo dye.  The shibori in the indigo were by far my favorites.  I am hoping to get them up online soon, but I am waiting on some credit card stuff to come in before I do.  I am so happy with what is happening with this class and with my recent sales.  My creative process is through the roof, I am just making and sewing all the time, and that makes me so happy.  There is nothing better than finishing the day with tingling fingers from sewing, and hands that are covered in fabric dye.  It is so fulfilling.

Creative Jealousy

I have been thinking quite a bit about creative jealousy.  When I say creative jealousy, I am talking about how my creativity, and I'm assuming some of your's as well, is affected by the creative output or ideas of others.  This is especially troublesome when it comes to the internet and blogs.  So many times I have been feeling creative and then I get online only to be discouraged because people are creating work that I find more creative or higher quality than what I am creating.  Or thinking that I will never be as creative as so and so, so why even try. It was only lately that I even realized that I was doing this.  I mean even when writing this post I found myself comparing it in size, quality, and content...and I'm writing about comparisons.  I would sit and look at all these projects that people created, and instead of using their creativity and being inspired by their creativity, I just don't even try.  It's an attitude that can be deadly to personal creativity and your creative output.  It was only when I realized how good I feel when I am creating something and how it makes me feel that I decided that I need to figure out how to push through my own feelings of jealousy.  I have trying to make a real effort to push though and actually create something even when I don't feel like it.  I had been thinking over this post for a few days, but then today I read a post on The Dainty Squid and she was essentially thinking the same things as I was.  She was talking about how a great way to push through these feelings is to just create anyways, just create anythings.  As long as you are putting brush to canvas, pen to paper, or whatever other creative outlet you choose.  As long as you do it, that's what really matters.  Comparing yourself to other people in any area of your life is rarely a good thing. I am learning it too, but I know that it is so important to be who you really are and to do what you love.  Fill your life with beautiful things, whether you think you can or not, and whether you feel like it or not.