My Creative Process

I was very fortunate when I was a child because my parents never 

harnessed my creative spirit.  There were art projects of mine all over

the house.  Most of the time I was building houses.  I used the standard

kid's building sets but I also raided Daddy's wood stash and old paper

bags from the kitchen.  Sometimes there were little paper bag house 

villages scattered all over the family room and one had to be careful 

where to step.  Surprisingly, my very neat and organized Mama was

not a bit bothered by what some would consider a mess.  When her

girl friends would stop by they would ask her if my all my projects

bothered her, and she said no.  She understood that my little mind

was working 24/7 on important projects, and that she was fine with

it as long as I was happy.

I lived with the Moto ~ If you can dream it, you can make it.

I didn't understand the term mantra back then, but that is

what it was, my own creative mantra.

When I wasn't building little villages, I was creating costumes

for myself.  When I came home from school each day, instead of 

putting on my play clothes, I put on one of my costumes.  Most 

often I was a cowgirl, but sometimes I would dress like people 

from other lands.  Once after Daddy returned from a business trip

to India, I made a sari out of an old pillowcase and put on a stack

of my Mama's bracelets and drew a dot on my forehead.  I wore 

that outfit for days.  My poor parents never knew what to expect.

I also learned that creativity could be very persuasive.  When I was

seven years old, I wanted a pair of penny loafers like all the big girls

had.  I was still wearing some Oxford tie up shoe because my Mama

was very careful about my growing foot and did not want me wearing

any shoe without enough support.  I pleaded for loafers, but Mama 

said I had to wait a couple of years.  Don't ask about her reasoning,

 there was no arguing with her.  

I decided that the best way for me to have a pair of loafers was to

make my own.  So, one day after school, I took brown construction

paper, scissors, tape and 2 pennies and made my own Paper Loafers.

I worked very hard on them all the way to dinner time.  After 

dinner I raced back to my room to finish my shoes.  I finished them

by bedtime.  I was so excited about them and wanted to wear them

around, but I was supposed to be in bed.  I took one of my Mama's

cosmetic mirrors and set it up on the floor like the ones in shoe stores.

I said goodnight to Mama and Daddy and closed my bedroom door.

I was walking around my bedroom and admiring the paper

loafers on my feet when I heard a knock on the door.  It was

Daddy.  He could see the like shining under the door and wanted

to know why I was still awake.  He came in and saw me modeling

my shoes in the cosmetic mirror.  When he asked me what I was

doing, I had to explain the whole situation.  I am sure he was

laughing to himself, but he didn't let on.  

Although I never begged for or cried about real loafers.  My

approach was unknowingly subtle.  Daddy convinced my Mama that

if I wanted the shoes so badly that I would resort to making my own,

that perhaps I could have some real ones, but only wear them for 

limited periods of time and not to school.

Years later, I went to a counselor who specialized in discovering 

the best professional field for individuals.  My first assignment was to

write about my first major achievement before the age of ten.   I

wrote about my paper loafers.  She told me that in all of her years

handing out this same assignment, she never read a paper like mine.

Her conclusion ~ I should be in advertising!  She said if I could 

so calmly and easily convince my parents to change their minds,

I must have the knack to do it as a profession.  

I actually did spend some time in advertising :-)

What I have learned about creativity is this ~ we are all creative.  Each

of us has a spark of uniqueness.  We don't have to be professional artists, we

just need to let the inner child come out and play once and a while.  I

assure you, it's the most therapeutic activity you will ever do.  Let your

mind wander and your spirit soar.  Don't be your own worst critic.  Just

have fun.

Okay, I am going to end this blog post right here and go hang some

wallpaper in one of my miniature rooms.  Have a great day!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley