The Creative Spark
Everything has its start and my journey to loving creating things started when my aunt had me take knitting lessons. Knitting lessons were offered at my local library and so my aunt had taken me there to experience the joys of creating something with my hands. I started with a little ball of green yarn and had the ambition to create a shawl. The shawl never came into existence since I was too determined to get it perfect, plus I regrettably did not have enough yarn to make one big enough for a human. Maybe it would have fit one of my Fae friends but I regrettably did not know any of them at the time. And so what started out as a shawl then was deconstructed and turned into a scarf which I then gave to my aunt as a present.
From that day forward I was addicted. At rummage sales I bought yarn and needles in droves. I would randomly make things as gifts for others but the knitting really didn’t catch hold till much later. When I officially moved I donated all of it simply because at the time my creative spark had drifted toward other pursuits. Then I would only buy what I needed to make the simply projects I made for family. But the light that jumped in their eyes at unwrapping a handmade gift was like a drug that I just wanted to share with more people. There is nothing quite like expressing your love for someone with a handmade gift. Of course it means more when the gifter was the maker but not all of us where gifted with creative minds and hands. Which is why I love offering my services to provide others with a product made with love and care.
I get my creative spark from several members of my family. As I mentioned my aunt wanted me to learn to knit so she got me started on that at a young age. My grandmother also had a creative streak and liked to craft in her free time when the muse hit her. However, I also was wowed with tales of my Great Grandmother who made Tie Rugs. These beautiful creations graced several of our family homes and I marveled at the stories of how sometimes she would work so hard on one rug until her hands bled. Now that was creative passion. She not only made these beautiful rugs but also made pine cone wreaths, amazing pies and other little crafting projects to keep her mind and hands busy. I take inspiration from her by putting my whole self into my work. Heart and Soul. Blood, Sweat and Tears. Hopefully not much of the tears but it all helps us grow.
As I have mentioned before I was inspired to create FaeRetail from the shop in Practical Magic: Verbena Botanicals. At first it was only a daydream. That daydream then grew into a pintrest board of ideas, then gradually evolved into research on the details. Then finally as I have mentioned before I was able to take the final push thanks to wise words from my cousin. I tend to focus too much on what is wrong with something and not on how to make it right. Just like that first knitting project I kept deconstructing the idea and starting over. My cousin reminded me that it doesn’t have to be perfect at first, the road blocks and bumps on the road will help me grow. “So start small and make it better overtime.”
Now the tides of creativity have turned back towards making anything and everything just for the pure joy of being creative and offering something unique to enrich others lives. I dabbled in lots of creative ideas and have my heart set on adding each of these over time. Of course some of my passions won’t come to fruition until I obtain the appropriate licensing, such as the idea of making alcohol with the assistance of my partners in crime both in life and this business. Or my passion that grew in college for hand crafted soap, candles, lotion and remedies. Those will take time and as I promised I will work to make things right overtime rather then pushing for perfection out of the gate.
The tie blankets are a quick and fun way to get inventory up and to make something that everyone loves and uses. Plus I have loved picking material and making them, because after all, most of my passion for this is not in the art of business but in the joy of creation. Once the site was live and things where started it was like a flood gate of creativity was released. I have set a goal for myself to get at least three blankets a month completed. But outside of that I have several new products that will be hitting the pages soon. In the coming months I will write about what inspired them but next month I want Bitsy to have the chance to introduce herself to everyone. She is my business partner after all. One of the upcoming products was something that she advised me on and I hope you all appreciate her wisdom and try out her products. Until next time.
