Self Professed Craft Fanatic

Yes, I'll admit. Get me within fifty feet of either a Michael's, Hobby Lobby or any other store with any vestiges of crafts and I'll be there perusing the shelves and emptying my wallet.

Is it an addiction you ask? Probably. Is it an unhealthy one? Well...I could take the whole 'parent' approach and say that there are endless other addictions I could be involved in, far worse ones, than crafts. But I won' t take that approach and therefore will only say, no, my fanatical obsession with crafts is not an unhealthy one. It just causes me to spend hours standing in one spot, on one aisle, looking over the same crafts and arguing with myself that I need it when in reality I really don't. Then I think to myself that I could use it for something, but I wonder what that something is. Then I end up buying it and feeling guilty because I could've spent that money on something else more viable. Now you know what my thought process is when I enter a craft's store. Perhaps it just proved that I really am crazy, or perhaps you can relate to my haphazard thoughts and obsession. If you are part of the latter, kudos to you I say!

I have an Aunt on my Dad's side who also shares my love for crafts. Unfortunately she lives in Pennsylvania, so I can't go shopping with her. I can however send her cards that I make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She sends her own crafts as well. It's always nice to know there's people out there that love things as much as you do.

I usually go to crafts stores with my Mom. Albeit she doesn't do crafts herself, she loves looking at all of the merchandise the store's have to offer. Take yesterday for example. I am looking to put some antique skeleton keys I found on a necklace with several other charms, so My Mom and I went to Michael's to look at what they had. While searching for the right pieces we ran into another craft fanatic on one aisle who proceeded to tell us the things we needed. Half and hour later she had invited us to her show down at Fountain Park this Saturday, and my Mom and I were running off to Hobby Lobby to pick up a few more things.

What is it about crafts that intrigues me so much? I think it stems from my creative side as a free handed writer. While I like to 'let loose' in my stories and transfer ideas holed up in my head onto the paper, so do I like to transfer ideas for crafts onto paper that I've thought of. Whether it be cards for the holidays, or just a random thought I had like the skeleton key necklace. I believe that each of us has the potential for creativity, in our own unique way. We each have our own outlet, per se, where we can unleash what's inside of us and make it take physical form.

Handmade crafts have always held a special place in my heart. For me, they are unique testament to our unique personalities. Each piece is different than anything else out there, and therefore makes it all the more appealing than if you had store bought it. Also, in my opinion, there's also something so pleasing and rewarding about giving family and friends something you handmade yourself. It makes all the more personal. Whenever I make Christmas cards for my family and friends I make that card personally for them, so they can know how much they mean to me, and how much time I spent on that card just for them. Store bought cards are nice, but every time I buy one I always feel like something is missing. It may look nice, and fit the bill, but i always feel like a few more lines could be scribbled in there, or little odds and ends could be changed here.

Which brings me to the imperfection in handmade crafts. Unless your Martha Stewart, yes, there are bound to be mistakes when you make crafts. For a self professed perfectionist, and a person who is their own worst critic, this blatant fact crushes me. Whenever I make something, or even write a few chapters in my stories for that matter, I want it to be perfect the first time. I hate going back and fixing things. Not that I don't want to spend tons of time on them, because I do, but it's just that when I have to go back and fix something I feel like I could've done better. Like it shouldn't have happened. Crazy thinking I know. There's no way something is going to come out perfect the first time. But it's just another one of those inner battles my inner critic fights with the dominant creativity in me.

All in all, anything handmade, whether it's a card, an ornament, a finger paint drawing, a model car, an oil painting, clothes, a doll house...you know that someone took the time to meticulously and lovingly put it together with their own hands and made it especially for someone. Also, the pride that comes along with saying I made that when someone asks you where it came from, or where you bought it...is indispensable.