Let’s be honest—I’m a crafty person, a paper-fiddler, a pencil addict, a scrapbooking fan… a crafty person, for real!
I realize just how intense I get when I’m making a cat out of foam paper, that my two-year-old isn’t interested in the assembly process, and that once I hand her her new toy, she says, “Wow! Cat!”
And then she tears it to pieces—the very pieces I just put together...
No big deal!
I realize I’m really into it when I look at educational charts on Pinterest and find everything too simple. So I make my own template… a week’s worth of work, with replaceable and interchangeable charts…
Pretty proud of myself!
I realize I’m a bit of a perfectionist when I look at an empty box and think it would make a great toy aquarium for the kids… Gathering materials, drawing, cutting, gluing, assembling… A month of ocean-themed crafts…
Pretty intense!
I realize I’m a bit of a perfectionist when I start something… like origami… thinking to myself, “This is cool! It’ll be a relaxing little folding project!” And then I end up pulling my hair out for hours trying to make a darn heart!
Long live crafts!
In the meantime, I’m getting back into knitting in earnest, learning everything as I go while I wait to take a real class, because YouTube is cute, but it’s not enough for me! Try out some gorgeous patterns for crafters and at the same time ask my boyfriend what he’d like me to make for him… and he doesn’t want me to make him socks or slippers, but a sweater… a RED sweater… Okay! A sweater it is… I won’t get any sleep, but that’s okay! He’s going to get a sweater!
Seriously, though!
I have an endless list of examples, each one more outlandish and impossible than the last. In the end, there’s only one thing that drives me to do it all: the love of my children. The stars in their eyes—even for a split second—are my most precious reward.
Be creative—everyone loves a little bit of craziness.