Love what you do. Let your crafty light shine!!

Hello crafty peeps!

I hope you are all well and busy making lots of lovely things.

I interrupt this blog to bring you this… normal service shall soon be resumed with pretty pictures, bare with..

I was upset to learn this week that one of my lovely crafty friends had been abused online for a card she had made. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it at all, in fact it was stunning as always. But it made me think, how many fellow crafters out there are discouraged by others?  I felt kind of compelled to write this.

Craft, like art, can be a matter of personal taste. I absolutely adore the Pre-Raphaelites (proper painting as I call it ;) ) but someone else may prefer Picasso and that is there choice, it does not mean either of us are right or wrong, we just like different things.

I just found it sad that one person should choose to abuse another, over something that took them a great deal of time to make. When we create something, we pour our heart and soul into it and whatever others may think of it, it means a great deal to us. For every crafter, each project is like their ‘baby’ and sometimes if you are on a design team they can be hard to part with, lol, Even though you know they are going to a good home.

No one starts out as an expert when they begin to craft. We all go on a journey, one that continues to teach us every day, even DT members are constantly learning by playing and experimenting. We love to pass on our knowledge, so others can try things out too. And why not? Who wants to keep doing the same thing over and over? Certainly, not me, crafting is about growth and change, it’s one of the reasons I love it.

And, here is another thing, I think I should mention…it doesn’t matter how long you have been a crafter, some days nothing goes right. It’s as if your mojo got up and left and wasn’t even polite enough to ask for an excuse me. If you are not feeling it, don’t beat yourself up about it. Take a break, do something else, cuddle the cat or whatever. It will come back when it’s refreshed, like an excited puppy that wants to play and then there will be no stopping you! The cat will look at you like you are beyond any hope again, and in truth, you most probably are! But who cares? You are making beautiful things and the world will thank you for it, even if the cat doesn’t (or one grumpy, unhappy person.)

Remember if you are starting out, everyone has different skills and these change, and improve over time. People have individual strengths, you may be better at one thing and someone else another but the key is to support each other on the journey. Crafting is meant to be fun!

We all have different tastes, if you want to make a fancy card with lots on it, do it. If you want a plain quick card, do it. No one has the right to say you can’t or it’s wrong, it’s your story not theirs.

Sadly, in this day and age, with our virtual world, some think it’s ok to leave a comment, hit a button and run. It’s not and never will be. The fact that they are not in direct face to face contact with the person they are abusing, seems to make it easier, as they are kind of anonymous behind the screen. It appears this gives them courage they would surely lack in ‘real life,’ as it has no consequences, but it does. People on the end of the virtual line have feelings too, they are flesh and blood like anyone. Hiding behind a keyboard does not make them brave, in truth, quite the opposite.

So, if someone tries to make you feel bad… just take a breath… and think they must be unhappy inside themselves. People who are secure in themselves don’t put other people down, they build them up instead. If you are loving what you do, that’s what matters, their issues are not really with you or your crafty project at all, they lay elsewhere but have sadly just been redirected towards you.

The good thing about this incident was the support she did get from the rest of the group. It soon became apparent how much she is loved and thought of. And she does have a lot of skill and often amazes us with her creations. The comments were no reflection on her ability at all.

So, if you love crafting, don’t let a negative person put you down because you are not conforming to what their ideal of crafting is. There are no rights of wrongs, no one has written a rule book and even if they had, most crafters would throw it away anyhew… we’re often rebellious like that, it helps us create things we never thought we could.

Nice quote Pablo! :D 

Just think, you have made something and your soul went into it and you feel happy with it, that’s all that matters. Be proud, you’ve accomplished a goal and if others like it too, that’s great but if they don’t, remember it’s not your fault they cannot see it’s worth.

Go forth and create! Let your crafty light shine!

Love and crafty hugs

Adele

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