And my ever so crafty friend Angela was the first to respond...I asked (sort of) why is creative and she basically said out of necessity. Okay so she said cheapness...I would say that its being thrifty in this case, but still a need to conserve resources - whether its money or time or otherwise.
Here is what Angela said,
“My creative skills were awakened and refined by a low-income childhood. If I didn’t have it, but I really wanted it, then I either went door-to-door singing Christmas carols with a tin can, or I figured out how to make it myself.
As an adult with (somewhat) the financial means to buy stuff, I still find my cheap side inspecting high-priced items and replicating them at home.For example, I just love the invisible bookshelf at Barnes and Noble. But at $10 a pop I’m too cheap to buy any. So I inspected the design, thought of a medium of which would be good enough to do the job, and went home to recreate it. So, for the price of a metal clothes hanger and a pair of needle nose pliers, I made a couple of invisible bookshelves for my wall.
Another example of using my creativity is with the Accountable Kids child training program. I didn’t want to put an investment of $20 per child into it (I have six children!) without first giving it a whirl to see if it’d even work. With a little help from the Accountable Kids website and YouTube videos, as well as some old poster board, paperclips, crayons, and a $12 investment in color photocopies, I made four Accountable Kids wall boards and a big chunk of cards for less than the price of one real kit. My trial run was a success, and I felt confident forking out the $120 investment to get the real thing. (Honesty is my policy!)
That $16 dress from Target is nothing more than a tank-tee and a chunk of fabric sewn to the bottom. No problem! Raid my husband’s drawer and cut up an old sheet- viola! Want a cheap tattoo but without the lifetime commitment and pain? Colored Sharpies. YES! Quick skirt for my four-year-old? A pillow case and a length of elastic harvested from a fitted sheet.
I primarily use my creative skills to make whatever I can for cheap or free. It also gives me something to do on those boring days when I need a break from all the monotonous housework”
I think Angela is hinting at something else here, too. Creative people are problem solvers - they see the parts of things and how they go together. It isn't just a dress, its a dress made of a shirt and some fabric. I can honestly say that I would not have thought to get elastic from a sheet, but its there and she saw it and used it. That is what I would call a "beautiful junk" moment! And next time I am crafting into the wee hours of the morning and suddenly find myself in need of elastic I will no where to get it!
Thank You Angela for sharing your creativity with me! You are an inspiration!
