to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak
peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a
related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an
incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
You have won a Pendant, a Button and a Cabochon from
Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
I truly believe that we are all called by a higher power to be creative.
The act of making something new and valuable is the driving force behind the tallest buildings, the tastiest meals, the most vibrant paintings, the most heart-wrenching lyrics, that is what it means to be creative.
People frequently tell me they are not creative. Does that ever happen to you? Usually this occurs in response to seeing some sort of art that I have created. At that point, I tell them that they are indeed creative. I will argue with them, passionately, if need be.
We are each creative in our own way. My creativity comes through in my art, in pushing beads around and wrangling them into something more beautiful together than they might be by themselves, in seeing the possibility in things that are not even typically used for making adornments, in telling the story of the person who is wearing a personal talisman that I will manifest just for them.
It doesn’t mean that other people are not creative, it just means that they are not creative in the same way as I am. That sort of negative comparison is so detrimental. But we all do it. We look at our friend who is an amazing scrapbooker and takes the time to document her children’s life story so beautifully and we find fault in our own inability to even put one picture in a frame, despite the fact that we have all the paper and embellishments in the world (maybe even a mini scrapbook store in their basement… ahem!). We see those who have a perfectly ordered household with beautiful art on the walls, a place for everything, a knack for arranging furniture in such a way that is is so welcoming and think that we don’t measure up because the dust bunnies in our own house compete with the spiders weaving fortresses and the piles are threatening to topple over and bury you under an avalanche.
(Or is that just me?)
We are all called to be creative, whether that creativity comes through in making the world’s best creme brulee, or raising really compassionate children, or painting portraits, or coaxing gardens into bloom, or making beads that tell a story and jewelry that makes people happy.
I just wrote a post about a dear man who recently passed away. His name was Erv and he was a larger than life personality. Erv gave me that mug above for my 20th birthday on August 11, 1988. It is amazing that I have kept this mug all these years; in fact, I used those words to make a bulletin board in my classroom each fall to greet my new group of students when I was a 7th grade English teacher so many years ago. Last week I shared the story of how I received this mug with his grieving daughter and dear granddaughter. They were incredibly touched by the story, but not at all surprised. He lived that statement and he truly believed that we could do anything.
And that last line, about being a child of God really resonated with me. So of course it came through in my creative way as a new Story Tube bead in my Simple Truths line.
YOU are achild of GOD &with credentialslike that you canDO ANYTHING
Soon I will be offering these in my Etsy Shop, but as a belated birthday
gift from me to you, I would like to give away one of them. (I am also giving away two more, for a total of three, through my blog: Treasures Found. Feel free to enter there as well. But there will only be three individual winners total.)
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| [NOT the new beads, but these are other Story Beads so you get the idea ;-)] |
I am ready to put the finishing touches on them. Right now they are
‘naked’ without any color [the beads above will just give you an idea of
what they will look like]. I haven’t painted them yet, so YOU get to
choose the colors. [I think they look best in a wash of 2-3 tones. Your
choice.] You can choose silver or copper for the metal.
But here is the twist… if you win, you have to agree to do a little blog reveal with me in a few weeks, on Friday, September 20th. I want to see how this message and this bead inspire you!
So, who is with me?
what is that anything that you are called to do?
Autumn Adams
August 17, 2013 at 12:32 pmI start each morning writing a prayer thanking God for a beautiful new day. I frequently thank Him for the creative spark He has given me.
I think that if I won the story bead I would want to use it on a mini wall quilt with other special words. And more beads of course. That way I could put it somewhere to catch my eye constantly. It would have to be able to twirl so I could read all the words.
It puts me in mind of prayer wheels.
If I win I could possibly have a whole new idea by the time I received the bead.
Happy beading.
Good luck to everybody.
Alice
August 17, 2013 at 12:42 pmI'm with you!!! I enjoyed reading your wonderful story on your blog which reminded me of my uncle who passed away a few years ago. He was full of energy, always had a cigarette dangling from his lips and (gasp) was an airline pilot which made this girl beam with pride.
As always your beads are beautiful!!!
KayzKreationz
August 17, 2013 at 1:19 pmTo take care of my family, encourage people and share what I've learned with others. (But I also like to try my hand at Stained glass, mosaics and now jewelry making.) I love copper and the pink/rose colors.
Divya N
August 17, 2013 at 2:13 pmAs a designer I believe that I have been called to teach and share my knowledge with the world, without selfishly holding back on the knowledge that I carefully accumulated through the years. I would consider myself fortunate if I can inspire my students to do the same
Erin S
August 17, 2013 at 4:12 pmI have a similar belief/philosophy that we are all given a unique set of strengths (talents) as well as weaknesses. One of the purposes of life is to develop our talents, whatever they may be, and use them to the benefit of ourselves and others.
Naomi Rose Designs
August 17, 2013 at 7:00 pmWho should be more creative than the children of the Creator?
If we look like our Daddy………..well, you know.
Love your story beads!
God bless!
Naomi Rose Designs
August 17, 2013 at 7:04 pmOh yeah!
I'm called to create blessings in form and color, movement and sound, to show Gods love, grace, and majesty to a world who needs to know He is, and He sees us as we are, and still chooses to value and love us.
cw whitedogjewelry
August 19, 2013 at 11:55 pmErin, thanks for sharing your great story, words of wisdom, and the great quote on your mug. Even before I finished reading your post, I wanted to write down some of those words of wisdom for me to remember, and give me inspiration.
I would love to be one of your choices and I will make a firm commitment to create something wonderful on your reveal date.
To answer your question – I want to find a gallery/shop that would sell my jewelry designs (I have been working on this, no success yet). I made a commitment to myself to give back a portion of each sale to a charity that involves children and/or food donations to the needy.
'would love to win!
Chris whitedogjewelry
Kristen
August 20, 2013 at 10:56 amI'm called to sing in my church choir. It's very creative and I hope I'm inspiring others with God's message through music.
Mitzie Crider
August 20, 2013 at 7:45 pmAs a long-time child of God, I am called to be his ambassador in life. I strive to exemplify him in my professional and personal life. As I'm a debt collector for multi-million dollar loans, that's one place I can show his love while still performing well in my profession. I feel like all children of God have this same calling, so I try to provide encouragement to others in that regard. I facilitate a weekly bible study at my home for that purpose. Thank you for this great opportunity.
Nancy Sopp
August 20, 2013 at 8:12 pmI love the message and would enjoy using your bead in a necklace or bracelet for my daughter in college.