Tilly, of Tilly and the Buttons recently posted how sewing has impacted her. She put out a request for others in the community to do the same, and the more I thought about her questions, the more I wanted to participate.
* Have you recently rediscovered your creativity? I have. I began sewing in October of last year, and I have started thinking in colors and textures again after being a drone for Old Navy or Target. Why shouldn't I be able to get exactly what I want, and if no one else can provide it, well, I'll just do it myself.
* Do you feel that taking up sewing - or another craft at home - has changed your life in some way? Sewing has changed my life. I have become part of a community larger than myself of helpful and amazing people that supports each other hobbies. I feel like I have a place to go that is just mine, beyond work or school. I can speak with people through blogging, or reading the experiences of others, but amazed now that I can walk into a fabric store and speak with anyone about what they are doing, and ask their advice on how I should do my project.
* Has it affected how you feel about yourself? I feel so much better about myself. I am not a typically shaped person - or I take that back, I am 5'5 and a size 12...the average women is 5'4 and a size 14 according to some magazine I read. However the women in their magazine are probably a 5'9 size 0-2. I am exactly typical (maybe just a bit taller and thinner, hehehe), but I go into stores and hate the way I feel trying on clothes. I have breasts which don't always fit into shirts. I have a belly that can protrude over my waistband. I would also like to file a missing person's report on my hips and rear. I now have the ability to bypass the unrealistic expectations that are displayed all around me and create things that are made exactly for me and my perceived imperfections. There is no more sadness at the store because I don't even have to go look what is expected of women these days. I walk out of the house feeling like a million bucks in nicely tailored clothes that were made just for me.
* Has it changed the way you interact with the world? Sewing has introduced me to a new world. I have made new friends I get to sew with, but it is more than that. I love talking to strangers about what I do, and learning from them. I have never been particularly outgoing, but now I have a voice and something to share that is worth sharing.
* How would you explain this to someone who doesn't have a creative hobby? I don't know that I could. I have friends that will say, "Oh, did you make that?" and when I reply yes I will always get the, "I know I could never do that," line. I needed something to fill my time beyond TV or Internet. I wanted to reconnect and learn an art. It has not come easily or naturally. I have had to take lessons, do research and really learn to sew. I still don't think I am great, and I continue to learn with each project I complete.To me, there has to be a want for something new or different. Creative hobbies take time and money and have a huge learning curve to start seeing nice results. Maybe I could make an analogy to a smoker. You cannot convince a smoker to quit unless they want to. When they do want to quit and share that with you, that is when you throw everything you have into helping them succeed. i feel like Creative arts are the same. You can't convince anyone to do it until they want to. Then you can share everything you have.
* Have you recently rediscovered your creativity? I have. I began sewing in October of last year, and I have started thinking in colors and textures again after being a drone for Old Navy or Target. Why shouldn't I be able to get exactly what I want, and if no one else can provide it, well, I'll just do it myself.
* Do you feel that taking up sewing - or another craft at home - has changed your life in some way? Sewing has changed my life. I have become part of a community larger than myself of helpful and amazing people that supports each other hobbies. I feel like I have a place to go that is just mine, beyond work or school. I can speak with people through blogging, or reading the experiences of others, but amazed now that I can walk into a fabric store and speak with anyone about what they are doing, and ask their advice on how I should do my project.
* Has it affected how you feel about yourself? I feel so much better about myself. I am not a typically shaped person - or I take that back, I am 5'5 and a size 12...the average women is 5'4 and a size 14 according to some magazine I read. However the women in their magazine are probably a 5'9 size 0-2. I am exactly typical (maybe just a bit taller and thinner, hehehe), but I go into stores and hate the way I feel trying on clothes. I have breasts which don't always fit into shirts. I have a belly that can protrude over my waistband. I would also like to file a missing person's report on my hips and rear. I now have the ability to bypass the unrealistic expectations that are displayed all around me and create things that are made exactly for me and my perceived imperfections. There is no more sadness at the store because I don't even have to go look what is expected of women these days. I walk out of the house feeling like a million bucks in nicely tailored clothes that were made just for me.
* Has it changed the way you interact with the world? Sewing has introduced me to a new world. I have made new friends I get to sew with, but it is more than that. I love talking to strangers about what I do, and learning from them. I have never been particularly outgoing, but now I have a voice and something to share that is worth sharing.
* How would you explain this to someone who doesn't have a creative hobby? I don't know that I could. I have friends that will say, "Oh, did you make that?" and when I reply yes I will always get the, "I know I could never do that," line. I needed something to fill my time beyond TV or Internet. I wanted to reconnect and learn an art. It has not come easily or naturally. I have had to take lessons, do research and really learn to sew. I still don't think I am great, and I continue to learn with each project I complete.To me, there has to be a want for something new or different. Creative hobbies take time and money and have a huge learning curve to start seeing nice results. Maybe I could make an analogy to a smoker. You cannot convince a smoker to quit unless they want to. When they do want to quit and share that with you, that is when you throw everything you have into helping them succeed. i feel like Creative arts are the same. You can't convince anyone to do it until they want to. Then you can share everything you have.
I really like that analogy.
ReplyDeleteHi Stacie
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your thoughtful response. Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you but I've been working abroad with really rubbish internet connection.
You make some really interesting points. Your analogy of a smoker is a perceptive one. I hear the same thing - "I could never do that" - all the time and am tempted to shake people into submission but know that all it really takes is a bit of will to get started making things.
Thanks again for sharing your story.
Tilly