"Perfection is so.... boring"

I've never cared much for perfection.  My body is far from perfect, my hair is always a mess, my make up is on slap-dash, and our home is certainly not perfectly tidy or colour co-ordinated in any way, shape or form.

As I sit here in my craft den (again a dishevelled mish-mash of bare white concrete bricks, a 1950's workbench filled with junk, my modern printer in the corner, and some fairy lights strung up here and there) trawling through a sea of perfect Pinterest cards, I find myself becoming more and more frustrated.  Creativity isn't about perfectionism, nor is it about trying to please other people. It's about exploring, thinking 'outside the box', looking at things differently, experimenting, trying, failing, succeeding. It is whatever you want it to be.

For me, being creative in my craft den is about sitting down quietly, background music on, and enjoying the freedom  to make whatever I wish to make.  I have no natural artistic talent, I can't draw, I hate my own handwriting and I'm pretty rubbish at co-ordinating colours.  But does it matter?  I'm enjoying the therapeutic value it holds; the calm it brings, the focus on something in the present, the distraction from the daily monotony, the comfort of being in control of something for once, the pride of making something, and the happiness it brings (even if it's just me who likes it).

Stampin' Up! is the craft equivalent of a recipe.  Once you have the right ingredients and equipment, you can create whatever you like.  Of course, there's the all important ingredient of 'time', and the other of 'energy'.  Most nights I collapse on the sofa in some kind of Zombie state, watching another episode of Grand Designs and cursing at the annoyance that is Kevin McCloud.  Then there are the 'motivated' evenings, those where I WANT (key word here) to do something, and THAT'S when I love Stampin' Up!  Okay I am very lucky to have the use of a basement, full of SU goodies, but I started with a Project Life card kit, photo pages and my kitchen table.  Being creative doesn't mean having the perfect space, or the perfect set of colour co-ordinated inks/card, it's about having YOU TIME.

I love the the nostalgic feelings it brings out; the memories of being a child and just getting messy.  That's probably why I let my child get so messy, it encourages creative independence.  I used to love lying on the floor with my colouring book and quietly colour in the outlined pictures.  It's an escape from reality, it's a moment of childish fun.  A responsibility free time of ignoring the bills, the housework, even the kids.  It's back to basics, away from the TV, computers, iPads, and phones.  It's a simple life.  Well, as simple as you make it (depending on your creations).

And so I ask myself, "What do I want to achieve from posting photos of my creations?"They're not perfect, and they're certainly no where near up to the standard of other crafters.  Honestly..... I don't know the answer.  I like the 'likes', I love people's positive comments, and of course if I make a sale it gives me a huge confidence boost. I guess ultimately, I just want to inspire others to have a go, because if I can do it, anyone can.

So, when you next see a photo of one of my creations.  Don' think it was made perfectly from my own head, it wasn't.  It was Made with Love, and for me that's all that matters.