My "What Is It About This Season That Drives My Creativity? " Article

After writing my blog post entitled Maybe It's Time To Start Decorating For Fall? I started to think about this drive to sew, create, decorate and in doing so was reminded of an article I wrote about this in November of 2006 for Primitive Times Magazine.  I  thought you might enjoy reading it so I decided to re-post it.  Here's what I wrote:

What Is It About This Season That Drives My Creativity?

It's almost like clockwork. Like some internal drive. Some innate driving force. For sure, it's something!

By now I'm sure you must be wondering what I'm talking about.

Well, I'm talking about my "creativity drive" and the Fall/Christmas season. What is it about this season that drives my creativity?

Every year around the end of August I can start to feel it. This urge to create starts to show itself. It starts slowly and builds gradually until it reaches a full-blown crescendo in November. But, I can feel it starting and I know that I won't have any control over it, once again.
Every year it just takes over my body. And, then I just have to either sew, create floral arrangements or craft something.

Or, I have to design patterns and sew some more dolls. Like I need any more dolls! But, that's a subject for another article! The point is, I just have to create - SOMETHING! ANYTHING!

Of course, my husband would say; "Why don't you create doing the housework!" Nah! That's no fun.

This inner force, whatever it is has got a creative mind all its own. And, it definitely has a hold on me. Look out, anyone or anything that gets in its way.

Forget the housework - what's a little dirt and dust! Forget the shopping - who needs to eat! Forget the bills - YIKES!!! Forget the family! Oh, boy! That's a no-no! Forget eating - that's okay - it's called creativity dieting! Even forget to take the dog out to do his business! Come on now that's something you have to do! Well, maybe not. He can hold it.

So, what is it that takes over? I'm not sure but I know that I'm not alone with this. Many crafters that I've talked to tell me that they also experience this. It might be at different times of the year, but they know when it's starting. Maybe it's a crafting thing? When you're in the "crafting", "creating" mode you are "IN THE MODE."

And, when I'm in the mode, I'll sew hundreds of dolls or design hundreds of patterns. I might put together multiple numbers of floral arrangements, or anything else that I seem to want to create.

I don't know about you, but I'm a little obsessive when it comes to my sewing and crafting. I have to cut everything out first, then sew everything, then put everything together. That means if I have 100 items to cut out I cut all one hundred before I start to sew anything.

The same holds true with sewing. I'll sit there and sew all one hundred dolls and then I'll put all one hundred dolls together. Of course, this means that I have to write-up 100 patterns all at once - which is really a chore. All the pattern designers will know what I mean by that statement.

In any event, I never said my way was the way to go about it. It's just my way of feeding my "hungry" inner creativity drive. Maybe I should call it my "hungry" inner obsessive creativity drive?

Sometimes I don't know what's worse. My inner creativity drive or living with over 1,000 handmade dolls. Hmmmm.....? Definitely, living with over 1,000 handmade dolls is worse. They talk back to me.

So, what is this creative drive and where does it come from? Why in late August? Why the Fall/Christmas season?

Maybe it relates back to the fact that as a child I loved to sew all my Christmas presents? I come from a large family so there were quite a few presents to make. Maybe it's the act of making presents to give to my loved ones? Generosity drives it? Hmmm..... Probably not.

Or, maybe there's just something about the bright, cheery, vibrant colors of the Fall season? Maybe it's feeling the cool, brisk, New England climate while raking leaves and then going inside to a cinnamon candle burning and a cup of tea or cocoa? Hmmm...... Probably not.

Maybe it's because for every holiday as a child I would scour the woods for materials to make a centerpiece? Or, every holiday season the family would gather together to make a new Christmas decoration? Hmmm.... Probably not.

Maybe it's just because I come from a family of crafters and sewers? It's just plain in my genes - in my DNA. Hmmm.......

Is that possible? Can a person have "creative" DNA? Hmmmm.... I wonder. Creative DNA! I don't know. I just know that I'm not alone with this. Other crafters have told me they, too, have an inner driving force. Maybe we all have "creative" DNA?

I don't know if I'll ever find out why I have this drive or what it is about this season that enhances my creativity?

Maybe, however, I should I should stop worrying about it and just enjoy the "creative" moments? Tis the season - the "creative" season that is!



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