The Joy of Being a Creator

There is nothing quite like the joy of creating something new - something which has never existed before, until you created it. 

Yesterday, I collected my SAGA sampler, which has taken almost every moment of my spare time for the past nine months, from the Framing Centre in Northampton. It cost me an arm and a leg to get it framed, but it was so worth it. It is now in pride of place above the mantelpiece.

The particular joy of this creation was choosing the colours. The 25 page chart from Long Dog Samplers is all in black and white, and many LDS stitchers do it in all one colour. But just before I began it, someone posted a full-colour version on the LDS Facebook page, and I thought, "Wow! I could do that." I chose a gorgeous rich mid-green (DMC 470) for the arches, made a policy decision to eschew blues and purples, and to make all (or most) of the animals, birds and insects look as real as possible. I began at the top left corner and worked across, then down, choosing the colours as I went. Luckily for me, I have an extensive stash of silks, both inherited (from my mother and mother-in-law) and my own. I also borrowed some from my best friend. 

I find all modes of creation similarly rewarding - whether it is choosing particular words for a scene, a poem, a sermon, a blogpost, or yarn for a crochet project. The uniquely satisfying combination of using brain, heart and hands to make something never before seen. 

I believe that every human being has the capacity to be creative and there are so many outlets for our creativity. Maybe textile art and words are not your bag - how about cooking, woodworking, pottery, art of all kinds... it is the chance to step out of our everyday lives and make something beautiful, purely for its own sake. I find it deeply spiritual.