There’s a place for everyone…

I’ve always known I was the creative type; it just manifested itself in different ways along the years, I realize now, looking back.  Crayons. Wax paper. Markers. Paper [when I was 7 I thought I would grow up and be a ‘book-maker’].  Stickers and stamps. Jewelry. Photographs. Flyers. Websites.  Even so, I always envied, and still do, those who could paint, draw, sculpt – what I viewed as ‘real art’. I differentiated my ‘art’ because it didn’t fit into the narrow definition of art that I allowed for myself.  Over time, I slowly came to see that creativity, and art, can take many forms and that there is room for all of it.  There is a place for all of us.

What would your bubble have in it?

It is amazing to watch how others express themselves through their art and creativity.  As I begin this new adventure with opening a shop on Etsy.com, I am thrilled to see the myriad expressions; there are styles, items, mediums, materials I have never seen or heard of before. It’s inspiring to me,  to see all these spaces that other creatives have carved out for themselves.  I dig that others value what they do and bring it to the marketplace.

There are creatives among us, and sometimes we never know it. I made something recently and posted some photos of it on Facebook. Many of my friends know that the creative vein runs deep in me, but I found it surprising when a dear friend commented on my post, “Didn’t know you were so talented….what a beautiful idea!”  I realized then that not everyone can see this in us.  I know that for me, sometimes expressing myself with words is sometimes difficult,  but when I create something, you can be assured I have just shown myself to you.   I was happy that through that post and photos she came to know me a little bit better.

As I was thinking about this earlier this morning, I realized that we often mis-read people, or cannot see them fully. Sometimes this results from their shyness, or insecurities perhaps. It could also stem from our own blinders, busy lives, or, our own insecurities.  A fun image came to my mind while pondering this. I got this scene in my mind of a busy city sidewalk, where each person walking by has a bubble above their person, and in their bubble is their signature creative expression – so that as they pass by, we see them fully, we know who they are and what they have to offer.

On Etsy.com there are over one million item listings in the section called ART.  There are at least 30 other categories, each with thousands of listings. You might not like it all, but I guarantee you will find something you love.  There really is a place for everyone.

I will leave you with this quote, and visit the Etsy shop theinksociety to see the creative behind it :

‘the earth without art is just eh”