My Creative Story

{ me }

As far back as I can remember, I've been a crafty gal. My grandma taught me to sew with plastic canvas as a child, and every time she came to visit she had a new project for me to work on. I learned to knit in middle school, and in high school I was crazy about making huge collages out of the news magazines that my parents got in the mail. Still, I never thought of myself as an "artist" because for some reason, to me, art = drawing and painting.

When I went to college, I think I lost my craftiness in trying to keep up and still get enough sleep. Though I didn't spend time crafting during those four years, I do remember one transformative moment: My senior year, I went to the Rhode Island School of Design's student art sale to admire the students' work. I remember seeing a booth with sewn aprons strung up on clothesline - they were so beautiful, and I thought to myself, "I'd like to do that someday," but I thought it in the same way that I tell myself "I'd really like to play the cello" - like it'd be nice, but I'll never really do it.

That summer, after I graduated, I went on a road trip on the east coast and made a stop in the Crayola Crayon Factory in Pennsylvania. When I got my hands on those crayons, it awoke something inside me that had been hidden away for a long time. I recently came upon my journal entry from that day:

{ 8/8/07: When did the little artist inside of me disappear? }

My hands started feeling itchy to make, and I started getting together with a few friends for "Crafty Mondays" where we'd make sewn felt pins or little sock monsters. I decided that I would take a week of vacation from work for what I called "Sewing Boot Camp" - my mom bought me a sewing machine (I named him Silas) and I spent an intense week of quality time learning how to use him. I started bookmarking projects online, even if they seemed too difficult for me. With time, I saw my skills steadily improve, and I could tackle those more difficult projects.

{ Adj and I at Providence Art Festival 2009 }

When I was building my skills, I met Adj in my book club, and she started coming over regularly for weekend crafternoons. We really encouraged each other to take on new projects, figure out new designs, and to start thinking about promoting ourselves and getting our work out into the world in new ways.

And then the blog came into the picture - I was making so many things and sending them out into the world, and I needed a way to document my creations. I think for those first few months my mom was my only reader! (But isn't that how all great blogs start?)

In 2010, Connect the Dots has evolved so much, and I can really feel the momentum building (mostly inside of me!). The blog is now a place for not only documentation and reflection, but a venue for sharing my creative practice and interviews with my creative friends, as well as resources and tips for making one's way as an emerging artist. I'm devoting more time to Connect the Dots than ever before - almost 3 full days each week - and taking on more craft sales and custom projects. My style has developed from dabbling here and there to a set of original designs with a unified aesthetic.

{ my aprons & bags }

I love thinking back to seeing those aprons strung up at the student art sale in college, and how the thought of me creating like that was so far off, almost impossible. I had no idea that just three years later I would have my own aprons strung up on clothesline, sharing my work with the world. These days, I'm very confidently calling myself an artist, as well as an entrepreneur. And it feels great!

Your turn: What's your creative story? Have you posted it on your blog? Link to it below!