I Know a Little about A Lot

I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but I am a craft whore. It sounds overly dramatic, but it’s true. I become obsessed with something, anything. Seriously, it doesn’t have to be cool. I must master it, or at least give it my best try, then I move on to something shiny and new. Before we had kids, I took pottery classes. I had to do it. It was so fun! I was the largest producer in my beginner class and was asked once if I wanted to put some stuff in their shop to sell because they had a couple people try to buy one of my pieces. I didn’t, but how cool???? Six months in, I got pregnant and couldn’t be around the glaze and the kilns. I had to take a break. When the baby came, who had time for pottery classes in Long Beach anyway? Not this girl. I moved on to something I could do during nap time at home. The new phase was scrapbooking, something I made fun of for years until I had a baby and felt like it was my job, no, duty, no wait, calling, to document everything they did with pictures, cute cut-outs and sequins. This went on for awhile until I decided I wanted to learn how to sew my boys cute little jumpers and embroider the front with their names or appliqués. We bought a machine, and I was off and running. I took classes and made the boys a zillion pair of plaid pants and shorts with cute little t-shirts. I made matching tees for every occasion, and even made Jackson the best chicken costume ever. I made little dresses and gave them to my friends with girls. When Jackson grew out of the wearing cute plaid shorts and jumpers stage, and I accepted that I never was all that good at it, my sewing days were mostly over. Next came painting. No, I cannot paint, not real painting, but I painted walls, frames, ornaments, whatever I could find! Somewhere along the way I decided that I needed a DLSR. Scott had given me a film camera our first Christmas together because I mentioned I had taken a photography class, go figure, and liked it. Turned out, I didn’t remember any of the class. It didn’t stop me from taking a million pictures with that film camera, but I was ready for digital. We bought my first DSLR, and I took a zillion pictures with it. I still didn’t know what I was doing, but I enjoyed it. When I decided my pictures weren’t good enough, I started reading everything I could about photography. I got better, but then I realized that I needed to learn Photoshop if I wanted to take it even further. At night, instead of reading or watching TV, I learned about ISO and f-stops. My craft paint stayed in boxes drying up while I watched tutorials on editing. Miracle of all miracles, I’m still obsessing over photography eight years later, otherwise, I wouldn’t have this blog. After Christmas, Scott and I were cleaning out the attic and I came across some of my painted ornaments that I haven’t seen in years, and I was shocked. No, they aren’t going to win any awards, but for this craft whore, they are pretty cool. How did I know how to do that? I proudly showed them to everyone in my family and even took pictures of them before boxing them up for the Beach House. I really don’t have a point here, other than to say I was always a little disappointed in myself for never sticking with anything. Even when I was a kid, I quit piano twice, gymnastics, ballet, tap, softball for a couple years, the gifted program, writing… I could probably go on. But, ya know what? I am not a gifted pianist, but I can recognize notes and play a few Christmas songs. I will not be breaking out toe shoes, but I remember the way Ms. Joanne made us stand in class like it was yesterday. I can’t do a back handspring to save my life, but I did cartwheels and flips in the front yard when my boys were little and easily impressed. I don’t play on a softball team, but I know enough to be useful to my boys when they need a catcher or their coach needs someone to explain a force out. I don’t write with the idea of a book in my head these days, but I write stories on my blog all the time. I don’t throw pots anymore, but the evidence that I did is all over my house. I don’t make many scrapbook pages, but I still use the supplies occasionally to make a card or help the kids with some sort of crafty project. I can’t make myself a dress, but I still know how to take the hem out of Scott or the boys’ hunting pants and sew a new, possibly crooked one if necessary. I am not a painter, but that never stopped me before. So, rather than focusing on the fact that I quit, let’s consider the idea that I tried, and I learned. Sure, I never mastered a thing, but I picked up some cool stuff along the way. Not all of it will be useful, but you never know. I can always use the one hobby I stuck with and still practice daily, photography, to document anything else I want to try, and most importantly, anything my kids try! Now, just in case I never find those ornaments again, this is proof, I am an artist, even if it is in my own mind.