Why I Made This Blog

I recently started crafting again after taking several years off. I do web design and marketing but I miss being creative and didn't realize it. I haven't made a video in years. I have software to make all sorts of videos talking objects, 3D design, comics and more.

A couple years ago I was diagnosed with cancer for the third time and have done nothing but watch TV for the past two years. I beat it twice before (first time in 2010 then 2012). I will (have) again I have a never waving faith in God and believe I'm healed but that is for another blog!

Somewhere I read about Zentangles and how they reduce stress and were fun to do. I had some colored pencils so I found a couple sites with free downloadable prints. Then I embellished those with the Zentangle styles I learned. I'll post them soon.

Then I downloaded a free Kindle Adult Coloring book called Flowers and Floral Patterns. You may be able to still get it for free if you pop over there. It has 60 downloadable pretty flowers in Zentangle and Mandala styles. I ordered some awesome gel pens to color in the pictures I've only finished one. I've been watching so many videos! I'm in love with the LolliZ Gel Pens there are 48 in the pack and they are so smooth. So that is how I got started, but's there's more to the story.

I received an email from Serif on Amberlight. It's a program that makes computer generated images. I did a search for the program and I went down the YouTube rabbit hole. Have you ever done that? Somehow I came across this video by Vicky Papaioannou and I was mesmerized, it was so beautiful. I watched several of her videos and I was hooked. She does Mixed Media Art which is taking bits and pieces from different types of art and mixing it together. She painted, used stamps, added embellishments and more.

After watching a few of Vicky's videos I took a peek in my craft containers to see what I had to work with. I gave away a lot of my crafting stuff years ago but I had a few things left. You'll laugh I'm sure.

- 2 scalloped edge scissors I have another pair somewhere
- 3 punches a star, a heart and an 8 sided badge?
- 2 packs of colored pencils I bought for my granddaughter
- half used sketch pad
- 2 glue guns and a half a stick of glue
- 1 tile for mixing paint on
 - few paint brushes left from ceramics
- 1 dachshund stamp
- a slightly rusty X-Acto knife
- some random sewing supplies
- way too much left over fabric from making dog collars (I hated sewing them but I was so desperate for money. But I was glad my mom forced me to take that sewing class).

My biggest asset is I have the Adobe Master Collection. I purchased  900 brushes and the Alien Skin. filters for Photoshop back when I was able to work. Lot's of potential for digital scrapbooking.

I had just enough stuff to not do much of anything other than being able to color which I did.

I haven't crafted for 12 - 14 years. I made dog collars, potato sacks, bibs and other stuff to pay my rent besides working full time. This was before Etsy, I was ahead of my time and selling on eBay then. Should have kept going, oh well.

I did ceramics which I loved but when I divorced I couldn't take my kiln it would have burnt down my apartment.  I didn't know I could do paint ceramics. I hadn't really painted before other than a little craft project here and there. We had a friend who dabbled in it, I tried it and liked it. Turned out I wasn't too bad at it. We found an old couple who sold us all their ceramic stuff for cheap because they couldn't do it anymore.

I always enjoyed needlepoint and did a lot of that when my son was younger. So the painting I did was not on canvas but on objects. I had a set back which you can read about here my story and it stopped me from moving forward for awhile.

I'm really not that creative in the art sense other than being able to design websites. I couldn't draw in school I tried, eating the paste was more fun. Don't laugh I know many kids who did, we even had a girl who sucked on crayons. I sewed out of necessity. BUT I can copy and so can you, if you feel you are not that creative but want to start painting or scrapbooking do it. You can learn that's why I have the title Creativity is a Choice. Even if you feel you don't have a creative bone in your body I believe deep down you do.

Now when I say copy while learning the techniques of course you cannot pass the finished work as your own. You can say I followed the directions to this project and tell your experience of how it worked out. Or you can follow the techniques but use a different picture. If the video is painting flowers paint a similar picture of the flower. That's what prompts are for you will began to come up with your own inspired creations.

Cheat was one guy's advice on a video I watched about how to transfer a image to another medium. That was how he learned to draw while in art school many years ago. They had the students trace images until they eventually learned how to draw on their own. While some artists wouldn't stoop to tracing and believe it's cheating. Others believe the repetition in addition to other techniques helped them learn to draw. So tracing is not cheating especially if you can't draw! How else will you learn.

I've been watching crafting videos non stop for a week and a half and have learned a great deal in the short time. I've watched videos from making foam stamps to making mandalas from kitchen supplies. The tips you can pick up would surprise you. That's why I created this blog. I'm going to follow the videos of these creative people. I'm going to do the projects, record my results and pass the knowledge on to you.

I would love it if you would join me too. I'm certain after a while you will be able to do it on your own. I have faith in you!

Many of these artists have built up their art supplies over the years. Some get supplies sponsored by companies what a dream that would be. You could spend a fortune on craft supplies. Start where you are you may have to buy a few things to fill in the gaps like I did.

Thank God for the Dollar Tree and I'm on a fixed income now since my surgery. There are a lot of supplies you can get there to start with and build up as you go. There are many supplies you can make yourself if you don't have the funds to buy them.

I live in a small town the nearest movie theater is 35 miles away. You should have a Dollar Tree or a Family Dollar. I bought all I could for a buck then I ordered some stuff from Amazon too.

You can start with crayons, colored pencils, markers and free pictures off the internet. Or the free floral pattern book I mentioned earlier so let's get started shall we! The point is start now.