Announce Your Creative Self

I spent many years not actually owning up to the fact that I was a creative person. You see my definition was askew. In my family, the women all knit, sew, weave, embroider, quilt, crochet, paint ceramics - the more traditional "female" arts and crafts. I didn't do any of these! Sure I got my certificate as a Master Gardener and spent many an hour digging in the dirt to create a colorful home garden or harvest vegetables. I love to cook and I can master any recipe. And I am a writer - published even. But I didn't see myself as creative.

My A-ha Moment

After developing skin problems several years ago, I decided to make my own bath and beauty products. Making soap was so much fun! I got the bug and ended up making 5 pound gift boxes of elegant soap for family and friends for Christmas. Everyone loved the special boxes I made (no old shoe boxes for my glimmering treasures) and stayed pretty clean for months! Fun and productive (we'll talk more about my Productivity Gremlin in future posts in this series) - what a great combo. But it was my Mom's innocent comment that became a real a-ha moment for me. "Granny and I never thought you'd ever start crafting." I had taken up an activity that they defined as creative. Crafting meant creating in my family. But hadn't I been creating all along? I had, but I too hadn't been thinking of myself in those terms. My life coach, Lynn Cutts of Manage Your Muse helped me create some affirmations and reminders that "I am an artist. I am a real writer." The first step was to define myself as a creative person and a professional writer. Amazing as it seems (after publishing several books), I never answered when asked what I did for a living - "I am a freelance writer and author." Today;s message is: Announce your creative self to the world. Create a creative description of yourself that encompasses your creative aspirations, hobbies and/or work (paid or unpaid). Now tell everyone you meet what you are a real artist!

I am a professional jewelry designer, a real writer, a Master Gardener, a seasoned cook (pun intended), a beauty product mixologist, a digital scrapbooker, a wire wrapper, a beader, a cardmaker, a photographer, a home maker.

Tell me - What is your artistic title?