Being a Creative Person

 I am a creative person. This I have known since I was a child. I have found ways to expressing my creativity.

 

Now I knew I was creative, but I never really thought of myself as an artist. Bill Sienkiewicz was the one who made me see my work as art. He managed to get me to see what I did was not just a technical trick but creative art. I thought of puppets as practical objects. I didn’t see them as art. Now that I do, I think of myself as an artist. I am proud of my art.

 

I can write. I enjoy stretching that part of my mind. I am always thinking my way through stories and scenarios. Peter did the same thing and we would bounce ideas off each other and were each other’s first readers. 

 

And we were honest with each other. Peter would warn people they would be getting his opinion good, bad or ugly. I got his honest opinion which sometimes was just the words “it sucks. Try again with out the story sucking.” He would tell me when I was wasting my time on a story for various reasons. I would tell him the same thing on that rare occasion where I could tell he was at a dead end.

 

I like making dolls. I haven’t done it in a while. I learned the kind of doll I loved making from Wendy Froud. If you ever get the chance to take a workshop from Wendy, take it. It will change your life. Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a box of eyeballs. These are much smaller I would use for the puppets however, they are the perfect size for smaller dolls. Most of my doll work is with anthropomorphize animals or fantast creature. I kept my favorite badger to remind me that I can do these things. 

 

I like making stuffed animals. Another thing that I haven’t done in a while. Again they go to the fantastical side of the road.

 

I like making costumes. I am doing less of that. For one thing Caroline learned to sew for herself, so she makes her own costumes. I don’t have that gang of kids I had to make costumes for. I am starting to make stuff for me. Some of it can be used as street clothing. Other pieces are costume only. I am in the middle of making a swallow tailcoat. It is very complicated. I think I can do it. I am probably going do a muslin mockup before I take scissors to the real fabric.

 

My mind is never bored. It is aways scheming all kinds of things. Right now, it is working on the answer to a question a friend asked about how to do something with a puppet. I came up with several ways just off the top of my head. I am now going through them to see what would work for my friend since this is their first puppet.

 

I am grateful for my creativity.