Making Stuff

Reverb's Prompt-a-Day Blog Challenge

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

I do like to make things. Years ago, I made many of my own clothes, knitted Christmas stockings for my friends' children, baked cakes and breads, canned vegetables, grew flowers, all the domestic stuff. (All while working full time, of course.) When I was in my teens, I liked doing collages just for fun. They weren't very artistic, but I enjoyed the process of making art. Since it wasn't practical, though, I didn't keep it up. (You can't wear a collage, you know.)

Now in my 60's, I feel very self-conscious when I sit down to make art, so I don't do it very often. A year or so ago, I tried my hand at art journaling for several months. It was fun, but the Practical Puritan in me kept reminding me that it had no purpose other than fun, so I eventually let it drop. I enjoyed messing around with paints and ephemera (catch word for all kinds of otherwise useless stuff), cutting things with scissors, gluing, and making an otherwise boring composition book look funky. I miss that. I need to put PP in her place and get my hands messy again. So what if it isn't practical?