happiness
Happiness, defined; things that help you find happiness, keep it, and share it with others.
The Lessons That Beading Taught Me
When I first started beading, I tried it because I wanted to see if I could do it. I’ve always admired the beauty of beaded bracelets. But, a part of me believed that I lacked the skill to create something so beautiful. To my surprise, not only was I able to make them, I enjoyed it. And that enjoyment turned into a place of happiness and retreat for me. As I would get lost in my creations, beading created a space for me to allow stress to melt away. But it wasn’t all fun in the beginning. When I first started looking for inspiration for my designs, I would often compare my creations to other artisans who had been beading for years. I always felt like my creations weren’t as beautiful because they didn’t look quite like theirs. As a new beader, I didn’t think that I could ever measure up to these amazing designers. What I didn’t realize is that by doing this, I was missing powerful lessons that I would learn through the beading process.
By Sonya Spencer5 years ago in Motivation
Reclaiming Life through Reclaimed Materials
What if we could embody plain, sheer happiness, with not much more than reclaimed materials and access to a pair of shears? I question the notion of our very own creativity being stretched when we utilize less, by simply working with what is near and dear.
By Jordyn Moullette5 years ago in Motivation
Brick by Brick
I completed graduate school for video game design in the spring of 2020, a moment I had been looking forward to for the better part of a decade. While congratulations were certainly in order, the occasion was far from happy. The novel Coronavirus canceled my ceremonial first steps into adulthood, and left me without a foothold in a world that was rapidly changing before me. I had a dream of designing narrative games for my own indie video game studio, spreading joy and wonder through my handmade creations as far as I could. As the world went into lockdown, my dream followed, under lock and key as something too risky to let see the light of day. Turns out my happiness went with it, connected by a thread I didn’t yet have the eyes to see.
By Emilee Choate5 years ago in Motivation
Kirie
With precise animation, I permanently (with confidence) slice through matte sheets of 160g watercolor paper. Sometimes rice paper, or recycled newspapers, an old journal, or those free car magazines shelved on the sidewalk. Most often I prefer paper torn from a retired (painting and I are currently at an impasse) sketch pad. The art of paper cutting in Japan is known as “Kirie”. This is my ruling passion.
By Modest Nomad5 years ago in Motivation
scissors = happiness
Let me take you to my happy place. Loud music is vibing from the speaker towers, caressing my cocheals. Everyone is having a good ole time- smiling, laughing, and moving to the rhythm. I am swerving and grooving around the music festival on my roller skates- just tossing and twirling my favorite pair of scissors. A crowd encircles my live model and I as they look on with curiosity- being inspired by the interactive fashion art happening before their very eyes.
By melodie blaize5 years ago in Motivation
creating my happiness
CREATING MY HAPPINESS by fashion designer, Gabrielle Nti. One hundred and fifty seconds. That is the time it took my collection to go down the runway at the 12th annual Miami University Fashion and Design show. For some, it may seem short. Especially when you consider the mood boards you continuously re-developed, patterns you created, yards of fabric you had to cut, critiques from mentors, sleepless nights, fittings, and the number of pins that accidentally poked you in the process. Many would say it is not worth it. But those people have not experienced the unexplainable feeling when you are backstage, watching people’s reactions to your work for the first time.
By Gabriell Nti5 years ago in Motivation
Rainbow Sweater
Yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, pull up loop. Pull through two loops. Pull through two loops again. Repeat two more times. I silently follow my pattern, translating its shorthand in my head to complete the chains and double crochets to transform balls of yarn into beautiful crocheted projects. Once I memorize the pattern, the movement of my hands is almost automatic and my mind can focus: on my music, on the TV, on the tutorial I am watching for class. I cut the yarn to transition to another color and my project becomes more vibrant. My pride grows with my project. When I cut the yarn to bind off, the sense of accomplishment I feel is unparalleled. I perform my self-congratulatory ritual—cutting the yarn, tightening the knot, and holding up the complete-but-still-unfinished project—before I sew in the hanging threads, snipping the excess length from the longer ones. The scissors signal the finality of my actions. I can decide to rip out earlier stitches, to add length, or to make any change as I am working on my project, but scissors are the only tool that can permanently transform my project. They allow me to add color, transition to the arm of a sweater, and to bring my project to its finished state.
By Jewel Moore5 years ago in Motivation
Happily Creating What Creates My Happiness
It’s amazing how challenging these past few years have been for the bulk of humanity. In my own personal life, I find myself halfway through a decade of intense personal growth. A major part of this journey I have been on towards my highest and best self has been to try and understand what truly makes me happy, what truly creates joy in my heart. After many years of crying, feeling, dealing and healing, meditation, thought and reflection, I was able to determine what crafts and projects really move the passion dial of my soul, giving birth to peace and joy along the way.
By Nathaniel Michael Green5 years ago in Motivation
Greetings Die-Hard Crafters of the Apocalypse!
Scandinavian Pink, Paris Grey, Napoleon Blue… There they sat, the cans of chalk paint I bought after my trip to England where I attended a workshop on how to decoupage furniture - something I had always dreamed of doing. But as so often happens, once I returned to the reality of my day-to-day life, I could never seem to find the time to do the projects of my dreams. How was it that doing the things that bring us joy can end up on the bottom of our list, I wondered?
By Portia Iversen5 years ago in Motivation
