I became a maker by following the example of my mother. She is well-known for making beauty out of what is on hand. Her friends marvel over her knitting, sewing, cooking, gardening and decorating. I love the following quote, because it exemplifies what I think most creative people feel:

“People are creators. But I doubt that many realize this. We are not meant to go out into the world and find flawless things, we are not meant to sit down and have flawless things fall into our laps. But we are creators. We can create a beautiful thing out of what we have. The problem with idealistic people is that they see themselves as receivers instead of creators, they end up hunting for the flaw in everything in order to measure it up to their ideals. Now, when you see yourself as a creator, you can look at a chunk of marble and see the angel within it. Then you carve until you have set that angel free.”
– C. JoyBell C.

The creative process requires us to solve problems, overlook imperfections and visualize success. It requires faith, perseverance and tenacity. I learned all these things from my mom, and I’m still learning them. Watching the persistence she employs to tackle a long term project is inspiring. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say “I can’t.”

This week, I received a beautiful gift from Mom. She created the rug pictured below from 1/4″ strips of wool, hooked into a backing of burlap. Over the course of the last 8 months, she’s worked on it almost daily. I’ll always treasure it, as a symbol of all the hours of labor and love that she’s invested in it, and in me.

Hand-Hooked Rug

Hand-Hooked Rug

Doesn't It Look Beautiful

Doesn’t It Look Beautiful?

Mom Giving another Hand-Made Gift

Mom Giving another Hand-Made Gift

My friend, Margaret Godfrey, made a wonderful hand-painted turntable for her grandkids. You can read about her project here. What is the best hand-made gift you’ve ever made or received?

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