mi familia...

With all of the getting ready for Christmas (there's a lot of making to be done!), it's easy to miss Thanksgiving. But that would be a shame, because it's really the best holiday. Thankfully, my mom won't allow us to forget about all of the delightful things you can make for Thanksgiving.

She recently made these chair covers for the kids' table. The pattern came from Family Fun magazine, and we shrunk down the pattern to fit some little chairs we have. My mom is a wiz when it comes to machine applique, so she did all of the stitching that way. Except for the eyes. I got to hand stitch them. And didn't they come out so cute?!



So how does this relate to Inspiration Week?

It's this: My family is a HUGE inspiration for me.

My mom sews and understands how important my making is to me. My dad is an artist (among many, many things) and frequently doodles up the cutest things. Anna takes wonderful photos and makes the best music playlists. Anders creates goofy movies and writes fantastic blog posts...even if they are about sports. PJ makes comic books about hamsters and super heroes. Max designs train layouts that are so complicated that you can't help but see their beauty. Grace has a killer sense of style and paints pictures that you want to look at again and again. (I really need to get some links for the little ones!)

Creativity is important at my house. I am so grateful for that. I have grown up knowing the value of Making. Doing. Creating. And that is inspiring.

Now, I realize that not everyone has been blessed with a family like this. It's hard for me to even imagine being a creative person in the middle of a family that doesn't understand. But here's my advice, whether your family is creative or not:

Look for the things in your family that can give inspiration. Sometimes they are obviously evident, sometimes you have to look harder. It'll be worth it.

Spend time talking about things you are all doing. Conversations, even about things that don't seem related, can do wonders for inspiration.

Encourage people to create together. Even people who don't think they are creative often enjoy the process of making...no matter how the product turns out.

Create a family that shares your love of making...carefully. Having others outside of your family that support your passion for art and craft is a great idea. But don't replace parents, husbands, etc. with these folks. You need them all.

Oy, but I've rattled on. Of course, I'm no expert on any of this...I just speak from my own experiences. But I do hope that you are able to find inspiration from the people that care about you!