Step One: Beginning the Journey to Become A Maker

 

Vigilantly Seek a Miss Clara.

“If you’re going to actually do this, you’re going to need to get started, soon,” came the urging directive on the other end of the line. By her voice, ‘soon’ really meant, as in yesterday.

The caller was my sister Vicki, the ultra-creative-quilting-Martha Stewart-type-perfect-hostess-perfect-seamstress-family-glue-person championing me toward my goal of creating a graduation quilt for my first-born college senior, Grant.

Once my gut settled on the immediate project nature of the beast, I became overwhelmingly encouraged that Vicki actually believed I could muster the task of creating a quilt. It was something I’d always wanted to do but never truly felt capable.

In a large sense, Vicki reminds me of Karen Abercrombie’s War Room character Miss Clara.

The ‘if I can, you can mentality’ … She understood my sewing skills are minimal. A few hodge-podge costumes for my kids, a pillowcase, a Christmas pillows project (at age 12, then an unappreciated experience under my mom’s tutelage).

Vicki’s urgings made all the difference last January and changed my life in ways immeasurable. We not only finished the quilt together, we grew closer as sisters and my son is the recipient of the product of our efforts.

I began to understand: The joy of creating is therapeutic and has rippling effects.

Neither Miss Clara nor Vicki are subtle, but both possess a humble teaching and realness to their methods, a solid belief in what they are doing. Both share so selflessly of their time. My sister never made me feel like an imposition, even during late night power-through sessions or in ongoing discussion of details … and life.

Vicki cast a creative lifeline for me that has had tremendous and continual rippling effects in most aspects of my life. My quilting mentor sister connected me to a creative side that since my early 20’s I’d stuffed.

Oh, I had excuses: Either consciously or unconsciously, it seemed crafting was impractical therefore too expensive and never in the scheme of life responsibilities.

Whereas I loved the creations I saw others make, I’d been lukewarm at the prospect of doing it myself.

I felt the business of life was to get on with the business of life. Long-held, numbing beliefs my sister helped me shatter.

Vicki allows me to be who I am with my projects, guiding and lending insight instead of judging. Our styles are very different yet we have a true appreciation for each other’s handiwork.

Begin Your Maker’s Journey: Find another person or persons with whom you can share the spark within — someone who will help fan your flame.

If a Vicki or Miss Clara is not in obvious view, go find one. Seriously, we are not meant to walk our walks in solitude. Know there are abundant opportunities through online communities (Sew God and other craft-specific blogs). Perhaps your church, family or friend groups foster ways to connect with others creatively.

Do this: If you’ve a friend who has never been a Maker, but you both have a desire to buddy-up and grow your creative side, do it. You will find yourself closer to who you are and who God is in ways I cannot fully express nor understand.

My sewing room/office, dare I say ‘my studio’ is my war room. It is where I create, where I pray, where I study the word and am learning to blog. It is where people in our home come to visit me, pulling up a chair to converse. It is my sanctuary and I am grateful for my earthly mentor’s guidance in getting me here.

“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Gal 5:21-22