Making a Thing

Making A Thing

Sometimes you make a thing. Sometimes that thing becomes part of something else. Sometimes it stays the thing it is.
 
Not everything that you make has to be more than the thing it is. Just because you can’t put a name on what it is doesn’t make it invalid. It is a thing. You made a thing and that’s good.

Just because we can’t give it a zippy name so it sounds good in a class description or call it a certain thing so it can be packaged, patterned, and sold doesn’t mean it won’t make a great class or a FAB pattern or thing to be packaged and sold. Then again… maybe it is just the thing it is and that thing that it is isn’t any of those things at all. And that’s good too.

We used to always create with an end purpose in mind. I’m going to design and create this ______ so it can be ______. Then we designed and created ______ and it was used for the purpose it was intended. And we liked that. We still do. But a few years ago, we started making more just for the sake of making. No end goal in mind, no purpose, and no need to name the thing that we were creating. Creation for the sake of creation. Making for the sake of making a thing.

We also used to create only in the mediums we were perceived to have a certain level of expertise in… specifically, yarn arts. And we liked that. We still do. But we like to do a LOT of things with a LOT of stuff. So, we started doing things that we liked with the stuff that we liked using to make things. Not all of it became part of something else. Sometimes the things we made just were what they were, and we were happy with them and that was good enough. Sometimes, however, those things became part of a larger thing and, yes, classes were developed, two books written, and patterns created and sold. Sometimes that happened. Sometimes it didn’t. Both were good. Both are still good.

Sound chaotic? It is. A bit. We used to be afraid of that chaos. We were afraid that if we didn’t create things that folx could name using stuff folx could immediately recognize and name, we wouldn’t be able to make a living. If we didn’t stay focused on creating the next thing that would give us an income, we would not have money to pay our bills and buy the things we need to live. If what we did wasn’t recognizable and marketable, how would we make a living? If we let the creative chaos in our brains take over, how would we get by?

Fortunately, we were able to create the perfect storm of circumstances where we could produce recognizable, marketable things AND fully embrace our creative chaos.

We found a balance and we love that balance that came from embracing the creative chaos.

Both are rewarding. Both are thrilling. Both excite and motivate us because embracing our creative chaos inspires the rest of our work.

Embracing our creative chaos makes even those things we make primarily for the sake of earning the money we need to survive more special and exciting to us. Focusing on creating with purpose as well as being open to and embracing the creative chaos. That’s where we are. For now. Let's see where this takes us…