Fabric, Family, & Being a "Creative"

Something in my heart rejoices when I walk into JoAnn Fabrics and see the gorgeous plethora of fabric bolts on the wall. The wide array of colors, patterns, and textures fuel my soul with inspiration & it takes immense self control not to leave the store with an armful (or three!) of fabric. My mind instantly shines with all the crafts, DIY adventures, & hundreds of Pinterest projects I could apply the fabric to (you know, in my wealth of spare time). I find myself reacting in the same way I felt when when I walked into an art classroom as a child or was gifted a set of rainbow-encompassing gel pens; the possibilities are endless.

I found myself at Joann's thanks to my extraordinary grandmother - she is sewing-project-making machine and has the acute attention to detail, precision, and craftsmanship that a top designer would covet. Sure, maybe I'm biased, but her work is nothing short of spectacular & I fullheartedly believe there's no sewing project she can't tackle. Our annual trip to Joann's is primarily in September - she crafts the most extraordinary Halloween costumes for me (when you celebrate Halloween at Disney World every year, your costume game must be at its peak!) but it is custom for me to help her perfect the fabric choices. Earlier this month, however, I approached her about making a bag for my best friend for Christmas - an over the shoulder, satchel-esque bag in Disney-themed fabric that she can use while we are working & playing at the parks.

Choosing the fabric is both my favorite and least favorite part. It's invigorating because I can sort through each and every choice available, melting my heart into color/pattern heaven. The stress comes from choosing & coordinating fabrics that suited for the project; in this case, practical & mature... disney fabric. Here's what we ended up choosing....

This took about 2 hours to decide on. Because the possibilities are endless, right? And isn't that what may separate "creatives" from the pack? I think people who harness their creativity can take inspiration from the most random of places, and can look at one thing and envision it as another. A soul-igniting, gut-tumbling, joy-infusing round of happiness only the prospect of being creative can give you.