Crafting is in my blood.
When did you start painting? This is usually the first question I am asked when someone sees my artwork. I quickly calculate it in my head, OK quarantine started in 2020 and its now October 2022, “about 2.5 years.” Honesty though, I have been painting for as long as I can remember. It was never a daily practice but my mother is an artist so I was exposed to arts and crafts at an early age.
My mother had a small craft store in one of the back bedrooms of our Levitt house. She would have her 2 favorite customers, Maude and Stella, purchase supplies and finished craft items weekly. They would turn around and sell these handmade items at local craft fairs. My younger brother and I would play “Shopping” in this room often. My home was always filled with craft projects, mostly silk flower arrangements on the kitchen table. My mother made it a point to let us kids have the freedom to craft anytime we wanted. She even encouraged us to sell our creations. I sold my first and only floraI arrangement when I was about 10 years old. It was a autumn themed silk flower arrangement in a cute basket and I sold it for $5.00. I don’t recall my mom making tons of money at her craft but I witnessed time after time the joy she received from being creative and seeing her customers so amazed at her talents. Oh and that very cool little craft store we had in the house, well unfortunately it only lasted a few years because my older brother got married and needed that bedroom. I will be forever grateful for these memories.
Crafts continued to play a vital role in my life growing up. Together, my mom and I designed and created silk flower bouquets for my own wedding. We made tons of wedding favors. I went on to make other wedding favors for friends and family. I would host weekly “Craft Night” for my friends. I even started a scrapbooking business in my basement in the early 2000’s. It was one of my dreams come true. I had a craft store in my own home just like my mom had. I would host classes and I even taught at Michaels craft store for a period of time. So, YES I believe crafting is in my blood and I believe being an entrepreneur is as well. Looking back I can see something was holding me back from moving full speed ahead with my scrapbook business. Something wouldn’t allow me to take it past the hobby stage. It wasn’t until this year that I discovered the real reason of why I couldn’t go any further. I will discuss this revelation in my next blog.
