About a week before the pandemic really threw us all off track I cleaned out my laundry cabinet. On the floor in a corner, covered with old towels and rags, was the sewing machine my youngest received for her 12th birthday eight years before. I don't know if it was divine intervention or just good luck, but right then and there I decided to teach myself to sew.
I spent the months of lockdown and at home quarantine taking online sewing classes and making aprons, potholders, pajama bottoms, and baby bibs for family and friends. Sewing kept me sane, and sparked something in me -- I knew I wanted to do more, learn more. The process of teaching myself something from the beginning was challenging and exhilarating. It also became addicting.
Since then I've taken up a series of other interests: podcasting; blogging; and even cooking, something I never really enjoyed but have learned to enjoy over time. I've also returned to other creative hobbies that I left behind for one reason or another. When I look back on 2020 and 2021 I'm sure it will trigger a number of emotions and memories. They were tough and interesting years, and I know I was luckier than most. While thinking about the experiences will no doubt trigger a range of emotions, I've decided to remember the time for what it ignited in me. For me, I'll remember 2020 and 2021 as a year of living creatively.
Resources: The Accidental Artmaker is a great resource for folks wanting to experiment with their creativity. The Crafty Gemini offers up wonderful YouTube video for beginning sewers. She provides step by step instructions and is fun to watch.
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