From Playtime to Passion

From Playtime to Passion

If you think back to your childhood, what were the influences that caused you subsequently become a keen crafter?   This image reminded me of the homes I used to visit when I was a child, and the recognition that invariably when one is a crafter the desire starts very early on.  In childhood we are curious and hands-on activities lay the foundation for a lifelong passion for crafting.  Some of us recognise early on that being creative is what we want to do and often the interest develops when we are subsequently exposed to different crafts.

Children were often introduced to crafts at a young age for knitting, sewing, woodworking were common pastimes and taught at home by family members.  Already young people were developing fine motor skills and patience.   The tools available were relatively simple: needles, thread, yarn, basic woodworking tools and natural materials like wool or wood.   Exposure to these enabled problem-solving and the satisfaction of completing small projects.  

When I was young crafting was more than a hobby for it was often a necessity as we made and repaired out own clothes (I made my first garment when I was 8!) so we grew up in an environment where making, fixing, and repurposing were part of daily life.  This familiarity with creating something from scratch and/or recreating gave the confidence to try new crafts as we aged.

Over the years, individuals have shifted from basic, traditional crafts to more specialised ones that including the awareness of art and design.   In the 1960 and 70’s there was resurgence of interest in embroidery, macrame and weaving and there was also the development of the use of polymer clay.   People were willing to experiment with the new materials available and there are many examples in polymer clay of facsimile embroidery and or weaving and many other experiments with patterns and design.  With polymer clay there was also the development of many familiar techniques such as moulding, sculpting and painting and in particular producing intricate designs when creating canes.

But are we exploring the possibilities that are available using polymer clay?  Over the last few years, I have noticed that the fashion is to make slabs and to create earrings.  These skills are comparatively simple but there is so much more.   I haven’t seen many examples of complex canes lately (if making canes appeal to you then look at the vast array of tutorials on YouTube by Fiona Abel Smith)

In our new materialistic society, we seem to have lost sight of the joy of creating for the sake of creating and the sense of satisfaction when achieving a new skill.   Maybe we can return to the amazing feeling of being ‘in flow’.

The joy of experiencing ‘flow’ is like being in a state of pure immersion where everything else fades away. When you’re deeply engaged in a craft time seems to vanish. It’s a harmonious blend of challenge and skill, where every action feels effortless and rewarding.

This flow brings a unique peace, as distractions fade and the process itself becomes fulfilling. It’s a state of pure creativity, where the world outside the craft fades, leaving only the joy of making and achieving.