Over the holidays my husband and I went to a Chalk Art contest in the park. It included professional artists and amateur categories of all ages. Some of the designs were amazing in detail and design. Others were fun and whimsical or just plain weird. The children’s designs were colorful and sweet.
It was obvious that most of the artists had spent hours making their art on the sidewalk. They poured their love, soul and sweat (it was close to 100 degrees) into their projects. At the end of the day the barriers were taken down. The masses arrived for fireworks, walking all over the drawings as they hurried to get the best spot. By the next day the sidewalk was a conglomeration of blurred colors and lines. More than one person commented on how much labor went into something that only lasted one day.
It did make me stop and think for a bit why someone would work so hard for something that would be gone forever in a day. I realized that those of us who love to craft also often do the same thing. We pour a lot of time, thought and effort into something we give away. In the case of a card, we don’t know if it will be cherished and kept or tossed in the trash. If we make a cake, it is eaten and only the photos are left. Even a scrapbook page can be tucked away and forgotten. So, why do we do it?
I think the answer can be summed up in one word: Love. We love to create. We love beautiful color and design. We love to gift those we care for with a piece of our heart and soul. To us it is so much more than just a piece of paper, ribbon and glue. We create because we need to put a piece of ourselves into something. We create because we LOVE.
That last paragraph was so beautifully written and summarizes why we create. You are so right!!!!! Whether it’s with paper, paints, chalk, food etc… we create because we LOVE.
Simply put…and correctly put…I love creating a card and see/hear how much they loved it…and with my disability it make me happy and passes the time…
Right on…when we creat we’r in the now & that’s our loving soul.
You are so right! That is why I started making my cards some with an easel attached some with magnets and some with an extended ribbon for hanging. I want those who receive a piece of my art to keep it around for as long as they value its beauty.(I hope that is forever) 🙂
I love sidewalk art. There are some really talented individuals who might never have the chance to showcase their talent without this venue. But, it bothers me that eventually the elements of weather wash away their hard work.
Likewise, I find myself wondering if people really do care about the cards that I send…they eventually end up in the trash. I mean face it, we can only keep so much stuff.
I guess that that is one reason that I enjoy scrapbooking so much. I know that one day, someone will enjoy the photos in a creative way.
I am not knocking cardmaking because I love it too. I am a crafter…just saying…all of that hard work…but it is the love that keeps me doing it! I just hope that the love that I send with those cards, washes over the person like the rain does over the sidewalk art. That love can never go away.
My daughter has just come home again from a life threating Illiness Her life will change. The only thing that kept my going crazy was to pray and keep my hands busy, wheather with cards, paper or anything else. Creating keeps me going. I thank you for the time to listen and ramble. Keep up the good work. With Love.
Ann,
I appreciate your sharing with us. I will say a prayer for your daughter and her future.