A Moving Tale

Moving from one home to another can be a stressful time for anyone, but it can be especially stressful for creatives who work with lots of different materials, or materials that need special storage.

My family recently relocated from the West Coast to the East Coast. Unfortunately, most of my crafting supplies, tools and equipment are now in storage, waiting for me to find space and set up a work area in our new home. Due to space constraints (our new home is about 2/3 the size of our last one), my new workspace will likely be in the garage, which isn’t really suitable for storing vehicles anyway.

Let me be clear: I have many, many creative interests. I enjoy writing, painting, sculpting, wire work, sewing, jewelry making, photography, digital art, web design, spinning (yarn), weaving, beadcraft, and so much more. I spend hours looking for inspiration, (online, in books and in the real world), wishing that I’d been the one who had thought up this idea or that design. I try out different techniques, and gather a collection of materials and tools to bring my visions into reality.

I also have a habit of moving from one medium to another in a rather haphazard fashion. It’s hard for me to stick with one medium long enough to become an expert at it. Sometimes I get bored. Other times, I simply find that I don’t enjoy it as much as I thought I might. Once in a while, I have to admit that my skill is not up to my desired outcome, and I give up on the technique or medium. I’m still searching for that “One Thing” that I was born to do. So, what’s a creative to do?

My sister, a self-admitted “non-creative”, does not understand my “obsession” with my crafting materials and tools. She asks, “Why do you buy so much stuff? Just get what you need for a particular project, make the project, then get rid of all the leftovers.” Some people will never understand this need to be inspired by the leftovers, my husband being one of them. And I’m not simply a “packrat”. I don’t keep and store stacks of grocery bags, or old newspapers. But I do admit that my “inspiration stash” outstrips my available time to do something with it.

So, we moved nearly 3,000 miles across the country, and I don’t have ready access to most of my crafting stash, nor a convenient place in which to work that doesn’t require putting everything away every time I work on a project. So, I’ll be looking at ways to create a compact workspace in an area not meant for keeping things in a clean, climate-controlled space. At least the garage has windows and electricity. It will help keep me somewhat confortable while I work. Maybe. Perhaps I’ll make this a “creative project” and post the process and results here. If you, my dear readers, have some creative ideas, please let me know.