Inspired to Create

I love all sorts of quotes about Creativity!  I've always considered myself a creative person and I believe EVERYONE can be CREATIVE!  Through the years, I've worked with many people through my classes, workshops and quick make & take sessions at the store and at vendor gatherings and trade shows.  It never fails that some of these people say, "I'm not creative!"  I do not agree!  I think that creativity lives inside all of us.  I admit that sometimes my creativity or need to create fads into the background.  At the end of February, my dad passed away.  Since then, I have had a hard time being inspired to create...even though I've had some projects with deadlines and a huge event at the store during this time.  But, for those things, the creativity came to me more like I was a dentist pulling someone's teeth without anesthesia instead of blowing in like a warm summer breeze of inspiration.  In the last week or so, I've been looking at some of my projects, and cruising Instagram & Pinterest (you know..."just for a minute or two") :) (Hey, stop over and follow me there, I'm finding some AWESOME stuff! I'm @juliechatsblog on Instagram and Julie Chats on Pinterest.)  But, I digress...somehow, for no apparent reason, my feelings of inspiration and creativity seem to be on the rise of late.  You just never know what's coming next.

Just as I was beginning to feel the need to create again, but wasn't ready to pick up the mess from that last bout of "forced creativity,"  I opened my email and found the sweetest note from someone who said, basically, "I hope you don't think I'm a craft stalker, but I've been checking your things out online and I'm impressed!"  Nope, that isn't a stalker, it's another little step on my road to inspiration!  After a few email chats with my new friend, Nancy, I was on the road across town, "halfway to the mountain," as I explained to Jake.  To experience Nancy's craft heaven...it's really called Domesticraft, but to me, just being there, hanging out for the afternoon, chatting about all things creative, with Nancy was such an inspiration.  Nancy has turned a huge daylight basement space into, seriously, what I can only call CRAFTHEAVEN.  Today, she has a sneak peek of the space and on May 1st, she's opening her version of heaven to crafters.  Nancy has all sorts of creative workshops and events planned for May.  She'll also be open so you can sign up to work on your own projects during her Open Studio times.  You can find Nancy on Pinterest and Facebook too!

I know all my friends on the east side of Portland will want to check out Domesticraft, it's off of Orient Road just outside of Gresham, on the way to the mountain, as I told Jake.  It may be a little far for us "westsiders," but I promise you'll be inspired, just like I was, if you make the trip out to visit Nancy.

Nancy & I chatted about all things creative and shared our lastest projects yesterday.  I could sit for days like this, getting inspired, especially in a place like this...packed with creative treasures, vintage antiques and more craft supplies than I have ever seen in one person's collection!  Nancy has TONS of things you can use while you're working in her space...so many, I couldn't even hope to list them all!  So, I hope you check out Domesticraft for yourself and escape to CRAFTHEAVEN!

Let me know what you think!  I can't wait to get back & spend more time with Nancy!  She's got a May schedule packed full of events and workshops that she'll be teaching.  And, Nancy & I are hoping to collaborate on some workshops in the future.  I've got some big plans and can't wait to teach some fun workshops this year on both sides of town.