Thursday, August 16, 2007

Inspiration Walls

Updating my blog seems to be more difficult for me than I ever think it's going to be. It still takes me a while if I want to add pictures and links and if I take forever between posts (like now) I am embarrassed. While my reddened face calms down let me say that I am collecting more fabric (and some supplies) to giveaway and will hopefully have it all posted here by the end of the week.

I've seen so many inspiration boards pictured on blogs and I love them all. I would show you mine if I could uncover it to take a photo, but my house has only one path through it right now due to furniture and memorabilia I've brought in from my mother's farm the last week or two. Her farm sold and we have only about 10 more days to empty the barn and the milk house, but at the rate I'm going we should just put everything in a huge truck and bring it to MY house because I'm having a difficult time turning loose of things that hold good memories. The only room in my house uncluttered and uncovered enough to enjoy is the dd's bedroom. She dared me to put ANY of my haul in there, and since school started yesterday she has it cleaned up and organized. Everything is in its place. She even has "inspiration walls".....


and an "inspiration desk" too.

When she was small she would draw and color for hours, literally hours. By the time she was six she had outgrown her little girl desk and I decided to buy two file cabinets and put a piece of wood across the top. My mother had the idea of a countertop instead of wood due to easy cleanup of paints and markers AND the back piece going up the wall which would prevent things from being lost over the back edge. The 5' countertop piece was $25 at Lowe's and I bought two of the $20 cheapo file drawers at Walmart. That was over 11 years ago and it is still a part of her.

The first time I saw something written on her desktop was about 3 years ago when she had gotten deep into Shakespeare. She had written a quote on it in Sharpie marker and at first I was ill, but by the time she got home I decided it wasn't a big deal because this $25 piece of countertop isn't a family heirloom. lol. She began to write song lyrics, Bible verses, poetry, and the name of her future husband, Daniel Radcliffe. (He hasn't met her yet though.) Her friends sign her desk in some way when visiting and sometimes a simple new drawing will appear. My dd will NOT part with this desk. Do NOT even discuss it with her. And it thrills me because she is surrounding herself with creativity. I'm thankful for that because I can't imagine life without creativity and I want it in her life. It has brought me many hours of joy and comfort. I've solved my problems and everyone else's through the years while sewing and cross stitching. Hours on end of journal writing have helped me avoid a therapist I couldn't afford anyway. Scrapbooks have told the life of many a loved relative. Music has calmed me, set me on fire and made me cry, all in a matter of minutes. I picture myself bored without creativity so I'm thankful I have a bit of it, and I'm especially thankful my dd does.


7 comments:

LeeAnn said...

My grandparents farm will eventually be sold. I grew up on that farm. A few months ago my grandmother asked me if there was anything I wanted. (She was referring to items of value in the house.) The only thing I could think about was the large wooden feed box sitting on their front porch that was falling apart. I love the smell of the inside of it. Sometimes when I was a kid I would crawl into it and sit in the cool darkness on top of a bag of dog feed. But I didn't tell her that. I didn't tell her anything. Then I would have had to explain my most secret hiding spot as a kid.

But I can imagine the feelings of having to hold onto to items that hold a memory. To any other person it would just be a broken feed bin.

Katherine said...

I really enjoyed reading about your dd's creativity and your respect and encouragement of it. Just think what her life will hold with such support to express and be herself.

comfortable said...

Thanks Dinah. I wish that customer left negative feedback, because Etsy would have removed it but unfortunately she left a neutral. Darn.

I really LOVE that desk! and those walls look like my bedroom walls

Mrs.Kwitty said...

It's so cool when creativity runs through a family--your daughter has learned from you how to express herself and let that creativity play out and run free--awesome!!
Smiles, Karen

Jodi Ohl said...

Wonderful post Dinah!! And I love your daughter's room, it's how I'd have my room if I was her age ;)!! Heck, I'd like her desk right now! I love how she has personalized it---it definitely will be cherished for many years to come! She has the makings of a collage artist, just from the looks of her walls!

Creativity does help you get through the dark days---I'm not sure what I would have done this year if I hadn't stepped up my creativity quotient. I'd probably be in the funny farm :)

lucy

Vallen said...

Organized and organic - that is simply awesome inspiration. The intensity kids have when it comes to "decorating," wow, I'd like some of that back please.

The Browns said...

DINAH IS A BLOGGER! I am so excited! I can't read much right now, because I have guests walking in the door for the weekend, but I am so going to read this rockin' cool blog asap! Yay! We can keep in touch now! Give your dd a HUGE hug for me.

Love you!
Jaime