Do you have a craft, a skill you exercise regularly to make something?
Do you consider yourself crafty, making things for fun or profit?
Yes, I know, “crafty” also means deceptive, but that’s not this post.
My craft is writing. I work at it diligently most days of the week. I employ different techniques depending on the time of day, the day of the week, or the purpose of the writing.
I journal, more like a brain dump of everything on my mind and heart.
I blog, intentionally putting together words to encourage others.
I write letters, sending a little sunshine via the USPS.
I write prayers and Bible studies to connect with God.
I write to work through my thoughts and feelings on various issues.
I write notes and reviews about books I’ve read.
I write for organizations and individuals who pay me to write for them.
I practice writing. I read good writing, fiction and non, to learn from others. I take writing classes (a new class begins tonight – eek, I’m both excited and anxious).
And sometimes I need to do something differently crafty to differently spark my creativity.
Occasionally over the last year, I’ve spent a Sunday afternoon creating a collage. Just for fun, just for me, just because.
I set a timer for 20 minutes and quick-cut scraps from a colorful magazine I’ve read. I look for colors, words, images that grab me for whatever reason. When the timer beeps, I shuffle the cut pieces, looking for connections. Sometimes colors work together. Other times, words bump up against words to create new meaning. I trim edges and shuffle some more. And then I grab a glue stick and a piece of paper to use as a foundation and arrange the snippets into something new.
It’s not rocket science. I’m not attempting to win an art prize. I’m just having fun. And sometimes, fun matters most. It breathes fresh life into my lungs and returns me to my writing craft with new things to say.
In the comments, tell me a little something about your craft. Or tag someone whose pursuit of their craft you admire.
This is Day 2 of a 7 Day Writing Challenge with Hope*Writers. Follow me on Instagram for more.
