Another view of creative

     For a couple of years I tried to learn to paint pictures.  Great art on my walls!  Later, when I had tried it, I thought, well, "acceptable art".  But is there such a thing?
       I bought some good watercolors (of course, on sale) and worked on it every week for a couple of years.  After all, both my parents were artists, several of my children are too, it couldn't have skipped me, could it?   Well, yes, maybe it could.  Though my early efforts were suggestive, I never improved, in fact I got worse, if possible.  Finally, I gave it up. And then eventually, the expensive paints sitting around unused began to bother me.  I began to look for a way to use them in a more controlled (so I thought) way. 
     At the same time I had been experimenting with covering cardboard hatboxes and bandboxes with wallpaper.  I have always liked those quirky boxes and have bought a few at auctions for pennies with an eye to collecting them.  They are not always available on the cheap though and I began to think about making them myself.  When in want, make it yourself, I always say.  Besides, I am not the world's neatest person and these containers could make a neat-nik out of me!  I bought some vintage wallpaper at a garage sale and started.  Whew,  what a lot of work!  Rather, it's not the work maybe, it's the precision needed that eluded me.  I gritted my teeth and practised.  I got books from the library.  Glue appeared on all my clothing.  I got more books.  One pictured faux-grained objects.  I was intrigued.  The only thing better than wallpaper covered boxes would be Amish boxes, right?  And I had plenty of paint!
     So I started, having the book open on the paint table.  I was sure it would be hard to do . . .but what's this,  the grain effects are all a trick of brush strokes.  Follow the directions and it happens right before your eyes and it's just like magic.  And my lopsided tendencies, my disorganization, are assets, since wood grain tends to be random. . .

       
     I even found a way to add the swallow-tails, out of cardboard, of course.  I used the wallpaper to line them with.

     A hundred boxes later,  I've sold a few, given many more away as gifts and still have a supply for my own use.  I'm still learning but I'm also still enjoying, which is perhaps more important.

Note the one wallpapered box here.

     Granted, all my projects have not been so successful but this one has bolstered my belief that one can make the things one desires, satisfy the need for creativity and express one's self  without a large expenditure of money, in fact, I'm not sure money is any indicator of what one can do.!