Make a Mess
notes from A Lively Hope
My husband and I walk together (almost) every evening. It’s a time to talk and reconnect, uninterrupted, and it’s one of my favorite daily rituals.
While we were walking and talking recently I was telling him about a huge mess the kids had made that day in the throes of a creative project I can’t even remember now. I said, “I have a pretty high tolerance for creative messes, but this was beyond even that.”
I’ve been thinking about that phrase since. A high tolerance for creative messes. We are a family of creative people. We’ve each got any number of overlapping creative projects going at once. For example, I’m currently taking a breather from restocking embroidery kits for my shop and my two younger kids (ages 8 and 11) are upstairs creating a grocery store out of cardboard to use for their stuffies. I peeked my head into the room they’re in and it’s adorable. They’ve gathered supplies from the recycling bin and have made grocery store shelves and a refrigerator section and even tiny grocery baskets. That room is also absolutely covered in cardboard pieces, hot glue and who knows what else.
They’ll be required to clean up the mess before they move onto their next endeavors, of course (and I try to hold myself to that rule as well). But the actual making of the mess without stressing about the clean-up phase is a gift I like to give them, and myself, and the other members of our family.
I love a tidy home, and work hard to bring things back to a comfortable, clean baseline each evening. But I firmly believe freedom to explore, play and make a mess is integral to creativity, not just for our children but for ourselves as well.
Here’s your nudge to make a little bit of a mess this weekend!
On YouTube:
READING
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
This sweet coming of age story kept me company while I sewed last weekend. It was an absolute delight, despite the sad bits (and they are very sad: death of parents, etc.). Gary D. Schmidt is always a hit for me and this book may now be at the top of my list of favorites.
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Delightfully surprised by her writing style. Some problematic/outdated ideas and content due to the time and place (colonization, hunting elephants, etc). I do wish more emphasis had been placed on her flying career vs horse racing, but still loved the book overall.
IN THE SHOP
I’m in the process of restocking this Felt Autumn Leaves kit. Should I set aside one for you?
Here’s to making the time for the things we love to do!
Heidi