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When I was younger I spent much of my time writing, drawing and enjoying a variety of craft activities, but as the years passed and I became a mum there was less time to spend on such pursuits. I took every opportunity to do craft activities with the children, but these were geared to their enjoyment and their level of ability.

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Now that I’m older and my children have left home I’m beginning to be a little more self-indulgent. I never regretted or resented for a moment giving up certain things for my children, but now the time has come for me to live a little more for myself, and among other things, that includes re-kindling my creative side.

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Looking through my old yellowing art books and scribblings has drawn me back into my love of sketching and writing and I'm only now finding the courage to share my work with others. It turns out I'm not too bad at it! Who knew?
But you don’t have to have artistic talent to enjoy creating. It’s not about perfection or pleasing others. Creative pursuits should be aimed at pleasing yourself. It can be completely satisfying to write pages of nonsense, slap paint randomly onto a canvas, to knit, sew or glue. It’s not the end result that’s important, but the enjoyment of the process; immersing yourself in something so completely that every-day responsibilities are temporarily forgotten.

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However, if you want to pursue a craft or a creative activity more seriously, there are steps that can be taken. There are craft groups and classes where we can learn and share ideas. Art lessons can teach us a variety of techniques and art societies give us an opportunity to mix and mingle with other artists. As a writer I attend a writing group where, among like-minded people I can learn, share and improve my confidence in a non-judgmental environment.

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So don’t let your self-consciousness prevent you from pursuing something you love. It doesn’t matter if you have artistic ability or not. Be proud of the fact that you are nurturing your creative side regardless of the end result.
# Me Time
# Passion
# Creative
# Creativity
# Enjoyment
# Fulfillment