My son is old enough now to produce some art–on paper, on our walls, and anywhere else he thinks he can get away with it. It’s mostly just scribbling at this point, but recently I bought him a crayon carousel and we’ve been coloring and drawing a lot. We also play with a Doodlepad, and he just took an art class at Gymboree where we got all dirty with orange paint. And then it hit me–somewhere along the way, I totally forgot how much I liked doing that sort of thing. Working with crayons and paints, sewing, cross-stitching, scrapbooking. I don’t have any time for arts and crafts. Life just keeps getting in the way.

Before the baby was born, I took a painting class and was in the middle of producing an acrylic representation of me and my sister as children when the class ended. Then I got a job downtown and ended up never taking another class, so there’s a partially finished canvas somewhere in my basement. I have always loved to draw, although I never produced anything more sophisticated than doodles (which, as it turns out, is fine when you’re playing with Doodlepads). I have a whole drawerful of scrapbooking supplies, but I also have two scrapbooks from three years ago that were never (and may never be) finished. I have a bag of sewing and stitching supplies, along with an unfinished cross-stitch quilt I was making for my son before he was born. I have essential oils and soap molds I used to make soap I haven’t used yet. I know, my follow-through leaves something to be desired. Once, I even created a detailed Etch-A-Sketch scene with two guys playing poker in a bar while sitting on crates labeled “U.S.A.”, but couldn’t figure out how to keep it.

All these things I enjoyed doing have fallen by the wayside thanks to motherhood. I certainly can’t take up a needle while I have a young child at my side. I’ve mostly been reading instead, and occasionally watching cable movies. I do a little writing here and there, but what about my other creative outlets? So today I’ve decided I’ve got to get back to it. I don’t have any illusions that I’m going to begin tonight or even tomorrow–I need too much sleep, and I think I’ve put most of my sewing supplies into storage. But I am going to think of something creative I can do. Maybe take a cooking class? In my copious spare time, of course. My husband keeps telling me I have natural artistic talent–shouldn’t I try to use it? Maybe I should get some sheet music and just learn a new song on the piano. Just a small thing like that would make me feel like I was me, and not just another “mom.”

In any case, if any of you have any ideas of a small project I can do, let me know.