The previous week, Zoë had a huge meltdown. It was gymnastic’s day, and ever since we enrolled her in the class to keep her preoccupied during her school break, the tantrums have been crazier. It was a battle between dealing with the arguing and endless crying, or give in and let her have her way. I did what every sane mother would do; chose the easiest way out and stayed home, of course.
When staying home with a high-energy girl, I always have to be prepared with activities to keep her busy. My go-to, full-proof diversion to keep her happy and engaged? Setting up an Invitation to Create!
I am a self-confessed creative and an artist. I enjoy making and creating. But oftentimes I don’t get to touch my art supplies for days, sometimes even weeks. It’s always the excuse of being too busy, or getting caught in the whirlwind world of motherhood. There are always meals to cook, piles of laundry to do, a huge mess to clean up, or a class to drive the little girl to. Every day, there is always some reason not to make, and I wanted to change that.
It’s a celebration of process that encourages everyone to participate in 100 days of making. The great surrender is the process; showing up day after day is the goal. For the 100-Day Project, it’s not about fetishizing finished products—it’s about the process.
She further explains:
It is for anyone who is hungry to jump-start their creative practice, who is curious about being part of a community that celebrates process, and those who are busy with work and family commitments, but searching for a bite-sized way to play creatively.
She had me at “celebrating the process of creating.”
Having a four-year-old who refuses to take afternoon naps, means constantly finding ways to keep her busy. All the whining and restlessness starts when she gets bored, so I make sure to always have some easy craft activities for her to do.
This Cotton Ball Lamb idea actually came to mind one afternoon last year, after I found Zoë emptying out an entire pack of cotton balls onto the floor. Instead of trashing them in the bin, we decided to use them for some fun crafting.
Are you still racking your brains, thinking of what to get for your mom or grandma this year? Do you need a last minute present that won’t cost you a cent? Or maybe you are a mom yourself and you just need a little encouragement and a nice pick-me-upper? Well, I’ve got you covered!
To celebrate all the moms and women out there, I’ve made this printable art free for download.
How do you deal with a holiday hangover after all the Christmas festivities? You spend one Saturday in January teaching fun and unique ways to document your holiday memories, of course! That’s exactly how I spent one morning back in January.
In collaboration with Craft Party PH and Life Documented Manila, I taught my first ever workshop since moving back to Manila. It was a morning filled with lots of pretty paper, stamps, embellishments, family photos, stories, and women eager to tell and keep their Christmas memories creatively.
