While creativity is discussed and valued in Western society, it seems as though it is the first thing to get pushed aside by our busy schedules. It’s not uncommon to hear about people who made music until they had children, people who painted until they got a full time job, or people who designed until they went back to school.

Sometimes, even in spaces that should encourage creativity, it is not given priority status. In the last few weeks, this was case at HeartFelt Fleece & Fiber. With the Wool Festival, ARToberFest, the Kentucky Artisan Center, and an open house to prepare for – and lots and lots of wool to wash, pick, card, and felt – it seemed as though there wasn’t much time for brainstorming, designing, and innovating. There wasn’t much time for creativity.

That’s changing this week, a week I’d marked on the shop’s calendar one month ago. We’ve named this week “Creativity Week,” and Mom and I are celebrating by allowing ourselves to create only things we’ve never made before. I’ve been working on new felted ornaments, jewelry, and wall hangings, and, before the week’s out, I’m hoping to try my hand at dyeing. Mom is creating a line of products using felted wool fabric.

To kick off Creativity Week, we had our first felted wall hanging class on Saturday, when community members recreated Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night with felt. It was so interesting to see how they interpreted a famous piece of art, how they brought it to life in a new medium.

Four days into Creativity Week, I love how exciting this week has been, how each day has brought new challenges to solve. I have sincerely enjoyed focusing on creativity for creativity’s sake. Because we’re having so much fun, I’d love to encourage you to make some time for creativity in your week. If you do, be sure to let us know what you create!

-Kristin