What creating something with my own hands taught me

I have been drawing and creating since I was very young. Although later in my studies I learned how to use different graphic design programs, creating by hand has always remained very important to me. But when I was a child, I couldn't really explain what it meant to me, but over the years I gradually started to understand why creating something with our own hands feels so meaningful.

It slows me down. I believe that in today's fast-paced world, one of the greatest benefits of creating by hand is that there is no need to rush. We can spend as much time as we want on a drawing, a canvas, or a piece of fabric. We can switch off our minds and get lost in the joy of creating and it also helps us disconnect from screens. A number one value these days.

Another thing that is very important to me is that it teaches patience. I am naturally a very patient person when it comes to other people, but I am much less patient with myself. Creating reminds me every single time that I don't need to hurry and that everything will come together in its own time.

At the same time, there is something very important about the fact that you can't undo everything with the click of a button. There is no Ctrl + Z. There is no delete button when we feel like we've made a mistake. And sometimes, we may have to start over.

But it also reminds me that things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Handmade things are never perfect, and that's exactly what makes them beautiful. That's what makes them unique. That's what makes them ours. This is probably what I love most about coloring pages. Every person brings something different to them. Their own style. Their own story. For me, those are very happy moments when I see a colored  page created by someone.

It also gives me proof that ideas become real. Have you ever thought about it this way before?

Me neither. It only came to my mind as I started writing this blog. Everything starts with one small idea, and it's true for a handmade piece just as much as it is for many other things in life. A drawing, a fully colored page, a new business. They all start the same way: as a tiny seed of an idea. And with that creating has also taught me that small steps add up along the way.

Creating with my own hands also helps me hear my own thoughts because I am simply present in the moment. It helps me reconnect with myself and reminds me that joy can be very simple. It can be drawing something. It can be spotting a flower during a walk. Or drinking a cup of hot tea when it's cold outside.

When was the last time you created something with your own hands?

With love,
Monika
🦋