For many of us, it was our mothers (or a mother-like figure) who were the first ones to nurture our creativity. Whether it was the act of buying us our first 64 pack of Crayolas, teaching us to sew, or simply encouraging us to color outside the lines, metaphorically or otherwise. Spoonflower employees took the time to share a few words about how their mothers have instilled an artistic spirit in them over the years. Warning: extremely warm fuzzies may occur.
What has my mom, Dottie, taught me about creativity over the years? Everything. As soon as I could hold a crayon she encouraged me to draw, even if that meant all over the walls. I grew up surrounded by her beautiful quilts, and as soon as I was old enough she taught me how to sew just like her. I honestly don’t remember the first time I sewed, I was so young. But, I remember my mom helping me sew little quilts for my dolls’ beds, star and moon pillows to match the theme of my bedroom, and eventually she helped me sew quilts for college because I was ambitious and wanted a different quilt for my dorm room every year. My mom has also taught me that’s it’s perfectly okay to be a Trekkie, just like her, and that is a special form of creativity in itself. Because of my mom, I have a solid foundation of sewing skills to guide me through any craft adventure I embark on. I am truly grateful for the skills and talent she passed on to me and I hope to pass them on to my child someday!”
-Robin, Senior Graphic Designer
My sweet Mom taught me about creativity by sharing her own. She has a brand of love and creativity that just seeps into every aspect of her life. When I go home, I can look up at the mural on the ceiling of my childhood bedroom that she painted by hand. Growing up was full of birthday parties with hand drawn paper dolls and curated dress-up trunks. She recently took a painting class twice a week after full days of work just to pursue a passion. Whether it is food, home, gifts, or ideas, there is no one I go to for ideas and inspiration before my mom.
Above is a picture of her, shining next to me at my senior design show in school. Her generosity and support has cultivated a lifetime of creativity for me.
-Alexandra, Operations Staff Member
One phrase that will always stick with me that my mom said when I was growing up ( and still says today) is “Hunger is the best sauce.” While she’s given me great advice over the years about academics, career choices and other major life events, this momism is one that will always stick! I’ve found myself sharing this quote on a regular basis, and every time I say it, I envision my mom repeating it as her three kids eagerly ask when dinner will be ready. My creativity in the kitchen and her quirky sayings have inspired me along the years to grow my love of hosting, event planning and good ol’ home cooking!
– Meredith, Customer Service Advocate and Greenhouse Coordinator
My
mother dropped out of Cooper Union to have me at the age of 19- she had a scholarship to study sculpting but swears that I was worth the sacrifice. She became a single
mother of two children by the time she was 25 and as soon as we moved into our tiny little railroad apartment, she set up an easel in the corner of her living room/bedroom where I would see paintings evolve from
day to
day. On the other side of the room she had a sewing machine set up where she would create costumes for us come Halloween and sew some of our clothes. At night she would sometimes play her guitar while she sang to us and her sweet voice and sad folk songs would make my tough little brother cry. On weekends we would visit the Met and walk through the galleries with an uncharacteristically quiet respect. She enrolled me in flamenco and ballet dance classes when I was five years old at a little studio down the street from where we lived. We went without on so many levels, but my
mother brought culture and the arts into our family regardless of our limitations. I went on to major in dance and theater in college and there was never any mention of whether or not it was a sustainable choice. I work so hard to bring creativity to my own children’s lives, but I admit that it is far more accessible for us than it was for my
mother.
PS- I am pretty sure that the top she is wearing in the photo is something she sewed.
-Kara, Customer Service Advocate
My mom has always taught me to embrace my creativity, and she leads by example!I am so lucky to come from a family full of artists, designers and craftsmen and some of those creative juices have definitely rubbed off. My mom has taught me to sew, make jewelry, paint and craft in every way possible. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my mom, specifically, is that creativity is a gift. It is a gift – as in a talent which should be fully embraced! It is also a talent that can quite literally create some of the most meaningful gifts possible with a little thought and elbow grease. I absolutely love giving! Birthdays, Christmas, any given holilday, my mom has taught me not to show up without a pile of handmade treasures! While shopping for others is fun, there is nothing better than the reaction I get after saying “I made it!” People truly appreciate your time and effort and that is something I will always remember. This year, in fact, my mom is getting a handmade bracelet for mothers day!
-Sara Englehart, Product Development Associate
Where did I learn to create a delicious meal for two out of [insert a disparate mix of 5 non-perishable and/or expired food items sitting in my pantry plus 2 standard condiments from the fridge door] in under 30 minutes? My mom taught me to work with what I’ve got. To do the *best* with what I’ve got. To birth explosions of creativity with constrained conditions and unreasonable limitations. All I know is that it certainly comes in handy when I’m hungry, and for that, I can’t thank her enough.
-Jenny Schnaak, Senior Media & Content Associate
My MommaBear was the person who brought sewing into my life. Growing up she made her own clothes and was always excited to help my sister and I on whatever weird little projects came into our brains. She showed me all of the sewing basics, helped us make Halloween costumes, helped me make my first projects using patterns (and usually finished them for me when baby Paula got bored or frustrated), and has always been incredibly supportive of whatever creative endeavor or seemingly impossible sewing project I pick up next. Her most important sewing tip: Don’t sew through your finger.
Not to mention she’s had to put up with my photobombing longer than anyone else! Love ya momma!
-Paula (Managing Supervisor of Operations)
Every ounce of creativity in me comes from my mother. She always encouraged my wacky, creative impulses growing up, and that meant letting me go to school everyday with sharpie colored into my hair and magic marker illustrations all over my jeans. She taught me that art didn’t have to be a project you do for school once a week, but actually a way to live life. Through my mother’s eyes, I learned to see beauty in everyday objects. The most memorable example is when I worked at a coffee shop as a teenager, and she showed me how the beautifully colored coffee bags could be taken apart, lined with fabric and made into purses. We used to collect the empty bags and sew them up to be sold at school to all my classmates (she taught me some valuable lessons about capitalism as well!). Mom always encouraged me to take something plain and improve it, putting my own “stamp” on everything I wore or created. For my high school prom, together we attached interfacing to the back of a New York Times issue and sewed it into my gown so that I could achieve “my vision.” One of 8 kids, she sewed all of her own clothes growing up–from bathing suits to winter coats, and she taught me (despite my impatient rolling eyes at times) how to sew on her Kenmore machine which I now own today. She always made sure I had the artistic opportunities she was never afforded growing up, putting me in endless art camps and helping me prepare portfolios of my work. I only hope to pass on half of the lessons she taught me someday to a daughter of my own. Thank you for everything, mom!
-Theresa, Sr. Marketing Associate, Social Media + Content
What has your mother taught you about creativity? Share with us in the comments!
Great stories – I love how different they all are, and it’s so nice to see real-life examples of creative people, people who aren’t “perfect in every way” by media standards. It makes me appreciate my family and my mom more as your stories reminded me of our own funny stories of creativity – thank you!
My mom was always letting us do crafts – anything and everything from singeing patterns into leaves on the barbecue grill to blowing watercolor drops around paper plates with straws (once I passed out from too much enthusiastic blowing!!) She let us experiment and gave us permission to fail – which is the only way to learn new ways of doing things – and taught us that failure wasn’t the end of the process – there was always something else to try. She wrote and illustrated (with stick figures) tiny books for us about our lives – such as “The girl who wanted oatmeal for breakfast every morning”. Nothing had to be perfect or polished, and that gave us incredible freedom to experiment.