Love the bag! Nice job. Also, #7 made me remember advice from a college drawing instructor: “when you think you are done, work for 15 more minutes. That’s when the best things happen. “ It’s so true and I need to remind myself of that. I think it applies to many creative tasks.
The Mythical Messenger bag is perfection. I can’t believe your friends reacted so casually, unless you are in the habit of making perfect things. I give you credit for being so patient in making it. I wouldn’t have been. It looks professionally done, and now you have to share all the how tos.
Aww, Julie, thank you for the generous Babysitter inclusion. I know you aren't 👀ing for it, but your bag DOES look awesome (thank you for the photos for us visual-receiving types). And I love that you hid the patch at the end of the day, thus solving your "is it for me, or for me+others?" temp. quandary.
I feel you so much on not sharing nascent creative ideas. I typically don't even share inspirations much, especially while I'm pondering them and what I love about them and how that might apply to something I'm working on (meaning I haven't publicly reviewed quite a few of my VERY favorite picture books...a pretty major jerk move, but there it is). In fact, can one be TOO much of a hoarder with the things they are lucky enough to have learned/experienced? Because that might be me. Like, a week ago, I went to see the salmon use the elevator at our local lock and dam. It was amazing. I took videos of the fish that used, and didn't use, the elevator--the fish IN the elevator--and then some of the harbor seal that was evading the fisheries people and their rules to snack on some of the salmon to make it through. This is all to say, the whole thing was so interesting. And I took it for me, just to "Save" the experience for myself of seeing it, and then I thought, "I could share this." And then I was like, "wait, maybe I want to use this." Maybe I will! But likely...I won't. So it's hard. Because I don't want to not share (because I love when others share with me). But then, too, my blog is kind of navel-gaze-y maybe because I share my process, my end results, my thoughts (not story thoughts, but writing thoughts) but not my inspirations or "cool stuff I recently learned"--which is a big part of me. And it's okay to not share, but also a little sad because my first instinct is, truly, not to share anything. Which is not great--way worse than being prone to "sharing too much." So I may be working on the opposite of you--I don't trust the average person, really, at all. So trusting the kidlit community (not with stories and story ideas! those are for me! but with some of my "I can't imagine this will actually go into a story, but might spark something for someone else") type inspiration might be good "personal development" for me. 😂 Sigh. We'll see.
I go to see David Sedaris in November, and maybe I'll ask him about that. He shares (select) diary entries--and I wonder how he decides which of those "story ingredients" to share as-is, vs. saving for "using" in a bigger piece.
That is one awesome bag ... love the colors and the floral interior. that would make me smile every time I lift the flap. And the story of the journey is pretty durned inspirational in itself!
Um, that is an amazing bag! I love it and am SUPER impressed.
I nodded my head through this entire thing. I’ve been working on something this past year and have felt tempted to post process online... but the longer I keep it to myself, the more magical it feels. It’s really nice to create in silence/boredom/analog.
I love your bag! I often am in the make it myself, if I can’t find what I want in the real world- or I feel it is too expensive! But I certainly don’t plan as you do! Which is probably, directly related to the fact that your bag looks like you bought it, and most of what I make, looks like I made it! Also, love your list of 8 things you posted on creativity on the internet. Definitely a nice mood booster.
Great read, great bag, awesome messages. If you can't find a bag that fits your needs make your own. Not everyone will be able to take on that project on their own. Bravo! I loved your 1 to 8 bullet points. They resonated with me BIG time. Thanks for sharing when it was time to share. I've been on that path now for a year and it makes me happy to not share everything to just please an algorithm. ❤️
Love the bag! Nice job. Also, #7 made me remember advice from a college drawing instructor: “when you think you are done, work for 15 more minutes. That’s when the best things happen. “ It’s so true and I need to remind myself of that. I think it applies to many creative tasks.
Thanks, Julie....it's on my "to-do" list for sure!
LOL! This is not what I would call an upbeat theme song, but you do you, friend!
The Mythical Messenger bag is perfection. I can’t believe your friends reacted so casually, unless you are in the habit of making perfect things. I give you credit for being so patient in making it. I wouldn’t have been. It looks professionally done, and now you have to share all the how tos.
The stars have aligned....was just browsing and happened on your very interesting site...with the great bag....been looking for one like that! Thanks.
Aww, Julie, thank you for the generous Babysitter inclusion. I know you aren't 👀ing for it, but your bag DOES look awesome (thank you for the photos for us visual-receiving types). And I love that you hid the patch at the end of the day, thus solving your "is it for me, or for me+others?" temp. quandary.
I feel you so much on not sharing nascent creative ideas. I typically don't even share inspirations much, especially while I'm pondering them and what I love about them and how that might apply to something I'm working on (meaning I haven't publicly reviewed quite a few of my VERY favorite picture books...a pretty major jerk move, but there it is). In fact, can one be TOO much of a hoarder with the things they are lucky enough to have learned/experienced? Because that might be me. Like, a week ago, I went to see the salmon use the elevator at our local lock and dam. It was amazing. I took videos of the fish that used, and didn't use, the elevator--the fish IN the elevator--and then some of the harbor seal that was evading the fisheries people and their rules to snack on some of the salmon to make it through. This is all to say, the whole thing was so interesting. And I took it for me, just to "Save" the experience for myself of seeing it, and then I thought, "I could share this." And then I was like, "wait, maybe I want to use this." Maybe I will! But likely...I won't. So it's hard. Because I don't want to not share (because I love when others share with me). But then, too, my blog is kind of navel-gaze-y maybe because I share my process, my end results, my thoughts (not story thoughts, but writing thoughts) but not my inspirations or "cool stuff I recently learned"--which is a big part of me. And it's okay to not share, but also a little sad because my first instinct is, truly, not to share anything. Which is not great--way worse than being prone to "sharing too much." So I may be working on the opposite of you--I don't trust the average person, really, at all. So trusting the kidlit community (not with stories and story ideas! those are for me! but with some of my "I can't imagine this will actually go into a story, but might spark something for someone else") type inspiration might be good "personal development" for me. 😂 Sigh. We'll see.
I go to see David Sedaris in November, and maybe I'll ask him about that. He shares (select) diary entries--and I wonder how he decides which of those "story ingredients" to share as-is, vs. saving for "using" in a bigger piece.
I loved this from beginning to end, Julie.
Also, prob something wrong with me that I IMMEDIATELY put American Murderer on hold at the library 😂
Thank you for the share!
That is one awesome bag ... love the colors and the floral interior. that would make me smile every time I lift the flap. And the story of the journey is pretty durned inspirational in itself!
Julie- I loved this article. It made my day. Thank you for your beautiful writing, your beautiful energy, and your beautiful bag-making-process. Mwah!
Um, that is an amazing bag! I love it and am SUPER impressed.
I nodded my head through this entire thing. I’ve been working on something this past year and have felt tempted to post process online... but the longer I keep it to myself, the more magical it feels. It’s really nice to create in silence/boredom/analog.
I love your bag! I often am in the make it myself, if I can’t find what I want in the real world- or I feel it is too expensive! But I certainly don’t plan as you do! Which is probably, directly related to the fact that your bag looks like you bought it, and most of what I make, looks like I made it! Also, love your list of 8 things you posted on creativity on the internet. Definitely a nice mood booster.
Great read, great bag, awesome messages. If you can't find a bag that fits your needs make your own. Not everyone will be able to take on that project on their own. Bravo! I loved your 1 to 8 bullet points. They resonated with me BIG time. Thanks for sharing when it was time to share. I've been on that path now for a year and it makes me happy to not share everything to just please an algorithm. ❤️