When One project Is Never Enough

Some people discover something they love and spend years mastering it.

I admire those people. That's not me.

My creativity tends to begin with two dangerous little words: What if?

I’ll see something that catches my attention—a color combination, an interesting shape, a beautiful piece of fabric, an unusual charm, or perhaps a material I’ve never worked with before—and immediately my mind begins asking, “What if?” or, "I can make that!"

What if I combined it with something unexpected? What if I added beads, gemstones, ribbon, resin, or, quite possibly, hot glue? Hot glue was my first Love. I have made costumes out of hot glue because I was terrible with a sewing machine. LOL

Before I know it, I’m off on another creative tangent and I've added yet another drawer or cabinet full of components for that project.

That is how a person ends up with polymer clay, air-dry clay, and a pottery wheel that is still patiently waiting to be opened. It explains the unopened wood engraver and heat-transfer machine. It also explains why my office redesign somehow still didn’t create enough room. I love Ikea; however, there furniture COULD be a little deeper. :>/

Then there is the ceramic-like resin casting powder I love, accompanied by shelves and drawers filled with molds. So.Many.Molds. Naturally, those molds require paints, paint pens, sealers, brushes, pigments, and all the other supplies that quietly move in with a new craft.

There is UV resin and its collection of molds and tools. Clear UV resin was the start, then they started making colored UV resin and then some with glitter! Yes, I have them all.

Beads and jewelry-making supplies seem to multiply when left alone. Ribbon requires its own substantial territory. Even sewing—which isn’t my favorite creative outlet—has claimed a small but necessary space in front of a door I haven't been able to use in years.

And hot glue? Hot glue is everywhere. Do you know they have colored hot glue now too? ;>)

That doesn’t even begin to include the essential oils, herbs, waxes, butters, fragrance oils, candle supplies, balm ingredients, bottles, tins, jars, and containers that belong to the aromatherapy side of Moonlit Botanica.

My ADHD brain doesn’t seem particularly interested in choosing just one medium and remaining there. It is interested in possibilities. A new material isn’t simply a new material—it is an experiment.

Of course, making the things and selling the things are two entirely different creative challenges.

In an ideal world, I would sell enough of my creations to support my habit of buying supplies for the next round of ideas. I’m not necessarily asking my creativity to make me rich. At this point, I’d be delighted if it would simply become self-supporting. My credit card and bank account have the same wishes.

But perhaps the wandering itself is part of what I love.

Each idea teaches me something different. One allows me to work with scent, another with color, another with texture or symbolism. Sometimes the experiment becomes a product. Sometimes it becomes a lesson. So many lessons.... Occasionally, it becomes an unopened machine waiting for its moment. I've asked about building a workshop in the backyard, but then I think ... why? ... so you can buy more stuff? Let's try not to do that, that will make it much too easy.

Moonlit Botanica may never fit neatly into a single creative category—and I’m beginning to think that is exactly as it should be. It is not just a collection of things I make.

It is a record of every time inspiration whispered, “What if?”—and I was curious enough to find out. - messy me