Creative Gene?

My daughters have a new etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/StephanieRoseCustom?ref=shop_sugg).  Skull Scarf
Most of my family are creative in one way or another.  I have a niece who is an amazing artist, another niece who makes amazing jewelry, a sister who knits and quilts, and so many others (if I list them all it will take forever and I’ll probably still forget someone).  More than this generation though, my great grandfather painted carriages.  He was so good he was one of the few people locally who did gold leafing on carriages.  My grandmothers were both very creative in the handcrafts. 

I read (skimmed really) an article that talked about fears being a genetic memory.  My question is for all the big scientists out there – can creativeness have a genetic component?  All of my daughters are good with color and composition.  My youngest daughter oozes with talent with her painting, sewing, crocheting.  My middle daughter crafts a dozens of ways – making amazing ornaments, wreaths, and so much more.  My oldest daughter draws beautifully and her counted cross stitch projects are incredible.  Obviously with my crafting skills and Beth’s crafting skills (family friend) they were raised with crafting days.  I just wonder if it is more than that. 
It also makes me wonder if work ethic / entrepreneurial endeavors are also genetic.  I have my editing business on the side, Vicki has her Simply Natural by Vicki products, and Stephanie and Virginia are working together to build Stephanie’s sewing / crafting business.  I know my father and grandfather had a gun selling business as well as my dad sold seed corn.  My grandparents ran a shoe store.  We descend from farmers mostly (but then who doesn’t really). 
The question becomes is this nurture?  Did I learn about working hard and trying different business because my parents worked hard and then I passed it down to my daughters?  Or is there a genetic component?  That might be interesting to find out. 

Think about it.  My great grandfather ran his business for painting carriages.  If it is genetic memory or a gene then has it been passed down in my family alone it has manifested in a variety of ways and there are tons of cousins and half cousins.  This is the great grandfather who had a dozen kids.  I wonder if talent can be traced back through the generations to an original talent? 
Nature or nurture for crafting and creativeness?  I don’t know but I do love crocheting and benefiting from my family’s creativeness as well.

Nature or nurture for crafting and creativeness?  I don’t know but I do love crocheting and benefiting from my family’s creativeness. 

Projects

I can’t believe it is almost the end of July.  The summer is flying by and I’ve only gotten about a quarter of what I wanted to done.  There are so many projects on my list right now including crocheting presents, sewing for my daughter, and writing.  Oh and let’s not forget that I still have to clean my office and get organized for school in the fall. 

This weekend we are doing prep for meals this week.  Vicki did the shopping yesterday so today we are going to work on getting things prepped for meals for the week.  She already made trail mix.  I need to start a bag of things to take to work.  She won’t be up for a few hours and then it will be full speed ahead with all the things on the list. 

One of the things I want to do is make a list of the gifts I want to make including to whom they are going and whether I have the yarn for the item or not.  Then I can start checking things off.  I also want to include on the list what projects I have yarn for.  This will hopefully keep me on track for getting things done.   

For my writing projects, I just need to get organized.  All of what I want to do is in my head and I just need to get it down on paper so I have a check list to get things checked off.  It helps keep me focused because too often I get off track as I’m doing one project something else will pull me away.  These forays into other topics and projects are fun but it prevents me from completing a task. 

One last project I have to deal with in the next month is prepping for classes in the fall.  I need to clear up the previous classes stuff and get ready for the new classes.  Lots to do, I need another me.

Lilacs

On one of the more warm days, I drove down Alicia’s road and smelled the ultimate in indicators for spring – Lilacs.  I don’t know what it is but until I get a whiff of the spring air heavily laden with lilacs I don’t feel like it is spring.  I love this flower and plant.  I have three in my yard and one is blossoming.  They are young and growing nicely – no thanks to me. 

Our spring has been a bit funky here in Wisconsin.  We’ve had hot like late summer hot and now we are cool with threats of snow / frost.  I think we are going to have an unusual year for weather.  However, spring has now sprung for me with the scent of lilacs lingering even in the cool spring air. 

I’ve been so busy this semester I’ve not had a lot of time to stop and smell the roses (or lilacs) and now that the semester is winding down I’m starting to look forward to my summer.  This summer I have a pile of books to read.  I want to get back to submitting a lot of my writing.  I also want to work on two manuscripts and see if I can get two others actually published.  My summer is filling up even before it has started.

The two girls in Georgia will probably be coming home this summer.  I am trying to figure out when to take off for their visit.  Of course we don’t have solid dates yet but I’m still looking forward to it.  I want to get Stephanie’s afghan done for her and if at the three quilts I’ve had in the works for a while.  After that for sewing I have a pile of material for Vicki.  She has a bunch of material she wants me to make into work clothes for her.  Along these lines I have the next afghan lined up (and waiting in the living room) as well as yarn for a number of gifts.  I also still have three fleece blankets to get done. 

The question becomes how much of this will get done during this summer?  Hopefully all of it but you never know.  I’m looking forward to taking my vacation time and enjoying my down time.  I’m aware it sounds like I won’t be getting down time but it is for me.

Busy Weekend – But Fun…

This weekend has been filled with all sorts of activities.  Today I didn’t accomplish all that I wanted to but I did get my kitchen curtains done.  I also made a curtain for the bathroom.  It is a cute café type curtain that is more for privacy. 
Yesterday I finished the curtains for the office.  They turned out really nice and I wish I’d bought more of that material.  I also have ideas for other curtains I want to make for the house.  Now it is just a matter of planning and budgeting for it. 
I also spent some time during both days crocheting.  I’ve been playing around with making jewelry.  I want to try incorporating real stones into my crocheted jewelry.  It will be interesting to see how it turns out.  I have a few medallions that I want to try adding to necklaces but I haven’t had time yet.  I’ve made one necklace and several bracelets.  They’ve turned out good.  I want to check out some different yarn (thread really) to see how it is to work with and then also the different types of items I can include in the item. 
I guess with school winding down I’m feeling energized and released from an over abundance of commitments.  I had more I wanted to get done but I didn’t get to my writing.  This will be a big one for me over the next few weeks.  I have a HUGE stack of places I could submit to.  I’ll be sorting those out.  Then I want to work on submission packages for it.  Also I need to get busy with setting up my electronic file for Kindle publishing.  I have one manuscript ready to go and another I need to work on. 
I’m sure once I get into the process of self-publishing I will find all sorts of things that aren’t ready but I need to get started.  Next weekend probably…

It feels really good to relax and enjoy my down time and to actually have down time.

Here are the new office curtains

Here are the new dining room / kitchen curtains

Here is the new half bath curtain