This past Saturday afternoon, my mom and I toured the Showcase of New Homes in Green Bay, Wis. This event, put on twice a year by the Brown County Home Builders Association, is an opportunity for people to walk through beautiful houses and ooh and aah at both the architecture and the decorating. For the local builders, it's an opportunity to show off their best work.
My mom and I have been going to the showcase for years now — it's become a tradition. And while I've come to expect theater rooms, exercise rooms, and even the occasional wine cellar, I saw something for the first time this year . . . a craft room.
The room was still unfurnished, but it had a nice little "craft room" sign so that everyone would know what the space was for. It had easy-to-clean tile floors and a utility sink right in the room. And, just as importantly, it had big windows to let in plenty of sunshine. Taking in the clean, bright colors, it was easy to imagine how that room could inspire creativity. Once the showcase is over and the owners move in, I think there will be many productive afternoons and evenings spent there.
So often, it seems, hobbies have to be squeezed in between all the necessities of life. I know that's how it is for me. But it was also nice to see a room that said, "Necessary or not, this important to me, and I'm setting aside a space for my creativity."
Personally, I do my beading in the living room in front of the television (usually with a cat on my lap trying to eat the beads). One of the things I like about this hobby is that it can keep my hands busy while I watch a movie. How about you? Do you have a room set aside for beading? Or does your beading blend in with the rest of your life? Would you even want a separate space for crafts?