Frivolous into Fruitful: Me Made May

I started my little Me Made May journey just about a month ago. All I had in mind at first was a fun instagram challenge, where I'd wear something I'd made (whether it be cross stitched or sewn or knit) each day of the month.

But this initially frivolous exercise did a number of great things over the course of the month.

• I realized how I've been building my sewing skills since last year
  There were dresses from 2015 and ones from earlier, and I could certainly see my progress!
  
• I was pushed to get a bit creative with photography
   I used the apps Fused, Aviary, Rookie, and Insta Picframes
  
• I streamlined my wardrobe
  Digging through my knits drawer (well, bins upon bins!), I came across several that just didn't work for me anymore, so I gave away and donated those
  
• I embraced a body positive attitude
  Having the camera so often pointed at my face and body forced me to reflect on my own shape and size; there was more than one photo that I thought I shouldn't include because I was embarrassed, but I did anyway and feel stronger for it
  
• Ideas surrounding happiness, motivation, power, and control have now entered my thought process when I make
  If someone asked me why I make things before this exercise, I would likely have had only simple responses and amorphous ideas connected to "it's fun!". Now I can respond confidently that my making allows me to express myself visually, provides me a healthy mental challenge, feelings of fulfillment and joy, and an outlet for all my creative energy

The sustained focus on what I have and what I can do has ignited a fire in my belly to refine and make better. So even something that may appear light and silly on the surface can be an opportunity for growth and inspiration.

Recently A Playful Day wrote a fantastic post about creative identity, which in no small part encouraged me to write this post. If this sort of thoughtful reflection sounds attractive, you can indulge yourself along with the community over on her blog, her podcast, and on FB and twitter with the hashtag #creative_identity.