The Corita Art Center of Los Angeles ran an advertisement in FASTCOMPANY magazine earlier this year that quoted their namesake Corita Kent: “to create is to relate.”
When we create, we are relating to the materials with which we work. We have opportunities to relate to others when we share the objects of our creation. And we build relationships when we set aside time to create in family and friend groups – cooking, painting, making marzipan (yes, our book club did this last year), chore-doing, and more.
As the founder of NestingCards.com, I realized when reading this quote that the very creation of the NestingCards™ products and website was about relationship-building. Working with upbeat, community-minded artists created a new group with which to relate. Supporting multiple creative works from these artists is about relating to them and to those who purchase/share their works. Selling art-work creates new conversations and relationships with people I’ve known a long time, as well as with new people discovering the NestMakers’ work.
Sending notes through the mail is all about relationship. Creating a letter or nested letter packet is an act of extending thoughts to others, of communicating “I am thinking about you and care about you”, and of keeping connected through varied circumstances. Remember, and teach others, that “to receive mail, one must send mail.”
Thinking followed by conversation is a large part of my creative space. Crocheted projects, writing, and paper-made projects are weekly creative activities for me too. From time to time, DIY home and yard projects consume my creative energies. And, crafting with a group of three others on a quarterly basis is as much about our finished cards as it is about catching up, sharing stories, and laughing together. “To create is to relate!”
What have you created lately? With what or whom did your creativity relate?
Photo Note: Fall Unfurled by NestMaker Peg Owen’s is available at www.NestingCards.com
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. Also, enjoy browsing NestingCards.com for fun, for gifts, and for joy-spreading possibilities. ~ Jana
Jana Kemp
