Step Right Up!!!

Sideshow -noun 1. a minor show or exhibition in connection with a principal one, as at a circus As I have well established in my other blog posts and on Facebook, my identity as an artistic, creative person has diminished to a faint image in my head. Much like those photos that people use to try and prove the existence of supernatural phenomena. I used to be a yearbook editor in high school and college, and although I took digital design and art classes since, I never pursued a career in artistic creativity...unless you count all the many ways I could pull off sarcastic comments to my restaurant guests without them realizing I was actually BEING sarcastic, because that does require creativity. But I digress. Flash forward many years...I am a mom of 2 gorgeous girls, ages 4 and 16 months. My life IS a circus. I am the Ringmaster. At any given moment, I may be taming a lion, holding a ring of fire, and overseeing the acrobats...hoping they don't fall. At times I am the clown, desperate for a laugh and attempting self deprecating humor to get it. I am the plate-spinner, not having an exit strategy if one of the plates should fall. I am the woman standing at the wall waiting for the knives to be thrown at her. I am also the sideshow act. Contrary to how I have felt for the past 5 years, during which time I have shared my body with another human being, be it pregnancy or nursing, I do not also share my brain with them. It has always been and always will remain my own. This is a hard concept to remember most of the time and I usually just give up trying to use it because my attempt is usually thwarted anyway. But during these years, I have managed to keep my sanity with creative outlets. Photo books, Project Life, gifts, altered cigar boxes, jewelry, etc. This is my Sideshow. I am the Bearded Lady. I am the Alligator Man. I am the Mermaid Girl. I am the Creative Mom. Step right up, folks, and YOU can witness the AMAZING feat of a Mother BUSTING out of her creative FUNK and embracing her artful side!! (Disclaimer: I am not attempting to promote myself, I'm just a creative beginner in the crafty-mom world. It isn't a huge feat, mothers have been doing it for years. But I think that ANY mother who also takes time to have a creative outlet should be celebrated. CHEERS!!)