Come Open, Leave Full
By Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield
Back in January I gathered with three great friends for a craft party. Let me tell you… we had a blast! We bought paper mache letters, cut off the top with exacto knives, filled the bottom portion of the letter with silk flowers and wrapped the top with fabric. Before we gathered, we tossed around a few ideas and selected a final “love this” project. Everyone brought a few supplies and worked together as a group. Boom! That was our craft party. I left our craft party inspired, excited about our new letters and flower sets and best of all, I was grateful that I could gather with other creatives and build relationships with my friends.
Here are my three takeaways from our craft party:
1. Come with an open mind
Even though we all voted on a craft and knew what the final project would look like, we all had different ideas on the best way to make the project. It probably sounds like that could be chaotic but we ended up collaborating and listening to each others ideas. Everything doesn’t have to be worked out before you arrive. It’s great to have a plan before gathering but leaning in, listening in and being flexible when you arrive will take your project and your relationships even further down the road of creativity.
2. Come with open hands
While each of us brought tools, we shared our tools and supplies. It was a win for everyone. We chose to work on a group project so we assigned a task for person. When one person’s task was complete, they helped out a friend who was still crafting away. Even if you plan to complete individual projects instead of a group one, your willingness to help a friend or share your supplies is a win for you and your friends.
3. Come with an open heart
As with all that is great, it’s not always about the destination but the journey. Gathering to craft with friends is about making something beautiful with your hands and cultivating beauty in your heart. You have an opportunity to know your friend in a new way and to make a deposit into your friendship. For one evening, you forget about all the checklists and things to do and simply savor time with friends. So while this was my first craft party but it certainly won’t be my last. I’m all in for crafting and best of all, gathering and creating with my friends.