I started loving arts and crafts when I was a university student. I belonged to a college they called,
College of Home Economics in a state university in my country. My major being Family Life and Child Development gave me a wholistic touch of almost everything: Food and Nutrition, Clothing Technology, Child Development, Psycholoy and Special Education, Parent Education, Home Management, Art Education and Reading Education among others. On my last year in the university, we were expected to use and incorporate all of the skills we learned from all the previous classes we have taken.
My first job as soon as I graduated was that of a kindergarten teacher. I was dreaming of putting up my own school, but it never happened. A few of my classmates have their own schools and so far their schools are successful. But priorities change as we age and even if I will have a chance, I will never try to put up my own school. Working with very young children is not an easy vocation. It is a profession that entails more than your eight hour daily work load. It is beyond that! As a new graduate then, I was being totally ideal and a sucker for great dreams!
I still dream, but that of illustrating for children's books; maybe that can happen. Who knows? I love cutting and drawing. I never stop loving and collecting colour pencils. There is something about coloured pencils. I have this great fondness for scissors, too. The same way I love to collect hello kitty stuff. I am still using a hello kitty diary. I even recycle them because I fancy them so much. I am using my 2010 hello kitty diary at the moment, it is already 2014! I write on the pages I didn't write on last 2010. That's recycling!
RECYCLING! We were encouraged and taught to make crafts from nothing. During my university days, there were not so many resources like what we have now. We had to think of toys and educational materials for the early childhood learners and utilize scraps from the conventional stuff we can find at home or in the garbage bin. We then transform them into unconventional toys that make for a very good interactive gadget for the children under 5 years of age. They could be boxes big or small, plastic and glass bottles, wooden scraps, cloth, food containers, plastic bags and paper bags, even toilet paper rolls. Many great kindergarten teachers are still doing that now. I admire those teachers, those who are very creative and innovative and not so much dependent on computer initiated activities.
Several years ago, I worked in Japan as a kindergarten teacher. The Japanese are very resourceful and creative people, hence, I rekindled my love for crafts again. It became my stress reliever that even during my breaks I still make crafts. I made crafts in the form of postcards and cards which I sent to my close friends. I still believe in snail mails and I am more delighted when I have that personal touch on the cards I send to my family or friends. Among those I frequently sent cards to, was my husband now and of course my mother. I literally sent my husband postcards weekly. He has kept them. I sometimes look at them and I laugh realizing how in love someone can be.
Here are the cards I have made recently. I wish I have more time. But I found out that if I sleep early and wake up earlier to have my own SPACE, I can be more productive. I have a little boy, my firstborn son. He is a toddler, 1 year and 5 months old. He is my only student at home and he takes me to gym classes everyday, figuratively! He keeps me on the go. He makes me think of more stuff that I can create for children his age.
My son inspires me to create these cards, my husband receives most of these cards. What kind of mother and wife that makes me? so much in love with my family, maybe!
