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For as far back as I can remember there have been two things I have loved to do. One is reading books and the other is making things.
I have always taken great pleasure in getting lost in a good book! I can still remember the night I finished reading Charlotte's Web under my covers, well after my lights-out hour. I was nine years old and in the fourth grade. It was late spring and it had been raining. Just hearing the name of the book reminds me of the spring sounds I heard outside that night, the way the damp night smelled, the shadows created by an under-cover flashlight in the dark room, and the overwhelming emotion the story drew from me. I couldn't let go of that story. I didn't want it to ever end. I wanted more of it. Books have always inspired me and I expressed that in my own personal way. I made my own pig and spider out of wooden thread spools. Someone else might have drawn a picture or written a poem, but I wanted to create the characters in my own unique and personal style. That was my way of creatively expressing all the feelings and emotions that story brought out in me.
People are often surprised to hear that I am not a talented artist. I can't draw at all and my designs frequently look better when done by others. What I have to offer are good ideas. My projects can be done by almost anyone—no artistic talents required. I remember an assignment I did in the third grade. We were doing a bulletin board of "tall tales" and I had to make Paul Bunyan as a baby. I made a cradle from cut paper shapes with a circle head peeking out. It was a simple, but charming design. Lots of kids in my class liked the idea so much they made one, too. My friend Linda was a wonderful artist. She made a baby in a cradle, copying my design idea, except she drew a beautiful face on the baby. The project was so good it was chosen to be displayed in an art show at the teacher's college where my grade school was located. I remember feeling great disappointment at the lack of recognition for my part in the design. My brand of talent was much harder to recognize.
I have always loved to make things. Even though I was not the best artist in my class I did it anyway.. In today's competitive environment I think children are often discouraged from doing some of the things they are attracted to because they do not display an immediate and obvious gift for it. There is so much happiness to be found in doing what you love and you can never begin to imagine where it might lead you. It is interesting to note that I am also not much of a singer and I can't read music. However, I love to sing and have written several children's songs that have been recorded
When people ask me where I get my ideas I laugh and tell them the "craft fairy" leaves them in a basket at my door on Tuesdays. That, of course, is not really true. I work by making a list of the items I want my book to contain. For example, if I am writing a book of insect crafts (and I am doing just that!), I will make a list of the insects I want to include in my book along with what I know about each insect. I know that female mosquitoes bite, so I want to make a mosquito craft that does that. Some days, I wake up with an idea or two for a craft from my list. Some days I don't have any ideas. Sometimes the ideas work when I try to execute them—and sometimes they do not. If the craft doesn't feel right to me, I set it aside and wait for an idea for how to improve the project or make a new one.
To be able to make a living doing what you love to do is the greatest of gifts. How lucky I am to have a job that involves two of my favorite things! I make books of craft projects! I continue to be delighted and amazed by my good fortune! •
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About the Author:
Kathy Ross, America's queen of crafts for kids, is the author of more than fifty books that have sold well over 1.5 million copies. A former preschool teacher and curriculum developer, she consults for Highlights magazine, Highsmith, and Nickelodeon on preschool matters.
Books by Kathy Ross:
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