The quest for the perfect artsy/craftsy activity

[firecat]

I just posted this on rec.crafts.beads in response to a question "Why do you bead?"

I've been on a quest for about five years to find arts/crafts I enjoy doing.

• Writing fiction. I like it, but it's emotionally draining, and I can only do it in small amounts, not enough to satisfy my creative urges.
• Collage. I like it because it's cheap (the way I do it) and I like putting incongruous images together. But the gluing/finishing part is messy, and there are only so many decoupaged AOL CDs that I can give away. ;-)
• Crochet. I like it because I can carry it around and the finished product is practical. I have a huge project right now, and I'm doing finishing stuff that isn't challenging at this point, so I do it when I am watching TV or doing something else that doesn't take my full attention. I don't like that the finished product (unless I'm doing thread crochet) tends to be big and warm - my house is already too full of stuff, and I live in a warm climate already. I will probably do some more thread crochet at some point.
• Lampworking. I've always liked the way hot glass flows, and I wanted to work with it, but I thought glass blowing would be too strenuous for me. I took one class in lampworking and I loved it - it was addictive the way video games are addictive, and I even had pretty beads to show for it! I haven't done more because the classes are expensive and the equipment setup / fireproofing for doing it at home is expensive. At some point I'll probably do more.
• Beading. This is my current favorite craft because it's challenging - so many new techniques to learn; it can be done without spending a lot of money; beads are so much fun to collect and handle; the finished product is small and everybody loves it as a gift; I've been able to make stuff I've always wanted but been too cheap to buy.

What are your favorites and why?

Comments

[kismet09.livejournal.com]

Knitting is my favorite. Some of the reasons:

• It creates functional pieces of art. I don't think that art has to be functional, but on my limited budget, it's nice to be able to put my artwork to some use.


• I'm drawn to color and texture and their variations, so I love shopping for yarn and feeling all of the different kinds and putting together beautiful color palettes.


• It's portable, and can be done while doing something else. It makes me feel more productive as I sit and watch television, and allows me to chat with strangers about one of my favorite hobbies when knitting in public.


• It produces challenges from a humble set of parameters -- just two stitches, and there are so many variations.


• It's relaxing and rewarding, just like I like my crafting.