Karen Gartel

A few weeks ago, if you had driven past this little cottage, you probably would have seen what most people see. A weathered old house. Untended gardens. A little rough around the edges. Maybe even a place someone else would drive right past. I looked at the very same cottage... ...and saw something completely different. Not because it already looked like the image on the right, but because I could imagine what it might become. That's one of the things I love most about creativity. Artists...

There is a funny little moment that happens at the beginning of almost every creative workshop. Guests arrive carrying all sorts of invisible things with them. A busy week.A stressful job.A to-do list that never seems to end.The little voice that whispers, "I'm not creative." They chat politely, find a seat, and look around the room, wondering what they've signed up for. Then something surprisingly simple happens. They put on an apron. It seems like such an ordinary thing. But I've always...

I've always loved making things. Not because I'm especially talented. Not because everything turns out perfectly. But because there is something deeply satisfying about creating something with your own hands. What I've come to realize, though, is that the real magic isn't in the finished piece. It's in the experience. It's sitting around a table with other people. Sharing stories while your hands stay busy. Laughing when something doesn't go according to plan. Discovering that creativity has...