Copycat Clowns~

I was thinking about my last post, my booga rendition. How I said, Have you made your booga bag yet? I saw someone on a forum not long ago say that she never followed patterns, one, because she couldn't and two because she thought it wasn't 'creative'. I wanted to shout when I saw that post. 'Of Course, It's Creative! My God, you are making something from a ball of yarn!' Why was I so defensive? What was my issue with someone who said, 'Hey I'm different, and I'm cool with that? And y'all are copycats.'


When I was in seventh grade or so, our grammar school hosted a Carnival, huge event for us, our big fund raiser. They ran a contest every year for the best poster. Everyone made a poster, drawings, had to have the place, time, etc, legible, and they were delivered to local business to be displayed. The criteria was pretty easy, and everyone took it very seriously. We were given plenty of time and we had a few really good artists that won year after year. I had started my poster, it looked pretty much like everyone elses, and I hated it. Same same same ~ Come to the Carnival! Saturday 6 to 9 Food Games Fun blahblahblah
15 minutes before deadline
I got an idea
I needed colored construction paper bright
markers
glue
and those paper joiner things that spread opened flat in the back
I made a clown, huge thing, with movable arms and legs, bright, hat, red nose. And on his big round belly all the required pertinent data. I was worried. No one had ever made anything like this, this was very different.
Original. I turned it in with the glue wet.
Next day assembly.
We file in, posters lined the cafeteria wall, and there, center stage, was my clown.
Big Blue Ribbon ~ First Place
Original is good.
But in order to create ~ one must first know basics. In the poster case, basics, using glue, scissors, scaling. In knitting, basics, picking up stitches at the base, joining, working in the round. The Booga Basics. One must first master the basics to move to the creation of new and original material. Had I not followed patterns, researched, learned techniques of those creative endeavors of others before me, I would not have the skills to create an original.

Following patterns is good. It teaches essentials. Learning the lingo of the knit is muy importante to the process of creation, whether it be your own 'clown' or a 'clown of before'.

The very next year, the walls of the cafetera were lined with clowns. I liked that.


Go
Make Clowns
Someday you may get a Blue Ribbon, and the satisfaction of seeing your own clowns line the walls.