A Teddy Named Tuxedo.

I have a teddy bear that sits by my computer. It's small & old & I remember it from my grandpa's house. The back of his couch was lined with dozens of bears in all shapes & sizes & colors. I think the bears eventually invaded other blank spaces in his house because there were so many of them. I can't remember if my grandpa bought them for my grandma or vice versa. Maybe they bought them for each other. My grandpa just passed away about a month ago. I know it's such a heavy topic for such a silly blog: death. I almost didn't mention anything.

I haven't cried yet that my grandpa is gone, until now. For some reason, all of a sudden, I looked at that bear & felt so sad. I grabbed the old stuffed toy & held it under my nose so I could maybe smell a lingering scent of grandpa's house, & then I cried....I usually try to keep this blog for crafty & creative stuff. But this subject made me think that inspiration can come from anywhere---even from death. My inspirations come from family, friends, even county fairs, late-night tea with my girls, or the passing of Grandpa Bill. My inspirations can come from secret crushes or from a day when I'm in a bad mood, from kneeboarding (wahoo!), or from hiding away in my studio & making stuff. Why are they inspirations? Because they move my emotions.

I'm not inspired when I do the dishes necessarily, or fold laundry, but I AM inspired when I think of someone that I loved, who loved me & who I can't have anymore. And inspiration is the first step to any creative pursuit. My inspirations may move me to cry, or laugh obnoxiously, or do cartwheels (& yes, that's my "real woman" flub hanging out on the left side of the picture!), or squish someone with a hug, or do a funky dance, OR create. If you have not been moved by emotion, you have not encountered a true inspiration. And how can you truly create or even enjoy life then? It's all just paper & glue, without the glitter. Or better yet, a life without inspiration is like a cupcake without the frosting & sprinkles.

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