In my early twenties, before I had a family of my own, I was a preschool teacher. I was preparing a lesson on the story “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr / Eric Carle. I remember not being satisfied with just reading the book to my class. I wanted them to experience the story. So I spent hours creating and laminating a collection of puppets of the characters, so that when I read the story, the kids could participate by holding up the animal puppets. The entire process brought me so much joy, from creating the puppets, to reading the book at circle time, and watching the delight on the faces of the children as they got a turn to hold up Brown Bear or Purple Cat.
Over 18 years later, I still have that set of puppets. All three of my children have enjoyed them in their toddler and preschool years. They now reside in our game cupboard, and every once in awhile, my youngest will pull them out and recite the familiar story, and I still get that feeling of joyful satisfaction. Creativity is life giving to me on so many levels.
So why start a blog? I have been blessed with two dear friends, who also happen to be life coaches. One kick started me on this blogging journey by asking me the simple question, “what brings you joy?” In the process of answering her I discovered that when I am creating and sharing my creations, I completely lose track of time. I come alive. I feel fulfilled. I feel satisfied. I feel purposeful. But it goes a step beyond simply creating.
My other life coach friend recently asked me some questions that helped me put words to the heart behind Kerri Creates.
1. “What is it you do?”
2. “What is it that you offer?”
3. “Why do you do it?”
The “what’s” were easy. Those are the tangible things. Those are what I post about. The why is a deeper question and it really got me thinking.
The heart behind why I create, is what is most important to me. I love the joy it brings to my children when the birthday theme they have chosen comes to life through the decorations I make and the treats I prepare. I love when I bust out the holiday decorations and my kids get excited and tell me “don’t you dare decorate without me,” because they too enjoy the process of making our house look festive. I love to dream up ways to incorporate art, crafts, science experiments, fun treats, and more into our daily life.
For me, it’s not just about creating something that looks nice or tastes good, it’s about capturing my children’s hearts in the process. It’s about being intentional about making memories as a family. It’s about decorating our home in ways that makes it a pleasant, kid friendly, and inviting place to be, a place my children will reflect on with fondness when they are grown.
“Creating meaningful moments in the home” has become my motto for Kerri Creates. It encapsulates the “what” and the “why” in a simple phrase. I hope that you find my blog to be a place of inspiration for you, as you also create meaningful moments in your own homes, with your own families.
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