As many of you know by now, we are expecting our first child this month! It is a time of excitement, stress, and, you guessed it, creativity. So much integrated creativity goes into organization, renovations, rearranging, strategizing, planning for a new addition to the family. There is one area that often goes unseen when it comes to using creativity and that is when it is used in service to others. In this particular example I want to highlight the creativity of my mom who put together not one, but two, incredible, creative, and memorable baby showers for us this past month.
When we are the recipients of such creative force it is often overwhelming and therefore easier to appreciate the effort that goes into hosting the day than seeing all of the time and creative energy spent in the planning and making phase before we get to receive the magic of a special event.
I have to start by saying that what this woman can come up with and execute blows my mind. She has planned so many creative birthdays, showers, and events, and yet has the audacity to often remark on her lack of creativity. My mom has creativity coming out of every pore of her being, but because it isn’t painting or writing she is traditional in that sense it’s often an attribute and ability that gets overlooked and underappreciated.
Round one was a Harry Potter themed baby shower with bespoke signs, slogans, and custom created shower games. She had made a niffler sign of the gifts area, created cards for birth predictions, hung Magical Bundle signs all over the house, and created collages of pictures of the parents to be growing up. We had a Honeydukes table set up across from a onesie decorating station with paints and markers aplenty. We played Revelio the show and character to classic kids shows and name the magical offspring. There were some classic staples like guess how big the belly is. It really was a magical day. Her vision, excitement, and creativity made the shower unforgettable, perfectly capturing the magic of this special time and the anticipation of the wonder to come.
Our second shower was all about bears as it has been a theme of ours since my husband and I started dating. We kept some of the games and activities from the previous shower and added BINGO with children’s book quotes as a new one. Bingo was a T for Teddy (bear) and it was great fun guessing what books each quote was from.
I also want to highlight the creativity that comes out of people when doing something for someone else. We received so many handmade gifts of blankets, clothes, hats, and artwork. It really is so humbling to see the love, care, and time that our family and friends dedicated to celebrating our bundle of joy, both in the planning of the event and in the gifts they so thoughtfully chose to give.
We talk a lot about creating for ourselves and finding joy in the process, making things because we want to and it not being for anybody else. However, sharing our creativity, harnessing our creativity in service of others is an essential part of the healing effect creativity can have on our lives and the lives of those around us.
I want to end this with a massive thank you to everyone who generously shared their creativity with us in celebration, love, and generosity. Special thanks and love goes out to the woman this post is built around, my mom, for her unwavering support. The joy and excitement she brings to each and every moment of our lives is unmatched, and her creative talents give us the most personal experiences to carry with us through the years. We celebrate you and all the creativity you have given us throughout our lives, and know will continue to saturate the life of our magical bundle.
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