Creative Taproots

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” ― Barbara Kingsolver

There are almost as many ways to be creative as there are people on the planet but we tend to divide and channel our creativity into categories, each with rules, guidelines, and expectations by which we judge the value of the creative work. This was certainly true for me as a creative person trying to find my way in the business world. Happily, the pandemic put a hard stop to all that, forcing me to stop looking outside myself for validation. Instead, I turned my attention inward and started paying attention to what I call my taproot.

Creative Taproots
My creative taproot is the part of myself that is firmly tied to both my spirit and the planet. It’s the part of me that knows why I am here, what I came to do, and how I want to do it. The work I am doing now is squarely focused on telling the stories I care deeply about and creating artwork to go with them. To give you an example - and hopefully inspire you to listen to your own creative voice - let me tell you about Buttons and Bows Boutique.

Buttons and Bows Boutique combines my love of story and illustration with my entrepreneurial spirit. The boutique is owned and run by a woman known as “The Proprietress.” The Proprietress is a strong, politically active entrepreneur who not only sells things like clothing, notebooks, and posters at her boutique, but supports women in her community as well.

I write about her vision and the stories of the women she supports on my Substack, Pass Along Songs. You can read the first few stories here:

Though the Proprietress and her store are a figment of my imagination, the stories she tells are not. They are contributed by friends and members of my Substack community. The merchandise she sells (t-shirts, hoodies, hats, postcards, prints, journals, and even Phone Cases) is also real and can be purchased at the Buttons and Bows Boutique online.

If there’s one thing I’d like to leave you with, it’s the awareness that despite everything you’ve been taught about having to compare, compete, judge, and perform, your real value lies in the one-of-a-kind piece you can contribute to our collective puzzle. Without you, the puzzle is incomplete. So listen to the part of you that’s rooted in joy, that knows what you want to create, and how you can inspire, help, and empower others. Then be on the lookout for your tribe. We’ll find you, I promise.

P.S. Got a story you’d like to share with The Proprietress? Email me at JenaBall@CritterKin.com

Copyright 2024 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.