Why I’m Drawn to Writing

by | Mar 23, 2014 | family, writing | 19 comments

 

A carpenter and a seamstress

My parents made things.

carpenter4My dad built houses, sometimes alone, sometimes working with another person. In the early days, he and his partner did everything themselves: the concrete work, the plumbing, masonry, sheetrock, electrical work, and cabinetry. He’d buy a vacant lot—nothing but weeds between earth and sky—and five or six months later his handiwork would stand ready for sale.

He enjoyed his work so much that he often went back out to his shop after dinner “to play.” The products of his “play” might be a new dollhouse for my sister and me or some stilts. Or it might be a motorboat. One year it was a 20-foot cabin cruiser.

Mom in a pantsuit she made w/ Uncle Jim and Dad

Mom in a pantsuit she made (photo w/ Uncle Jim and Dad)

My mom was an excellent seamstress. She sewed most of the skirts, dresses, jackets, and pedal pushers my sister and I wore when we were growing up, and she still had time to make dresses for our dolls. She was also an artist. The oil paintings and watercolors that hung on our walls were hers (and my grandma’s). She also made the china painted cups and saucers she brought out for guests, and the tole painted measuring spoon holder tacked up above the stove.

Like most women of her generation, she not only cooked dinner for us every night of the week, she also served homemade cookies, cakes and pies for dessert. No one made a better apple pie.

A blog post or a book may not be as tangible as a house or a dress, but writing does provide a similar satisfaction for me. From the clay of an unformed idea, I punch and shape and smooth until I have a story or post.

Creating something: it’s in my blood.

Digging deep

photo courtesy of C. M.

photo courtesy of C. M.

Have you ever seen or experienced something that was too beautiful or significant for you to simply note and move on? Have you ever felt a touch of dissatisfaction upon reaching the viewpoint with the waterfall or the panorama of mountains—not because it wasn’t as stunning as you’d expected but because it was, and then what do you do with all that beauty?

What do you do? You exclaim over it. “Wow!” you say. “Look at that.” But your words sound pale when placed alongside the wonderful sight. So you snap a photo, but the photo doesn’t really capture it. And there you are, left with the feeling of wanting to do more.

I used to paint. Now I write. It’s my attempt to dig a little deeper, to appreciate more fully the marvels of a life that rushes past all too quickly.

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19 Comments

  1. nrhatch

    I enjoyed this post, Nicki. Especially the last line.

    Your parents sound a bit like mine. And you sound a bit like me. Dad was an electric engineer, but his hobbies included woodworking (from tables to trains), gardening, and photography. Mom stayed home with us where cooking took preference to cleaning, and sewing clothes came naturally.

    I’ve dabbled a bit with this and that . . . but writing, for me, is where it’s at!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Thank you, Nancy, for comparing us. I’m flattered.

      Reply
  2. Eileen黃愛玲

    This post is beautifully written.

    I started to write when I was just a kid due to the fact that I was born mostly deaf and people couldn’t understand me when I spoke to them. I wrote as a way to express. Hopefully one day I will publish a poetry book. A girl can dream.

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Eileen. I hope your dream of publishing a poetry book comes true. You’re a talented artist and photographer. I haven’t seen your poetry yet.

      Reply
  3. Hari Qhuang

    Wow! A carpenter and a seamstress/cook/baker!
    I do not have artistic/creative parents but I did grow up in a family that gives me freedom to try this and that.
    Everybody cooks, that’s our “thing”. I cooked my first fried rice when I was 7 or 8. I had to stand on a chair to be as tall as the wok. My nanny grab me from behind to prevent me falling into the wok! 😀

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Cooking may be your “thing,” Hari, but you have so many other talents also.

      Reply
  4. Jocelyn Eikenburg

    “I used to paint. Now I write. It’s my attempt to dig a little deeper, to appreciate more fully the marvels of a life that rushes past all too quickly.” I love this line, Nicki. And it’s true, as writers we attempt to dig deeper and get to the heart of life itself.

    Nice post!

    Reply
  5. Barb Shillinger

    My dad was not a builder by trade but he also built things; cabinets and toys. My mom sewed, too. Artists run in my dad’s family and I am often thankful for receiving these genes as I just wouldn’t be me without them!! I owe my sewing skills to my mom, as I inherited them from her. Now I am observing my granddaughters, the oldest one definitely has the artist gene. Observing her paintings and drawings fills me with joy as I realize that she and I share some talents and that a bit of me is expressed in her. It’s a wondrous feeling to realize that we all carry parts of our ancestors within us.

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Making things is a great source of pleasure that anyone can enjoy. But it does help to have parents and grandparents to show us the way and encourage us (and maybe pass on the “artist gene”). I have a neighbor who makes the most beautiful quilts. My sister is making a coat. My son-in-law is building a fancy tree house for my grandson. My daughter strings beads into necklaces and bracelets. There are so many things to do besides watching TV (although I enjoy TV too).

      Reply
  6. lenorelook

    Wow, your parents were amazing!!! Your stories about them would make great children’s books! Give it a try! xxoo

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Thanks for the suggestion, Lenore. You’re the expert.

      Reply
      • lenorelook

        You’re welcome. Read William Steig’s When Everybody Wore a Hat, and any of Tomie DiPaolo’s 26 Fairmont Avenue series, to get some ideas.

        Reply
  7. evelyneholingue

    I absolutely love the pantsuit that your mom made for her. Of course I’m a little partial to this post since my mom was (still is but less now that she is older) a magnificent seamstress. As a kid I ressented sometimes the homemade clothes but when I see what she did I’m simply in awe. I never learned although my sister did. Back then I preferred books to sewing, and I still do. But I admire the people who make things with their hands.

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      I didn’t resent having homemade dresses, but I did enjoy getting a “store-bought” dress. One thing I didn’t like was having my skirts “chalked-up.” It took too long. My mom made me try on the dress she was making and then stand up straight and slowly turn around while she made chalk marks on the skirt to make sure that after hemming it each part would be the exact same distance from the floor. Did your mother do that?

      Reply
  8. Julie pederson Scouten

    You do excellent work, I’m enjoying your stories so much, and your painting are beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing…

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Thank you, Julie. I really appreciate your support.

      Reply
  9. katecrimmins

    That’s how it was in my house. My Dad could do most anything and my mother was amazing. I learned a lot and did a lot but ultimately I enjoy writing. I enjoy the ability to create in my head while I’m in the car or doing something else.

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      You’re very creative, Kate. You come up with so many interesting stories.

      Reply

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