Unexpected Creativity Anonymous

During the art camp’s Bead and Wire Sculpting class, a fish-shaped frame with wires running across it caught my eye. “Carly, what’s this?”

“An earring holder,” the freckled girl announced. “But I want it to stand up.”

We built a half-dozen wire bases, experimenting with a different techniques; without fail, each collapsed. Finally, I tried a different approach: a hanger. Using thick copper wire, I constructed a base with a vertical, hooked length attached. The fish dangled from the top.

Carly prodded it cautiously; the hanger wobbled, but remained upright. We both grinned.

I spent that day making many more hangers for an eager audience. As the day passed, the requests shifted. Soon, the girls were adding beaded decorations and wire embellishments, and demanding that I merely cut the wire instead of help them sculpt it.

Outside of volunteering at art camp, I’ve had many opportunities to indulge my creative side: participating in National Novel Writing Month, concocting costumes for anime conventions, redesigning my synagogue’s website…but the hangers were different, though they weren’t my most elegant creation. They served a dual purpose: while Carly got her earring holder, they also engaged the girls, encouraging them to explore...