I recently came across a story about author Kurt Vonnegut that made me stop and think.
In 2006, a group of high school students wrote to him, inviting him to visit their school. He couldn't make it, but he wrote back with something perhaps even more valuable — advice about creativity and life.
He encouraged them to practise art in whatever form they enjoyed. To write, draw, sing, dance, and create, regardless of whether they were particularly good at it.
Not for fame. Not for money. Not for recognition.
Simply for the experience of creating.
His message was beautifully simple: "Make your soul grow."
And it reminded me of something that's easy to forget, especially when creativity becomes part of your business.
When Creating Becomes a Business
Busybee Creates began in 2013 as a little mother-daughter fundraising project.
What started with making things for a purpose eventually grew into a small creative business built around personalized gifts, everyday celebrations, and thoughtful little moments.
Along the way, creating became more than just something we enjoyed doing. It became something we planned, produced, priced, photographed, packaged, and hoped someone would love enough to purchase.
And that's part of the joy of running a creative business.
There's something incredibly rewarding about seeing an idea become a finished product. Even more so when someone chooses it as a gift for a friend, a teacher, a colleague, or someone they love.
But there's another side to it, too.
When creativity becomes a business, it's easy to start measuring everything.
Will this design sell? Is this what people are looking for? Should I make more of these? Is this worth the time and materials?
Suddenly, something that began with curiosity and imagination can become another item on a very long to-do list.
And sometimes, we forget that creating doesn't always have to lead somewhere.
Remember When We Just Made Things?
Think back to when you were little.
Maybe you made cards with crooked lettering, drew pictures that only made sense to you, or spent an afternoon cutting, colouring, and gluing things together.
You probably didn't wonder whether your creation was marketable.
You just made it.
And you were happy.
Somewhere between growing up, working, raising families, and keeping up with everyday responsibilities, many of us stopped making things simply for the pleasure of it.
We became more aware of what other people might think.
We started comparing our work to what we saw online.
And perhaps we became a little less willing to try something unless we knew we'd be good at it.
That's what I love about Vonnegut's advice.
He wasn't telling those students to become great artists.
He was reminding them that creativity belongs to everyone.
The Designs That Never Become Products
At Busybee Creates, not every idea becomes something you'll find in our shop.
Some designs don't quite turn out the way I imagined. Some colours don't work together. Sometimes an idea looks wonderful in my head but completely different once I try to bring it to life.
And sometimes I simply want to experiment.
Those moments don't always result in a product, but they aren't wasted.
They teach me something.
They remind me to stay curious, to try again, and occasionally to laugh at what didn't work.
Because the value of creating isn't always found in the finished piece.
Sometimes it's in the process itself.
A Little Invitation to Create
One of my favourite parts of Vonnegut's letter was the unusual homework he gave those students.
He asked them to write a poem, put genuine effort into it, and then tear it up without showing anyone.
Imagine spending time making something beautiful, only to throw it away.
His point wasn't that the poem didn't matter.
It was that the experience of writing it had already given them something valuable.
They had created something entirely their own.
So here's a little invitation from Busybee Creates.
Make something this week just because you feel like it.
Write a few lines in a notebook. Doodle while enjoying your coffee. Try a new recipe. Make a card for someone. Take a photograph of something ordinary that catches your eye.
It doesn't need to be perfect.
You don't have to share it on social media.
You don't even have to keep it.
Just give yourself permission to enjoy making something.
Celebrating Everyday Moments — Including the Creative Ones
At Busybee Creates, our little mission has always been about celebrating everyday moments.
The birthdays, milestones, friendships, small gestures, and thoughtful gifts that make life a little more meaningful.
But this story reminded me that the act of creating is an everyday moment worth celebrating, too.
Whether I'm working on a personalized mug for someone special, experimenting with a new design, or simply making something for myself, I want to remember why I fell in love with creating in the first place.
Not everything we make needs to become a product.
Not every idea needs to become a business opportunity.
And not every creative moment needs an audience.
Sometimes, making something is enough.
So here's to creating imperfectly, experimenting freely, and finding joy in the process.
Because sometimes, the most meaningful thing we make isn't something we can sell, wrap, or give away.
It's the little part of ourselves that grows along the way.
Keep creating. Keep celebrating the little things.
Busybee Creates
Celebrate Every Day, Intentionally.