What kind of creative genres have I worked in… it might be easier to list what I haven’t done! 🙂
Work for Others
At the request of others – for them, I’ve designed a T-shirt for our Spanish club; did the graphic layout for retail sales signs (before we had printers); painted cartoon displays for work celebrations such as photo-ops (Take Your Daughters to Work and Cinco de Mayo themes) and games (baseball toss, pin the ring on the bull); created coloring pages for an alpaca ranch; and designed a website including graphics (buttons, backgrounds, images). I also made word search puzzles and mazes. I’m currently working on learning Caricatures and received my first request to draw a specific person – fun! I also have been designing little mini-booklets for a children’s Catechism, including layout/design, graphics, text and word puzzles for memorization.
Personal Work
For my own enjoyment, I draw cartoons, keeping several cartoon journals (including several full page themed cartoons, like searches), and have completed a zine. (I actually sold several of those, too!)
And I rarely use office supplies provided by whoever I work for – I usually by something bright and unusual or make them myself. 🙂 I’ve made my own notebooks, journals, and drawing pads; designed my own paper (layout/print); made binder covers and spine labels for visual reference; designed graphics for pen barrels; and created a layout for custom pencils. (My dream is to have my own pencils made. So sad that they are becoming passe…) I’ve also designed Christmas cards and last year designed wedding invitations (with matching envelopes!) using a combination of designing the printed layout (including finding just the right paper!), then adding stamping and calligraphy for the finishing touches. I also made the custom matching envelopes and belly bands to match. That was hard work, but awesome results.
I also have enjoyed making some unique items that are not usually tackled by a person for just for the fun of it: Several customized “checklist” style journals to track diet, meds, health, and general day-to-day notes and my own annual Engagement Calendar with personal pictures and custom note pages, covers, and inner covers. Most people are moving their calendaring to iPhones or online, but I still enjoy the old fashioned hardcopy. 🙂
I guess electronic crafts is a different category – I’ve made logos for myself and others, created my own Mahjong titles, and have enjoyed making the series of “The Many Faces of Nellicita” – each one with it’s own layout and expression. And I’ve enjoyed making my own Windows backgrounds since I first had to use Windows.
Other “Crafts”
In the world of crafts, I have done both crochet and knitting – love working with beads and thin thread to make small purses! I’ve also sewn for my family and later designed a few dresses for My Child Dolls. I enjoy making bracelets and rings with seed beads and integrating other beads with them for simple patterned designs. I also have made ceramics and painted them, and once was able to make little dolls with the plastic machines kids make creepy-crawlers out of – it was a special set and I’m sure it contributes to cancer from the smell, but it was awesomely fun! I enjoyed designing a mobile out of the melting plastic material, haven’t seen those materials around… I’ve also painted with acrylic and watercolor and worked with leather and needlepoint.
There’s probably more. See what I mean about not enough time…? 😉