Formed by Family

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.” -- Thich Nhat Hanh

Family is what defines your character. Whether positively or negatively your family has shaped you into the person you are. From generation to generation, traditions and customs have been passed from family to family. You may not have ever met your great great grandparents or even your great grandparents, but their decisions in their lives have impacted yours. This process will always continue to progress as we make decisions that will impact the lives of our kids, grandkids, and so on. Being a part of a family is like being a part of an exclusive club. There are things that you have in common with your family members that no one else may understand. I think one of the most telling examples this is the family portrait. If you google "awkward family photos" some crazy things show up. It makes you wonder what those people were thinking when they all decided to wear 

matching green and red striped outfits or wear ballet uniforms and lay awkwardly on top of each other. They have some common bond that links them together and that is what makes them a family. Your family is the one group of people who you can completely be yourself around because there is a good chance they are just as weird as you are. Your family also gives you a sense of identity. You belong to your family. Whether it becomes apparent through matching leotards or similar personalities, everything you are stems from your interactions with your family.
 
There is also a sense of pride that can be related to family. The family name is something that most people try to respect and uphold. You do not want to embarrass or disgrace your family, so you work hard to be successful so that you can make your family proud. People show their pride in many creative ways. Some people get tattoos in honor of their family members. In a way this represents the permanent commitment that families are formed around. Other people use their family name to promote their business. There are so many companies that are house hold names today that started as a family business. One that sticks out in my mind is Carlo's Bake Shop. This is the bakery that is featured on TLC's Cake Boss. The bakery is family owned and it is often comical to see how they work together. Buddy, the main baker, took on this business after the passing of his father. He carried on the tradition and has now made their family name famous.
On the TV show, you constantly see the family working together, bouncing ideas off of one another, joking around, and creating amazing cakes and other baked goods together. The creativity that they have stems from the relationships that they have with each other. The whole family works together to constantly create a product that would have made their father proud. There is an old story that talks about how family traditions are formed. It goes something like this: 

 One holiday as a little girl watched her mom cut off the ends of the roast before putting it in the oven, she asked curiously why her mother always cut off the ends of the roast. Her mother replied that her mother had always cut the ends off. When the little girl's grandma arrived for the holiday meal, she asked her as well why she cut the ends off of the roast. Her grandma replied that her mother had always cut off the ends. Finally, when the little girl's great grandmother arrived, she asked her why she always cut the ends off the roast. The great grandmother replied that that was the only way the roast would fit in the pan at the time. 
Many traditions are formed in the same way. Whether we realize it or not some of our actions are a result of the actions of those who came before us. Our connections and ties that we have to our family are so numerous that we may not even realize most of them. As I started thinking about my own family and how they have impacted me creatively, I realized that I too am a result of all my family members. 

I have my mom's creative eye. I notice details and I really enjoy making things look esthetically pleasing. She loves to create and design everyday things. She is always coming up with creative ways to decorate our house.When I am feeling burnt out or out of creative ideas I talk to her and she helps me start thinking creatively again. I also realized that I get my humor from my dad. There are times that we start laughing at something that no one else thinks is funny. He also gives me my love of all things weird. Most importantly, it is from my dad that I have gained my confidence and the respect I have for myself. He has taught me to be the woman I am today. Aside from my parents, my brother has helped shape my competitive spirit. I always want to beat him at everything. Who doesn't have some sibling rivalry? It is from him that I have found my drive to succeed. All of these elements from my family mesh together to make me the person I am. My creative thinking process is directly affected by them and that is what makes the way I do my design work unique. Every artist or designer is creates differently because they all come from different families and backgrounds. It is through family that creative minds are formed.