Flashback Friday: Delia from Delia Creates


Welcome to Flashback Friday! Today we are in for a special treat, with my friend Delia from Delia Creates joining us! Delia is a sweet, genuine blogger, and also a mom to two boys and an adorable little girl, and is someone I admire in many ways.
 
I’m sure you’re familiar with her incredible Project Run & Play creations. She also is a co-host of the Color Your Summer series, and just finished up a series of Winter Whites that made this winter seem not quite so bad :). The series included a Gray Day Tulle skirt, combining my tulle skirt tutorial with Cotton & Curls’, and the result is fantastic! Delia’s flashback is one that I think many of us can relate to, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as me!

This Flashback Friday has come at the perfect time. Instead of just a sewing flashback, I’m going to take you on a little introspective journey of my crafty/sewing blogging history.

You see, in just a couple of weeks I get to celebrate my third blog anniversary. And what an awesome three years it’s been. 
This was my very first header :)

But, I have a little secret…
Delia Creates is not my first craft/sewing blog. :)
I’ll get to that in a minute though. 
First profile picture
I’ve always been a creative person. I grew up surrounded by rooms full craft supplies because my mom is a sewist and crafter as well. After getting married, and becoming a stay at home mom, I discovered the craft/sewing blog world and I felt right at home. It wasn’t long before I felt like I wanted to start up a blog too. The only thing that was holding me back was my own self doubt. I could hardly stand watching someone open a handmade gift from me. Putting my creativity online for more scrutiny terrified me.
 I switched my header often for a while.
Even though I had a lack of confidence, I have not often lacked in the motivation to try hard things. I bit the bullet and started a blog anyway. I launched it and started posting randomly, getting almost no page views or comments. It would seem like I would feel deflated by this, but at first it was encouraging. I could experiment and share without risking exposing myself to too much criticism. I changed my blog name and address, I think three times? I sort of wished I hung on to “Craft Geek.” That was a good one. :) Self doubt finally won me over and after a few months I shut it all down. I convinced myself that I was just being silly thinking that I had anything unique to say or share.
this one is interesting… :)
Then I stuck with this one for maybe a year?

Well, we know how this ends right? I finally silenced that overly critical voice in my head telling me that I was not good enough, and I started fresh with Delia Creates in March 2010. Even then, I had no idea that craft blogging would become a passion, an indispensable part of who I am, a job to help support my family, and a way to connect with the world that pushes me to be my best self.
My very first post.

Blogging has allowed me to connect with other people who have enriched my life and who I hope I have enriched as well. 
It has given me opportunities to grow and stretch myself in ways I never imagined possible. Project Run & Play, for example, pushed me to finally buckle down and really learn to sew more complicated garments; which I now enjoy doing immensely.

I think blogging about our sewing or other creative pursuits can be a very vulnerable process. But in making myself vulnerable, I have learned that more is possible once we let go of doubt or at least not let it govern us.
When I hear that I’ve inspired someone else to try new things and discover their own excitement and passion for creating a handmade life, it comes full circle. 
My last header before my newest blog redesign.

It’s one of the reasons why I do what I do. Life is too short to doubt yourself. It’s advice I have to retell myself all the time. When I think about all I would have missed out on if I had given into my own fear, all the successes and disappointments, it helps me shut out that fear even more and get excited for what the next three years have in store. 

Life is good, so live it. And if you sew, sew more. :)

Thanks for having me over Abby!


Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful post with us, Delia! I am in awe that her very first header was so pretty! Nothing that warrants any self doubt, that’s for sure :). I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, see you on Monday!

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4 Comments

  1. Beautiful post, Delia! So glad you stuck with it, your blog is amazing. I actually started a blogspot blog in 2009, but abandoned it for flickr until starting my current blog in 2011. Funny.

  2. Loved reading about your journey, Delia. I think we all have to fight the battle with the self-doubt on a consistent basis. Glad you won out ;)

  3. I’m so glad you decided to stick with blogging, Delia! I look forward to your posts and beautiful photography. You definitely have a gift for it. And I’m glad to know that you struggled with blogging in the beginning, too, since I’ve taken nearly five years to figure out what I want my blog to become. :)

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