The Whys and Wherefores

I've been reading some blogs lately that have caused me to think about why I sew. What are the reasons that I do this thing that can drive me absolutely nuts? Why do I sew?

Here are the answers that make the most sense to me:

1. I sew because it relaxes me. I have a pretty high stress job (what? teaching 120 fifteen-year-olds isn't that bad, right?) and sewing is something that I can do that is completely unrelated to the job that I have. There is something about taking a piece of fabric that is essentially unusable as-is, and making it into something beautiful and useful that completely relaxes me (well, most of the time...been going through a bit of a block lately).
2. I sew because it's my creative outlet. I can't really draw (ask my students) and while I do not claim any expertise at this thing, I do recognize that I have a little bit of talent to see something flat and see it in my head as a three-dimensional object. I like to challenge myself to see if I can then take that idea and make it a reality. Lots of people have ideas, the true test comes in seeing it in real life in front of you the way it looked in your head.
3. I sew because I'm a tactile learner. I learn by touching, so I like to do things that allow me to feel what I'm doing. I love the way fabric feels - which is why I really struggle to use certain cloth (like suedecloth) that feels "wrong" to me. By the way, tactile learners are the kids (and adults!) who doodle, sketch, shred napkins, and touch everything on their way through a store.
4. I sew because I like to give gifts. As a teacher and a reforming money moron, I often don't have the money to give people things that cost a lot of money, but a hand-made gift is something that people appreciate (generally speaking). I started by making baby blankets for friends, and have graduated to making quite a wide range of items.
5. I sew to make money. It may not be the primary reason, but it is nice to make a little extra cash every now and then. Until word started getting around that I could do things like hem pants and sew buttons on, I never realized just how rare that talent truly is. In the world I grew up in, everyone could sew, and it wasn't until I got to college that I realized most people couldn't do something I regarded as being so simple.

I've gone through a lot of mutations in the sewing cycle....I first learned to sew clothing when I was in elementary school, I've sewed quilts, I actually stopped sewing for several years in high school and college, and now I sew bags. I can't say that I will never get tired of bags, but there is something about it that appeals to me and has kept my attention for longer than any previous addiction. Why? Well....that's a post for another day.