Off on a New Adventure with CreativeBug

A couple of months ago, library staff were alerted to a new database being made available to our patrons: CreativeBug. The flyer promised free access to thousands of art and craft classes – well, I said, this sounds like it was made for me!

Like many, I have spent any number of hours dropping down YouTube rabbit holes exploring various craft ideas – and being frustrated by poor quality recordings, useless materials links, and too much show-and-tell and not enough how-to --plus, all the usual irritations of the internet.

CreativeBug seemed to be promising that I would find well produced video lessons on how to do lots of stuff, so I jumped right in. First, I browsed instructors – and found some names & faces I recognized – people who I followed on Instagram. Then, I searched a few crafts that interested me – I found some likely-looking programs and settled in to see how it all worked.

I was impressed. Watched a few more. Still impressed.

I have done a few of the projects, some I am even adapting for the Crafts for Grown-Ups program I run at the West Windsor Branch. And I have a list of ones I want to do … and that list keeps growing!

So, I Highly Recommend that you check out CreativeBug: https://www.creativebug.com/lib/mcl

Of course, you might prefer a book to a video, or maybe you’d like both...

Here are people who shine on CreativeBug and in our collections.

Arounna Khounnoraj (Bookhou on Instagram)

We have all three of her titles in book form and there are punch needle and sewing projects on CreativeBug.

Embroidery: A Modern Guide to Botanical Embroidery

Punch Needle: Master the Art of Punch Needle Accessories for You and Your Home

Visible Mending: Repair, Renew, Reuse the Clothes You Love

Lisa Congdon is an artist, author, and illustrator, and turns up many places in our collection. She has a lot of programs in Creativebug – Sketchbook Explorations, Basic Drawing – maybe a good place to start is her Creative Boot Camp – six lessons to get you started on your creative adventure.

Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Elements: The Powers, Uses, and Histories of Every Atom in the Universe

Lisa Congdon has many more books in our collection – both in print and as eBooks.

And keep an eye out for Bel Mills of Scrap Paper Circus … she is currently filming her first CreativeBug project. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

- by Meg Baker, West Windsor