Creative Lee Made Arts and Crafts
We are a family business that promotes creativity by providing arts and crafts ideas and inspiration to encourage leading a creative life. My husband Charles makes beautiful rustic furniture and home decor, my kids and I all make art and do crafts, and I also teach art.
A Little About My Art Background
Hi, I’m Susan Ange Lee and I’m a wife, mother, teacher, artist and crafter. I ‘ve had a love of crafting from a very early age. When I was very young, I used to make furniture and jewelry for my dolls. When I became a teenager, I started doing different types of art to help me calm down after a stressful day or to just make me happy. After high school, I went to college to become an art teacher, and for over 25 years I have worked with preschoolers, special needs children and homeschoolers. My husband and I have two amazing kids, who are smart, creative and just great human beings!
My Thoughts on Teaching Art
I have loved working with my students over the years, but along the way, I saw so many others that could benefit from a “creativity coach,” which in my opinion, all passionate art teachers are. To me, doing an art project or a craft isn’t about getting a predictable end result. It’s about having the chance for the maker to solve problems, put their own spin on things, make choices rather than following rigid directions, and enjoy the process.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Creativity
I also think making crafts and creating art has even greater benefits. There are so many children and adults today currently dealing with anxiety and stress, and I can’t think of a better coping technique than being creative. Many studies have shown the calming effects of simply doing a coloring page. Painting, stringing beads, drawing, and making crafts can also be quite relaxing.
How Making Art and Doing Crafts Helped My Son Cope with a Serious Illness
My son Al was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was just a few months old. He has had countless hospitalizations throughout his life and making art and doing crafts during these stays was very therapeutic. Although he loves to play video games and watch You Tube like anyone else his age, he spends the majority of his free time drawing and making amazing sculptures and props from all types of materials. I’m not against technology as a way to unwind, but I don’t believe it has the same value as making something in the real world!
What I Think About Public Schools
My daughter Rhianna is also very creative and is a talented artist. When she was young, she told everyone she was going to be an art teacher when she grew up. Her brother was born when she was eight, and as soon as he was diagnosed with CF, she decided she wanted to be a medical researcher instead. She was in the Duke TIP program in fourth grade, and she decided that’s where she wanted to go to college. Thanks to amazing teachers she had along the way, she graduated third in her class in 2012, then four years later she earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. She 2023, she completed Grad school at UNC with a PhD in cell biology and physiology is now specializing in Cystic Fibrosis research at Duke University. Did you know that many engineers have strong background in art? Engineers have to know how to solve problems creatively, which is a skill emphasized in art! I’m not at all anti-public school! It’s the perfect choice for many kids.
What I Think About Homeschooling
I’m also a fan of homeschooling, as there are many reasons that homeschool can be a better situation for some children. I was able to work with homeschool kids for a few years in a co-op situation and also homeschool Al for his last few years of high school. Like his sister, Al did great in public school for many years. Unfortunately, he started having problems around 7th grade. While he took AP classes and had great teachers, as his hospitalizations increased, his love of school decreased. Doing piles of worksheets to catch up with his classmates was tedious, and he always felt behind. After being in the hospital for a total of 60 days during 9th grade, he decided he would like to give homeschooling a try. I joined a local homeschool organization, headed to the library for books, and created several new Pinterest boards to save homeschool resources on. There were so many available! My hope is that this website will become a valuable resource for homeschoolers by providing educational but fun art lessons.
How my Son’s Health is Today
Al graduated a year early in 2019 and is now the co-owner of our at home art studio. He began taking a new medication combination for CF known as Trikafta in February of 2020, and has not been hospitalized since Thanksgiving Day, 2019! If you’re interested in reading more about his life with CF, visit https://www.facebook.com/alsarmycff/
Many Thanks!
Thank you for reading my story and letting me share why I created this blog, what I hope to achieve, and let you know how I might can help you! I hope you enjoy trying out the ideas on this site!
