All over the world people are driven to create beautiful things, and Bead&Button editor Ann Dee Allen’s recent travels got me thinking about creativity. I haven’t done any traveling recently, but I was certainly surrounded by creative people during the Beads&Button Show this past June. Examining the art beads, jewelry, sculptures, and beadwork on display, I was overwhelmed by the creativity, energy, and drive that filled the exhibit hall and classrooms. I’m amazed at what beautiful things people can make from unassuming materials. Rods of glass, spools of thread, tubes of beads, sheets of metal, lumps of clay, and chunks of rock become works of art in the hands of the talented people who came together for the Show. And, though it’s not a new question, I ask myself – what it is about people that drives us to create such wonders? Why do humans make art and participate in crafts? Is it the promise of the final product that spurs artists on? Is it something in the process that massages the brain or the soul? What inspires you to create? What drives you to make what you make? I’d love to hear about why you bead. If you care to share your thoughts, post a comment or e-mail me at jgerlach@beadandbutton.com. By the way, the Bead Dreams exhibit was amazing as always. If you didn’t have a chance to get to the Show and see the exhibit in person, keep an eye out for the special pull-out section in the upcoming October issue that features the amazing work of the contest’s finalists.