You Deserve a Creative Pause
- tiffanysondergaard
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
| By: Malia Borges, Owner, B.Crafty Studio | ToastiQueen Panelist, Cultivating Joy
Sometimes, the line between business and personal feels impossibly blurred ... especially when YOU are the brand. There’s a strange comfort in being “always on,” convincing ourselves that every hour spent offline is an hour of momentum lost. But lately, I’ve been learning that taking a pause ... truly stepping away ... isn’t the same as checking out.
Taking a nod from my friend and fellow small business advocate, Malia Borges, owner of B. Crafty Studio in Phillipsburg, NJ and a panelist at the ToastiQueen Cultivating Joy professional development and networking event, I’ve realized that being “unavailable” can actually mean being available, for yourself, for your creativity, and for your peace.
Malia captures this so beautifully in her own words, so I’m honored to share her reflection with you below.
You deserve a creative pause.
Malia Borges, Owner, B.Crafty Studio
You don’t need to schedule a play date at a craft studio just to check the boxes — being a good mom and squeezing in a little adult time on the side. You can create simply to create. You’re allowed.
Somewhere along the way, many of us forgot that free play is still an option. So many moms only begin crafting because someone else needed something: the mom who learns to bake because her son wants a cake that isn’t store-bought. The mom who learns to sew because her daughter needs a costume the day before the school play. The mom who learns to bead because she wants her child to feel proud. Creation becomes a responsibility instead of a release.
And yes — the temptation to grab ChatGPT to write all of this for me is ridiculous. But I know I can write. I remember loving it. And that’s the whole point of this reflection: we’re allowed to create freely, imperfectly, without needing it to be polished or proven.
There is real danger in never taking a moment to unplug. While I’m not completely logged off, I’m holding a boundary: writing from my heart, letting myself make something that doesn’t have to perform.
That tug-of-war for my attention is what often steals from B.Crafty Studio — not because the studio isn’t thriving, but because people aren’t accustomed to pausing long enough to feel what creating does for the soul.
But oh, the cleansing that happens when I stop scrolling and actually make something.
Yes, I want people to visit B.Crafty Studio. But even more, I want them to leave feeling what a craft session really is: a workout for the creative spirit. You dread showing up. You talk yourself out of it. You think you’re too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed. But once you begin, you feel stronger — more yourself — simply because you made a moment in the making. You look forward to the next session… until morning comes and life pulls at you all over again.
And here’s something I stress often:
Crafty is not the same as artistic.
Artisans perfect their craft — pottery, painting, dancing. Crafty is different. Crafty is taking ribbon and glue and attaching it to paper. It’s looping deco mesh into a wreath. It’s putting things together to make something new. Crafty is accessible, doable, approachable. It gives you a moment — even a small one — away from the million things demanding your attention.
Being crafty — making something as simple and practical as a pen — brings the same feeling a child gets when you hang their stick-figure drawing on the fridge. And here’s the truth: you deserve that feeling every day.
Why do we so easily lift up children, yet so quickly doubt our own worth as adults?
Being crafty — making a vision board, junk journal, or oil blend — gives your goals a place to live. It reminds you of what matters when the noise of life fades and you’re left to meet yourself again.
I want women to be crafty because I want them to remember they are worthy of being seen. Worthy of having something on the fridge. Worthy of time and space to manifest their goals. Worthy of making something simply because it brings them joy.
But you deserve a moment — a pause — a breath — a place to create without needing permission.
About the Author
Tucked inside downtown Phillipsburg, B. Crafty Studio is where owner Malia Borges helps women trade their to‑do lists for time at the craft table. From cozy blanket‑making classes to Sunday Makers sessions, her studio is a judgment‑free space to experiment, play, and reconnect with your creative side.
Malia is a small business advocate, community builder, and believer that you don’t need to be “artistic” to be crafty. When she’s not hosting workshops, you’ll find her cheering on fellow entrepreneurs, dreaming up new events, and reminding women that they are worthy of time, space, and something beautiful made with their own two hands.
Visit B.Crafty Studio:
96 Sitgreaves St, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865