I'm a fanatic when it comes to stickers, stationary, pens, anything with cute images and eye catching colors. If it glitters, even better. When my guy and I play video games, I'm almost always dying because there was a shiny thing on the other side of the room, and I forgot to clear the area first. He thinks it's highly amusing. I acknowledge it's an addiction. One that I'm perfectly okay with, thank goodness.
A friend of mine gave me a red velvet case with stationary, stickers, and room to add more stuff. I've slowly been restocking my writing box - recent additions? a pack of Mark It pens in eight different colors, and shiny glitter stickers. My guy bought me a DIY card kit, and I nearly squealed.
When I was younger, I used to be pretty decent with my hands. I wasn't a creative genius, but I wasn't a slouch either. I helped with photo albums and cards, worked in the garden during the summer, took art classes and stuff. My grandma bought me my first camera when I was in high school, and it's become a passion. You get the idea. I had creativity. I was decent at it. I LOVED it.
So imagine my surprise when I sat down with my red velvet box, and my new color pens, and my glitter stickers and my DIY kit, and it all looked foreign. I literally looked at the spread in front of me and went...what the frak? I get that I put the stickers on the cards, and fold them in half. But I couldn't figure out how to begin. Which sticker should I choose first? Once I had that sticker, which one would blend best with it? And then, how many should go on the cover? Should I put any inside?? I was stumbling, when I thought I'd be breezing right thru the whole lot.
My first card was atrocious. I mixed sticker groups and it came out horribly. My borders were all off, and nothing really matched. BUT I picked up a color pen, and wrote in it. Signed it, sealed it, and addressed the envelope to my grandma. Why? Because she'd appreciate it. I made it, its unique, and she loves anything I do, even if I think it would work better as composting material. Then I picked up the next card, and kept on truckin'.
By the time I was half way through, my cards looked like they should of, at the outset. The borders were spot on, the colors meshed, and the stickers supported each other instead of competed for eye time. My last one is probably my favorite, since it took the most amount of creativity - try stretching one border sticker, two flower stickers, and a glitter sticker over four surfaces. I'm not too ashamed to admit it took me some time.
Days later, I'm starting to realize there's more to that little DIY project than a bunch of new cards that I can send HI letters with. It's a lesson. Two in fact.
My grandma will love/approve/respect/cherish anything I do/send/say as long as I put my whole into it. So will my dad, and my mom, and my boyfriend. As long as I'm trying, truly trying, no matter what the outcome they'll accept it/me. So will my friends. I'm my own harshest critic. I look (imagine) that first card, and cringe. My grandma'll open it and say...its perfect. I need to take lessons from the people around me, and acknowledge that I tried, I did the best I could at the time, and it's perfect. Even with all its little imperfections. And, I have to remember that this spills out into everything in my life. Not just arts and crafts.
The second thing? My first attempt at something isn't always going to succeed. I have to keep trying, and trying, until I get the results I'd envisioned at the beginning. I have to admit that I'm not going to be great at everything I do, I have to practice, relearn, remember, and work with what I've got at the time to make it to where I want to be. I knew I wanted a beautiful card. I had a so so card to start. I ended up with a card even I was proud of. So when I start my diet, and I fail - cause I will - I have to remember...its going to happen. Because I've never done it before. So I need to practice (or in this case, keep going) and it'll get better.
I need to remember all this. So I'm writing it down. And when I hit that first roadblock, I can come back, and see this, and keep on truckin'.
All this from a DIY kit and some stickers. Gotta love shiny stuff!
No comments:
Post a Comment