Perfectly Imperfect #2

**Warning: this is a long post...and Blogger is having issues with spacing my paragraphs correctly. :)

Hi again! I've been mulling over what I wrote in the previous post and I'm encouraged by the responses I received about it. Thanks for your input! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I've been reading some of these same feelings on other blogs too (even one that talks about home decor being perfectly imperfect: The Inspired Room) and so I've come up with some more on the subject of letting go of perfection in our creativity. I've had this in my 'draft' folder for a week or so, trying to decide if I'm ready to share more...so here goes. :) What I know: perfection or the pursuit of perfection or the fear of imperfection will only hinder us creatively. I hope the following post makes sense, so bear with me or you can skip all of it altogether. ;) It's a long post. I'm writing this to help myself process this, to try to find a way to open up/release my creativity and find something true for myself; and I'm throwing this part two out there for anyone who might identify too.

I thought of a quote I heard a long time ago: the more you know the less you fear. If you don't try something, you won't know if you like it or not, or if it will work out or not. Fears and insecurities keep me from doing so much. Imperfection, to me, has always gone hand in hand with fear of rejection. Will it (whatever "it" happens to be) be okay? Will it be acceptable? I have to tell myself "yes, it will." It's OK. (Another Ali quote I love). I have to keep telling myself these things everyday. Do I go about making art & sharing it bravely? No....no, no, and no. I wish I were more bold. Heck, I'd love to be bold. Period. I'm so hard on myself. I've only just started to allow/encourage myself to play and release bits of my artful/artsy/artist's heart. I have to tell myself everyday, many times on some days, to just create something. Just do something. It sure is hard though when I've run into the proverbial brick wall & I don't feel like being creative. Recently someone shared this with me, about how they feel, "I'm a frustrated perfectionist who will often choose no action whatsoever, rather than risk imperfection." I can definitely relate with that!

I'm an introvert. (according to an online quiz, 79.41% so. lol) I can be outgoing, absolutely, when I have to be, when I push myself. I'll only show the real me to people I feel comfortable - safe - with. And at last count, it's only a handful of people and even those people don't know every facet about the real me. I'm an observer. I'm a private person and I'm shy. Especially when it comes to sharing my thoughts, opinions, ideas, artwork & photography. These things would give light to what makes me tick. Do I dare risk showing these things? Do I dare let people know I have faults and quirks and my life can be messy....that I might be. . .imperfect? To try new things is really putting myself out there. To share my art and photography is putting myself out there. This blog is an exercise in putting myself out there. Will the thoughts I express be accepted? I have to keep telling myself it's OK if they aren't. :) (Annnnnnd, it doesn't help at all that I'm a wee bit of a procrastinator!) lol

I love Donna Downey's Campaign for Creativity. Check it out when you have time. I'm still thinking about Tracey's posting at ShutterSisters.com from a week or so ago too, "Does it feel like there is something within you that is begging to come to the surface—something that can no longer be denied? I am holding onto this belief that if we’re willing, something beyond our wildest dreams might emerge." Hmmm,... if we're willing. If we're willing to just try? Willing to embrace imperfection? Willing to accept the imperfections of others? I'd love to have that "something beyond my wildest dreams" emerge!

Would you like more inspiration? Check out Jen Lee's post about her and Jen Lemen's Portfolio Project. There's a podcast there you can listen to. It's really inspiring, to me, anyway. :) One of them says something about making art...just putting something down & getting it done "fast & dirty". They're talking about painting but I don't see why you couldn't apply that thinking to whatever project you're working on.

Inspiration at Sarah Bowen's blog: "Do you ever feel like something is on the verge of happening, something that will change the way you see your life right now? Is it possible to feel like this but to also feel a little lost too? To feel like you could figure it all out if you would just get that first hint or that first sign. If you could only figure out what the first step is, how to carry through to the rest!?!?!? ... I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to, the trick is just keeping my mind on whatever IT is."

Here's a quote I saw quite a while ago on a project Ali Edwards was showing on her blog. I feel it ties in with what I've been writing about:

there came a time
when the risk to remain
tight in a bud
was more painful than
the risk it took to blossom.

ANAIS NON

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts, feelings about all this imperfection stuff! :) Thanks for taking the time to read what I've posted. I hope it can encourage at least one person. At the photography section of Pioneer Woman's website, one of her contributing photography "tutors", Miz Booshay, always ends her posts with "encourage one another". I love that. I encourage you. I encourage us...to try, to do, to create. To be willing. Keep working at cracking that shell to release the artist in you. (Or writer, or whatever your passion is).

I'm a work in progress. We all are, eh? I don't have all the answers but I'm finding inspiration in all these things I've been sharing. I'm hopeful...waiting....for that something that can no longer be denied to emerge. I hope you can all find ways to express your inner artist and release her to her fullest potential!!

(Ingrid Michaelson's 'Be OK' video)

Have a wonderful day-
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PS. The lyrics to Amy Grant's song 'All I Ever Have to Be' encourage me too. Click HERE to check them out if you'd like.

Perfectly Imperfect

Just wanted to share some thoughts I'm having about perfection, with whoever might be reading this :) ....

One day I was writing something to someone about something I made (lol) and the only way I could describe how I felt about the item was to say it was "perfectly imperfect". Yes, the item had flaws but I happened to see the beauty in the imperfections in what I made. The imperfections make things unique. Our imperfections make each one of us unique. That's a good thing.

{image from Ali E's CafePress.com store...click HERE to go...you'll want to buy one of everything! ;) }

I love Ali Edward's mantra of "embrace imperfection". That's how great things come about, as a result from something being an accident or an imperfection. I hope you all can find some beauty in some of the imperfections around you.

There's a quote by Voltaire that I've been seeing around in some blogs lately: "The perfect is the enemy of the good". I believe I first saw it used at Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project site. It has been swirling around my head and after seeing it a few more times I've decided I should pay more attention to it. The way Gretchen put it really struck a chord in me. She wrote, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In other words, instead of pushing yourself to an impossible “perfect,” and therefore getting nowhere, accept “good.” Many things worth doing are worth doing badly."

I think if you change "badly" for something like "imperfectly" it might have a more positive, do-able vibe to it. I don't know if I want to do something badly. ;) But I'll do/try it imperfectly. Sometimes imperfect has to be good enough.

And that leads me to a posting from Kal Barteski's website. Goshhhhh, I love her art & attitude. Her "bullet-proof attitude" as she puts it. Check out the posting here: Paint Away.

(artwork is © property of Kal Barteski, used here with permission)

I think it was that posting of Kal's and the inspiration of Ali Edwards that got me thinking about my "create something" phrase. Just create something. Just begin. A little paint splashed on a blank sheet of paper is a start. Or use whatever you have in front of you. Write one word. What does that word make you think of? Write it down. Take one picture. Try a different angle. Try different light. Try it with no flash (which is my preference, btw). :)

Just create something.

And then stand back and admire what you did. :)

And then create some more.

Have a wonderfully imperfect and creative day!

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*update....thanks :) to Merideth for this insight: "i was just discussing this with my son - although it wasn't about creating a tangible; it was about building a life. we were talking about having the courage to get out there and try something rather than remaining comfortable and growing stagnant." Well said and so true! Just trying something, in life or art...not getting hung up on being perfect or good at it. Just do it. (Oh, Nike knew that a long time ago, didn't they? ;) lol)

Today at ShutterSisters.com

Tracey's post today titled 'emerge', at ShutterSisters.com really spoke to me so I thought I'd post about it here in case anyone might be interested in checking it out. Here's a line from her post: "Does it feel like there is something within you that is begging to come to the surface—something that can no longer be denied?"

For me, a resounding YES!

Today is January 12th...

**Update #2 on 2/2/09: I (finally) got my January edition of 12 of 12 finished. I kept putting off the sewing part of it. I hadn't sewn on a layout before and I was anticipating having a hard time so I procrastinated. Just keepin' it real. ;) I know alot of people have been sewing on layouts for years but I just never tried. Well, I did last night, practiced first on a different sheet of cardstock and come to find out it was so easy & quick! Why had I waited so long?! LOL So, in a matter of minutes, I had my layout sewn and written on. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek!

*Update: here are my pictures - now, to put them in a layout!

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It's time for the 12-of-12 challenge! Take pictures of your day today then select twelve. As Susan of the 12-of-12 blog says, do your choosing quickly, be ruthless! But, only twelve photos and one of those twelve must be a self-portrait. Then put them together in a layout (simple or elaborate but do it quickly)...then load your page up to either your personal blog, a message board site, a photo hosting gallery OR just snap a picture of it. Send Susan either the .jpg or the link to your page and she'll add it to the 12-of-12 blog and we'll all get a look into your life. :) Click on the green '12 of 12' button on the right-hand side for more information. :) Most importantly, have fun!
(Journaling tag is part of Lauren Reid's 'Creative Journaling' freebie kit available at Little Dreamer Designs' blog: Creative Journaling. If you download it, please, please, please be sure to leave those gals some love in the comments section. They all do such great work and make gorgeous free gifts available! Thanks!)

More December Daily pages :)

December Daily Album - update #2

Pictures of more finished pages of my December Daily album :)

Working with a mistake:

Somehow the line I was drawing made a jog upward so I drew some squiggles and wrote, "yum!"

December Daily Album - update

Hi :)


For whoever may be interested (whoever's still stopping by to peek in my blog) here are some of the finished pages of my December Daily album. (I haven't put numbers on the pages yet...not sure if I will or not)...




Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!