I did some very crappy crafting on the weekend. As I said in my previous post, nothing worked out and I was feeling very defeated and useless. I spent hours on one watercolour picture and it was so horrible I wanted to throw it in the bin. I hated it and hated myself. Which is not very conducive to creativity. So, I spent a couple of minutes stamping over the whole damn thing, just to snap myself out of it and get me back on track.
Now I’m not showing you this as an example of excellent craftsmanship or talent – far from it. It’s horrible. But it is an example of picking yourself up and getting your butt back in to gear. Your whiny, self-defeating butt. The one that tells you you’re not good enough and will never amount to anything and that your should never pick up a paintbrush or pen again lest you scare people with your hideous creations.
I’m feeling that awful “time is running out” feeling again at the moment, hence my panic and meltdowns when things don’t go to plan. I want to be good NOW. I want to be able to make a living, or at least part of a living, with my craft. I want to be proud of the things I make, instead of feeling everything is sub-par and not good enough. That I’m not good enough, which is probably more at the core of things.
I saw this on Facebook this weekend and it seemed fitting, given the way I am feeling about myself, right now :
“At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.
At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.
At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.
At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.
At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.
At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook.
At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.
At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.
At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.
Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.
Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.
Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40.
Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42.
Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.
Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.
Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made
The Hurt Locker at age 57.
Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76.
Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78.
Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow.
Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it.
Never tell yourself you missed your chance.
Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough.
You can do it. Whatever it is.”
So, maybe, it’s not too late yet. I hope not, anyway. I can only keep trying and not give up. I have to believe that, right now and every other moment, I am enough. I probably need to tattoo that on my forehead, so that I have no choice but to remember it every waking moment. Better to stick with the rubber stamped version for now…
Thank you for stopping by – may your day bring you happiness and success x