March has come to an end, as has my March Motivation challenge, which in all honesty was something of a fizzer. That's not to say that I didn't achieve anything, just that I didn't achieve as much as I set out to.
Which brings us to what I have learnt this last month.
I have learnt that if I set myself a challenge the universe will converge to ensure it is indeed challenging.
I have learnt that I can complete projects, even if I then can see multiple things I can change on said finished project.
I have learnt that I am my own worst enemy and critic (ok, I already knew that, but you guys didn't know I already knew that).
I have learnt that the newer (post 80's) Dr Who is really good, and David Tennant is a doll (not literally obviously).
I have learnt that Matt Smith is like fungus... he grows on you. (I mean that in the best possible way, I didn't like him at first, but now I love him).
I have learnt I tend to drop random, irrelevant comments into conversations and blog posts!
I have learnt that having PTSD and major depression is one of the most challenging things you can face on a daily basis.
And most of all I have learnt that I need to accept me for the way I am, my quirks, my faults, my talents, my eccentricities, my idiosyncrasies, my needs, my wants, my desires... regardless of how 'not normal' they may be.
My March Motivation may not have been the creative success I was planning on, but I feel a lot more centred and hopeful than I have in some time.
Showing posts with label March Motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March Motivation. Show all posts
Monday, April 2, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Something finally finished
I have to say that I haven't been as active with my creation as I would like to have been this month, especially in light of my March Motivation challenge. Amongst a whole bunch of other things that have occurred I have been diagnosed with PTSD.
I've probably had it for ages, but the pieces just fell into place. I am feeling somewhat out of sync with the world and this is having a flow on effect of muting my muse.
Nevertheless, I have finally completed my first customised doll!
I originally intended making clothes for her, but as this seems to be the major stumbling block to the completion of quite a few other dolls I decided to use clothes I had accumulated in the process of buying lots of dolls and being given dolls.
The top and skirt are from Liv dolls and the leggings are Barbie, as are the shoes. The bracelets and bag are probably Barbie in origin.
The necklace is a micromaille byzantine with a polymer clay bdsm pendant, all made by me.
Her face has been repainted by yours truly and her hair tidied up. The colour is original, and I love it to bits. Her face mold is gorgeous and I would really love to find some more of her.
I gave her a new body, as the original had these really cool green and pink legs, but they didn't really work with her look. She now has a pre-Swapping Styles Fashionista body.
So today we had a bit of a photoshoot, and then I had some fun playing around with the shots. They aren't the best, but we didn't use a proper set up, just a window sill in my living area.
She is so sweet looking, with this dark edge. She was actually inspired by a fellow artisan who has fabulous pink hair and a rocking style.
I've had a lot of fun customising her, and I'm so glad I finally finished something!
I've probably had it for ages, but the pieces just fell into place. I am feeling somewhat out of sync with the world and this is having a flow on effect of muting my muse.
Nevertheless, I have finally completed my first customised doll!
I originally intended making clothes for her, but as this seems to be the major stumbling block to the completion of quite a few other dolls I decided to use clothes I had accumulated in the process of buying lots of dolls and being given dolls.
The top and skirt are from Liv dolls and the leggings are Barbie, as are the shoes. The bracelets and bag are probably Barbie in origin.
The necklace is a micromaille byzantine with a polymer clay bdsm pendant, all made by me.
Her face has been repainted by yours truly and her hair tidied up. The colour is original, and I love it to bits. Her face mold is gorgeous and I would really love to find some more of her.
I gave her a new body, as the original had these really cool green and pink legs, but they didn't really work with her look. She now has a pre-Swapping Styles Fashionista body.
So today we had a bit of a photoshoot, and then I had some fun playing around with the shots. They aren't the best, but we didn't use a proper set up, just a window sill in my living area.
I've had a lot of fun customising her, and I'm so glad I finally finished something!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Nearing the Two Week Mark
Nearly two weeks have passed since I started my March Motivation Challenge. Whilst I haven't achieved as much as I would have liked, I have made some headway in a couple of areas.
I have begun repainting six dolls... yes, I said six. There is a really good reason for doing so many at once, especially the shading and detailing parts. Each doll requires only a tiny amount of paint, and it is really hard to mix one doll worth of paint. You also need to allow drying time between the layers of paint. So by doing multiple dolls you can use the paint more effectively and give yourself some drying time.
The current girls on the repaint merry-go-round include one doll that I have repainted multiple times and not been entirely satisfied with. There is also a gorgeous pink haired lass, who is on her way to gothdom. Another doll has revealed an evil side, and is kind of spooky to look at.
So here are the girls
Take into account they have no pupils, nor detailing to their irises. They also all need eyeliner and eyelashes. It always amazes me how they reveal a personality as you begin to paint them, they tell you what they want to become.
If you look in the background of the photo you can see brushes suspended in the air. They are hanging from my new favourite 'tool'. It is a round basin with a wire mesh insert that you put water in, and at the top is a spring type thing that you can push the brushes in to. This is so much better for the bristles of the brushes, and the little wire mesh bit helps you clean the brushes better, and helps to hold an 'bits' down the bottom leaving 'cleaner' water at the top.
It is branded as Montmarte and I picked it up at a bargain shop for less that $10. It really is a cool gadget and it has really helped me a lot.
Hopefully things will now settle in my corner of the world and I can get more creativity underway.
I have begun repainting six dolls... yes, I said six. There is a really good reason for doing so many at once, especially the shading and detailing parts. Each doll requires only a tiny amount of paint, and it is really hard to mix one doll worth of paint. You also need to allow drying time between the layers of paint. So by doing multiple dolls you can use the paint more effectively and give yourself some drying time.
The current girls on the repaint merry-go-round include one doll that I have repainted multiple times and not been entirely satisfied with. There is also a gorgeous pink haired lass, who is on her way to gothdom. Another doll has revealed an evil side, and is kind of spooky to look at.
So here are the girls
Take into account they have no pupils, nor detailing to their irises. They also all need eyeliner and eyelashes. It always amazes me how they reveal a personality as you begin to paint them, they tell you what they want to become.
If you look in the background of the photo you can see brushes suspended in the air. They are hanging from my new favourite 'tool'. It is a round basin with a wire mesh insert that you put water in, and at the top is a spring type thing that you can push the brushes in to. This is so much better for the bristles of the brushes, and the little wire mesh bit helps you clean the brushes better, and helps to hold an 'bits' down the bottom leaving 'cleaner' water at the top.
It is branded as Montmarte and I picked it up at a bargain shop for less that $10. It really is a cool gadget and it has really helped me a lot.
Hopefully things will now settle in my corner of the world and I can get more creativity underway.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Challenge is not the Creativity
At the end of the first week of my Creativity challenge I realise that the challenge is not being creative, it's finding time to be creative.
It seems every time I decide to do something like this the universe conspires to make it as difficult as it can. Children get sick, or suspended from school. My depression rears its ugly head and all sorts of other events suddenly occur.
Some days the last thing I feel like doing is hauling out my stuff to play around. I cannot really leave things lying around, my children have sticky fingers... not the honey type either. Things vanish. My little one is endlessly fascinated by all things belonging to mummy and 'borrows' them. When asked where they have gone she will reply with phrases such as 'I put it down somewhere' or 'I can't remember'.
I have this great long list of things to do, conveniently located at LazyMeter.com, but do not seem to be making much headway.
Next week will be different, I will make sure of it, even though my LazyMeter is full of appointments as well!
It seems every time I decide to do something like this the universe conspires to make it as difficult as it can. Children get sick, or suspended from school. My depression rears its ugly head and all sorts of other events suddenly occur.
Some days the last thing I feel like doing is hauling out my stuff to play around. I cannot really leave things lying around, my children have sticky fingers... not the honey type either. Things vanish. My little one is endlessly fascinated by all things belonging to mummy and 'borrows' them. When asked where they have gone she will reply with phrases such as 'I put it down somewhere' or 'I can't remember'.
I have this great long list of things to do, conveniently located at LazyMeter.com, but do not seem to be making much headway.
Next week will be different, I will make sure of it, even though my LazyMeter is full of appointments as well!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Wow, I suck at Challenges
Barely a week of March has passed and I'm already struggling with this challenge! Although in fairness my life is not being easy to get along with. It isn't a complete bust... yet.
So loyal readers, can you send me some positive creative type vibes? Then maybe I can knuckle down and actually get to some creating!
So loyal readers, can you send me some positive creative type vibes? Then maybe I can knuckle down and actually get to some creating!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Day 2 and 3 - something different
I missed a day of blogging, but not a day of some kind of creative pursuit. I frankly am not doing as much as I would like to be doing, but weekends are never a good time in my house!
On Friday I spent some time fiddling around with PCStitch. It is a computer program designed to help you create your own cross stitch and embroidery patterns. In recent times I have used grid type designs to make polymer clay canes, so cross stitch patterns work well.
I have a friend who has an Eclectus Parrot and I wanted to do a cane of one, so I found a couple of pictures and had a bit of a fiddle.
I think I like the second one better, although it has more colours and squares, meaning it will be more complicated to create... woot... a challenge!
Today I didn't think I was going to get to anything creative, until my house guest and bestie decided she wanted her nails done. That's creative... right? So first I applied her first set of fake nails, and then she decided that the pretty french tip wasn't enough and wanted them bright yellow. Who am I to argue! LOL Then she wanted sparkles, but couldn't decide on which sparkles, so we chose two. So now she has awesome looking nails!
Not to be outdone I did my nails too. I was just going to paint them, but then I decided to go with fakes as well.
Now I never said that being creative meant making jewellery or playing with polymer clay!
Let's see what tomorrow brings!
On Friday I spent some time fiddling around with PCStitch. It is a computer program designed to help you create your own cross stitch and embroidery patterns. In recent times I have used grid type designs to make polymer clay canes, so cross stitch patterns work well.
I have a friend who has an Eclectus Parrot and I wanted to do a cane of one, so I found a couple of pictures and had a bit of a fiddle.
I think I like the second one better, although it has more colours and squares, meaning it will be more complicated to create... woot... a challenge!
Today I didn't think I was going to get to anything creative, until my house guest and bestie decided she wanted her nails done. That's creative... right? So first I applied her first set of fake nails, and then she decided that the pretty french tip wasn't enough and wanted them bright yellow. Who am I to argue! LOL Then she wanted sparkles, but couldn't decide on which sparkles, so we chose two. So now she has awesome looking nails!
Not to be outdone I did my nails too. I was just going to paint them, but then I decided to go with fakes as well.
Now I never said that being creative meant making jewellery or playing with polymer clay!
Let's see what tomorrow brings!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Day 1 - Here we go
The first day of March has come and gone, and did I do anything creative? Yes, I did. However it wasn't really anything that can be shown.
I designed a necklace for a competition, ergo I cannot show it. It is a secret.
I also removed the paint from the faces of several dolls ready to repaint. Naked doll faces are not all that interesting, unless you are like me.
My house guest claimed I hadn't done anything creative, but I beg to differ. It is part of my creative process, therefore it is being creative. Hopefully soon I will have something interesting to show.
I designed a necklace for a competition, ergo I cannot show it. It is a secret.
I also removed the paint from the faces of several dolls ready to repaint. Naked doll faces are not all that interesting, unless you are like me.
My house guest claimed I hadn't done anything creative, but I beg to differ. It is part of my creative process, therefore it is being creative. Hopefully soon I will have something interesting to show.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Motivation for March
After several months of limited creative mojo I have decided that I need to do something to make the situation change. So I have set myself the challenge of doing some sort of creation every day for the month of March. I know lots of folk who are doing challenges like '365 days of Creativity', but I figured that was setting myself up for huge failure. LOL
I have tried similar challenges before and they always seem to go for so long that it becomes an overwhelming task, which results in a lack of results. To my mind, 31 days is a lot easier to achieve.
My intention is to blog every day, but I am all too aware of the reality that that may not happen. I will endeavour to do so though, as well as recording my creations in photographic form. I am not expecting to necessarily finish a creation a day, this is more about just doing something creative every day, nurturing the artist within.
I am only to happy to have fellow creative types join me for this little challenge. If you do join me be sure to post a link to your blog so I can follow along with you, and I will also promote you to my other readers.
So, stay tuned. And may the Muse be kind to all.
I have tried similar challenges before and they always seem to go for so long that it becomes an overwhelming task, which results in a lack of results. To my mind, 31 days is a lot easier to achieve.
My intention is to blog every day, but I am all too aware of the reality that that may not happen. I will endeavour to do so though, as well as recording my creations in photographic form. I am not expecting to necessarily finish a creation a day, this is more about just doing something creative every day, nurturing the artist within.
I am only to happy to have fellow creative types join me for this little challenge. If you do join me be sure to post a link to your blog so I can follow along with you, and I will also promote you to my other readers.
So, stay tuned. And may the Muse be kind to all.
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