Tuesday, January 24, 2012

My Mind is All Over the Map!

I am new to the art journaling world.  I stumbled upon Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday Videos http://donnadowney.typepad.com/simply_me/inspiration-wednesdays/ a few months ago and my life has not been the same! Thankfully I have family in NC who live less than 30 minutes from Donna's studios and my son chose a college in the same area!  I have been fortunate enough to meet Donna and attended her first Inspired Weekend with 19 other amazing women this past November.  Since then all I think about is mixed media and art journaling, the problem is I do not have a lot of confidence in myself.  I spend a huge amount of my day following blogger after blogger, watching youtube video after youtube video, trying to soak up all of their knowledge, but I never put the pen to the paper or the brush in the paint. 

I feel like my mind is all over the map.  I am always looking for the "perfect" idea, the "perfect" technique.  I want all of my pages to be "perfect".  This perfection or lack there of is driving me crazy!  I actually think it is a form or procrastination...if I keep looking for perfect idea, I won't have to put myself out there...

Donna said it herself..."there is no perfection" "if it makes you happy....it is perfect".  The first night of the workshop Donna handed us a blank art journal...filled with pages made of manilla folders and she said "tonight you are going to take these pages and play and make mistakes because that is the only way that you are going to learn what works and what doesn't"....ummmm hello.....I don't like to make mistakes...I was freaking out, but as I sat and watched, these amazing women that surrounded me jumped in and started creating amazing pages they were having fun making mistakes!  It took me a while but I finally jumped in and tried a page or two but I was nervous as hell!

This page in my inspiration journal is my attempt at trying to give myself some confidence in my journey.  Life is not getting any longer and I am sick and tired of holding myself back because of my lack of confidence!  I hope you like it!

4 comments:

  1. Hi There!
    I saw your comment over at Pam's place and I wanted to let you know IT's NEVER too LATE to start - a journal ! ;) Wow this page is beautiful. That is amazing! Will you consider sharing your lovely inspiration at our Random Journal Day link? Art journals are welcome. I have always wanted to make a Altered Book but have not yet! I also scrapbook and am pretty all over the map myself! Would love to be able to read what you wrote on the right side of the page with the girl!Have fun! I love the idea of an inspiration journal!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words. Pam is my aunt and someone that I have always gone to for comfort and advice. I wrote this blog a while back but as you can see have not been back on. I recently started a recycled arts and crafts studio you can see more of my work here on my facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/thecraftshackstudio. I hope you like it!!! Debbie

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  2. OH...MY...GOSH you DID THAT?!@?#!@$@#!?

    That's FREAKING PERFECT!!!! (sorry, but IT IS!!!!!!!!)

    I'm going to stalk you now! :) You know that, right? :) (I mean that in the non-creepy, un-intrusive way, however. :) HEE HEE

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  3. LOL....this is my old blogger page...you can see more of my art journal pages on my facebook fan page....www.facebook.com/thecraftshackstudio Stalk away!!! :)

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