Preach it, girl!!

Each morning I check Ali Edwards' blog. Today she is talking about creative fears. Number 3 was People not appreciating what we create:

Here's the plain truth: people will either love, hate, or be indifferent to what you create. You are the one who needs to love it, feel good about it, and not worry about what anyone else thinks. Most likely your family is going to either love or be indifferent towards your projects...and indifference doesn't mean they don't love you any less. Some of the things we create now may not be appreciated until later on - and that is ok too. This is why I encourage you to get to a place where you enjoy the process now - where you are filled up by what you are creating or by the friendships you are making through scrapbooking or by the stories you are telling and the memories you are recounting.
"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity: be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding; don't try to be a success; don't try to do pictures for others to look at - just please yourself."- Ralph Steiner

Can I get an 'Amen'? I'm going to be transparent here: Just recently I was feeling down on myself because I haven't been picked for any of the color challenges. I have entered Kristina Werner's color challenges many times, but I've never been picked. I was having a hard time with it the other day and told myself that I would never participate in them again. (Never say never) A dear friend of mine pointed out to me that a Kristina has a certain style and when she's looking through the creations to pick the 'winners', she's looking through the eyes of her own style. I don't have Kristina's style. And I have decided I will not bend my style to fit another's style. No way! I have to be 'true to my style'. So everything I've been preaching about has definitely been put to the test in the last few days.

So often I hear women scared to create because they wonder what others will think. They don't want their work looked at under a critical eye. I go through that too. There were times when I was doing a color challenge that I would try to make a card that I thought would fit Kristina's style. I would end up not liking the card. Sure, I like to try new things like that every once in awhile, but if I'm only doing it to catch someone's eye, then it's wrong!

I really really like what Ali said about how people may not like what we create, will be indifferent, or won't appreciate it until later on. That's SO true!! I want to create for me. I enjoy scrapbooking and card-making for ME. I'm not doing it to please others. I need to remember that. I've decided that I have to look at the color challenges as my own little challenge, not a competition. I was letting the crazy girly, competition, jealousy stuff get to me. Sometimes we women get way too tied up in the crazy feelings/emotions. We just need to chill! I need to chill! Haha!

Whew!