I recieve this very cool newsletter. Each week in the newsletter there is a creative challenge. This week's challenge was to choose one word to represent the goals you might have for the year. My word is 'create'.
I feel like this is something that I have been really working on lately. Not so much skill and talent, but dealing with the mental gymnastics I put myself through. See, I am a sucker for compliments. Love them, love them, love them. Sad, but true. So, a lot of what I create is about the reaction. The Wow! So, if there is no one to appease, no audience, no wow-sayers, then I tend to not create. And I am not sure I like that.
I used to avoid scrapbooking because of the lack of wow-effect. Finishing a scrapbook page, I would close the scrapbook, and put it on the shelf. Or, I would make a scrapbook page thinking all about the reaction that I would get from certain friends and fam. I don't think that that is all bad. But what I do think is bad is NOT creating because I can't identify the immediate audience.
So, my goal, is to create. Who will see these cookies? Me, my husband, my son (who thinks that plastic straws are beautiful) and you. But, I have no one coming over this weekend. No house warming I am attending (these would be perfect for that!). No one but 'the regulars' to show off to. So was this worthwhile?
Yup. Definitely.
I started this blog to help me with this whole thought process. To provide myself some sort of 'audience' to interact with, get ideas from, and share ideas with. So far, I am loving it. 3peas isn't heavy on the comments yet, or the readership, but that wasn't the point. I needed a motivator. Something to act as the immediate audience. And it's working. I have been extremely creative lately. Baking, card making, scrapbooking, and I have goals this month to work on the quilt I am making for my son.
So, this year, whether or not there is an audience, a reaction, a Wow, I'll create anyway!
Anyone want a cookie?
9 comments:
wow! i'll chime in with a reaction and say, YES, to a cookie. do they taste as good as they look? i am working on trying to finish my xmas projects now...only a couple of weeks late. keep me posted on your quilting project... and i would love that scone recipe.
Hey Kathy! How is it going? I just added the scone recipe to the scone post. Can't wait to meet Asher!
Robyn
Yum! Robyn, you always WOW me! You are truly creative and inspirational.
I feel that I bake or create for WOW too and I am struggling with the same dilemma. When I was stressing about my holiday cards I asked myself why I decided to make them. Two main reasons came up: 1)I think it's fun and I enjoy it and 2) I'm excited for people to say WOW I loved your handmade cards. As it was getting later in the game and almost past the holidays and I was still making cards, it was no longer as fun because I was rushing and #2 became the main reason I suppose. It really is nice to get compliments. Oh well. Altruism. That's my word to think about.
Helena finally just moved into her new place. You could send a house cookie to her :-) heehee
Great idea Jackie! Altruism! wo. That seems big, yo! Are you starting a blog to talk about that? :) Because you should....
Dill, I'm in the front row of your audience. I love these - I would almost hate to eat them - I'm sure I could be talked in to it though. I would love to make them for Stace who just purchased her house, but I might have to recruit my mom to help me - I'm intimidated by beautiful baking. Keep creating.....TARA
Man you are good!! I took a quick look at those cookies when Tara brought up the link for me, and for a second, I thought I was on the Martha Stewart site!! I was Wow-ed big time! You have far surpassed me in the cookie decorating department. I am still trying to improve mine.....tried in October to "glaze" my famous sugar cookies, to make them look more professional, only to the severe displeasure of my entire family!! Oh well.....mediocrity works best around here! Keep up the good work!
Hey Lynne and Tara!
Tara- You should definitely make them for Stacey! The cookie part is easy. And one trick is to only make a few. I made 15. I always think I want to double the recipe but then it would take FOREVER to decorate.
Lynne- The pink and purple are glazes, but the rest is frosting. So it's a hybrid. Super sweet. :)
Thanks guys! You are so sweet!
Those do look good.
I used to write for the WOW reasons. I started to feel really silly about it, and it was one of the reasons I was glad to put writing aside and focus on my profession. But you do far more to deserve the WOW than I ever did.
On the entrance to my cube at work, next to my name-and-title plaque, I put the scrapbookish present tag you made for me this Christmas. Right next to the DCD one you made last Christmas. I don't get many WOW's about it. Mostly people just think I'm gay.
To my memory, Mom never made scones for breakfast when I was in high school. We have a vastly different set of experiences!
Well these cookies got the WOW factor out of me. Awesome work, continue to create.
Jenn N
Post a Comment