"BIG" story about the Inspire Me Thursday "Big" Challenge

I should have known. The "BIG" challenge was coming soon.....When I saw this, I felt like I did when SPT announced the "ALL of ME" challenge. This weeks ...Inspire Me Thursday challenge was to take whatever you normally do art wise, and kick it up a notch (in size). Well, for me, this was indeed a very BIG challenge.

First of all, we are talking "tag/atc" size lady here. I love doing collage and guess why? Because I get to cut things into tiny little pieces! Ever since I was a young girl, I would do this. It used to drive my mother nuts. So I digress. Most of my collages are small. When I have tried to venture into making them bigger, I kind of get in a panic and start getting blocked--big time---I'm talking, I have NO idea what to do. I get caught up in the "how" instead of the what and then I just say, "I'm not ready" and go on my merry way, back to my portable desk in which I have my paper "stash" of goodies, glues, and buttons and all is right with the world again! Small is so good for me because I don't have time to finish anything big and with small tags I get a feeling of accomplishment before I have to carry on with the other umpteen things I gotta do 'round here.

This is the "process" I went through during the BIG challenge and thus what I learned:


Day 1: First of all, I take these weekly challenges seriously. I feel like I won't be doing "my homework" and the teacher is going to reprimand me. LOL. I know no such thing will happen, but I feel like I would be letting them down. So I have a compulsive side of me that was not going to let me "off the hook" on this BiG thing. Lesson learned: I may be compulsive, but at least I'm determined when I get a "challenge".

Day 2: I kept waiting for inspiration to strike. Nothing. I thought, ok, I should get one of those little canvases that I always buy "on sale" but never venture to open. So, there's a start. (If you are getting bored, just skip to the end...lol) anyhow, now I have my "victim", a piece of medium size canvas. I proceeded to take the wrapper off....there, that wasn't so hard. I say to myself, "ooooo, this doesn't feel like I thought it would. I though canvas was all stretched tight...this has a little bounce in the middle...oh, well, I guess that's why it was on sale..."

Day 3: the canvas is still sitting at my dining room table. I play the whole "blank canvas song" in my mind. Something about fear of the dreaded "blank canvas". Then I think, "well, I'm not a 'real' artist, so I have nothing to lose, I think I got this at michaels for....a buck or two.. Ok, gotta go make dinner"....

Day 4: Ok, Julia Cameron says, "Show up at the page". I think, "Ok, that's half the battle. But I have to have a plan. Where is that canvas collage book? Ok, lookie here, this doesn't look so hard.." I get out the paints. "oooo, look at all these goodies. I think I'll use this color, then use a darker color on top for glaze, like I saw in the book. Then I'll mix that glaze stuff because that looks all shimmery and cool. I paint the canvas. Hey, I'll try out this crackle medium too...Then I leave it there. Gotta go do stuff with the kids. This is a good thing for me, I can take breaks and get other stuff done while this is drying..."

Day 4: (evening) Back at the page. "This looks like CRAP!" What happened? Lesson # 4: don't use glazes and crackle all of the same surface. yuk! I ended up with gummy yucky junk on the canvas. sheesh. They said to "jump in", but that didn't mean I had to use all the mediums I have here on one canvas....patience and a plan. two things I'm lacking here.

Day 5: Morning: "ok, I have to fix this junk. has anyone seen the spackle spatula?" I start to scrape the gunk over the sink, "Mommy! We have to leave NOW! and I think one of our fish is dying! ", uh oh, I shouldn't be doing this right now...yikes.....I'm throwin' this thing in the trash as soon as I get back. "Has anyone fed the fishies?" I yell.

Day 6: Afternoon: Ok, I don't want to throw this thing away, I have to fix it. I have to persevere. I should be collaging on this. I collage, so I need to do big in collage....ok, that's perfectionistist thinkin' again. Ok, I think, I know, I'll just paint a flippin' flower on the dang thing. Georgia O'Keefe...she did flowers. flowers are ok. Ok, I'll do one flower and be done with this. At least it will be complete. Sheesh. I have a lot to learn, what happened to just having fun....".

Day 7: When I get back from droppin' Rich off I'm planting that flower on that bad boy and finishing the laundry....man, I should be cleaning my house right now...enough already....I'm hyperfocussing!"

Ok, I'm back. I plop a bunch of colors on a paper plate (artist extraordinare here..lol). Then I yell, "hey, who took my green paint, flowers need some green!" ...."I didn't do it" one of them says....Lesson learned: I need some peace and quiet while I'm workin' on something. Gotta get my "meme" homework done before the kids come home! I think I also need to get some order going here in what the girls take from my desk and perhaps I need a secret locked up cabinet of my fav. stuff. Another lesson, I need some ephemera in a variety of sizes if I'm going to go beyond the scope of tags. Time to organize again! Big, shmig, I need a hot bubble bath...

Ok, so this was my process. I know someone is going to write and tell me they KNOW I haven't been doing my morning pages and that I need to dial-a-blog-therapist. My point is...I don't know what my point is...oh yeah, I guess I learned something from going BIG and that is that I think I have a while to go before I get there! But I learned alot trying! LK

p.s. pictures to follow, promise, in two minutes...