Just TRY It

Hi, again!  It's KJ, from The Dreamy Giraffe, back again for another TRY Day.  I can't believe it's the next to last one already!  This month has FLOWN by like a bird with a few pairs of extra wings.  That fast.

So, this week, I want you to try something that scares you.

Now, I don't necessarily mean jump out of a plane (though you could do that if you want to, but I think I should add: I bear no responsibility for jumping-out-of-plane related consequences, okay?) or stick your hand in a bear's mouth (PLEASE, say no to sticking your hands in anything with teeth) or call that cute dude down the street (though, if he's single and you're single, that might actually be a good one -- he might think YOU'RE a cutie, too, and if it goes awry, you can always just say, "KJ made me do it!" and hang up real fast).

But...is there something new you've wanted to go for but you're a little bit afraid you won't be able to do it?  Something you've been putting off?  Something that intimidates you a little bit? 

I have a to-do on my to-do list that makes me a little bit, okay, a LOT of bit anxious and nervous and nauseous and a bunch of other words ending in "eous"...but it makes me a little excited, too.  I have to admit, though, the Eous Gang and Excitement have been arm-wrestling and the Eouses have been winning out and I've been procrastinating a bit.  But today, I'm just going to JUMP IN and just do it.

A couple of months ago, a friend of my dad's asked me if I could do a couple of portraits for him.  A couple of realistic potraits.  Now, I'll be honest with you: I'm not yet at the point in my career as an artist where, if someone asks me to do a custom piece for them, I can say, "OH, no, no, I don't want to."   

And to be honest, I don't really want to ever get to that point in my career.  I love doing commissions.  It's so much fun and such an honor to be chosen to get to create something so special for someone.  I never want to have to say no to that!  Now, if it was something I was morally opposed to, I would turn down the work, but otherwise, now, in addition to just plain old wanting to do custom pieces, I kinda need the money...they didn't come up with the phrase 'starving artist" because those two words just had a nice ring when said together, after all!.  So I want to do it and I need to do it...even if it's something that kind of makes me doubt my abilities and skills, something that makes me shake in my socks (I rarely wear boots).  And the thought of doing a realistic portrait? Makes me shake in my socks. A LOT.

I still do a double take when someone refers to me as an artist and probably look at them like I have no idea who they're talking about.  "Wait, did you mean ME?"

But as an artist (even one that's not 100% sure she is one!), I've developed a pretty specific style -- and I'm kinda fond of it, but realistic it's not: 

I have done a "more realistic" portrait before and I'm proud of it, but it's still miles and miles away from realistic:

Anyway, I've had the check in hand for a couple of weeks and was using the assurances of "no rush, do it whenever you can, no hurry, really" as an excuse to put other projects first, because I've been a scaredy cat, letting "what if I can't do it"s crowd up my brain.  Well, today, we find out, because along with that check, I'm getting my paintbrush in hand!

I do hope that I'll have a bunch of Create a Connection-ers knocking their fears out and just TRYING it along with me this week!

KJ

P.S. I don't know about you guys, but I have to admit, I did NOT do the best with the "no negativity" trial from last week.  It was a pretty rotten week where just about everything went wrong and it seemed like everyone in the world (except maybe my Momma) hated me and in all my wanting to hide under the bed and cry, I got amensia off and on about the idea that I was supposed to be trying to be positive.  So I'm gonna give it another go this week.

P.S. X 2: Kaylee loved the toybox!  At just forty-eight hours away from turning two, she got down on the floor, right in front of it, up close, and proclaimed, "It's beeyoooooooooutiful." And her Mommy cried (tears of joy!) a little bit and her Daddy put it together right away.  So the surprise definitely went over well.

Comments

[Pattie Mosca]

Oh I LOVE...LOVE...LOVE these!! FABULOUS!!