Sunday 8 July 2012

The Truth {how to cope with the Blessing/Curse that is Creativity!}






The truth is I'm tired and I'm sick...and I'm sick and tired
LOL!!  Tomorrow I will be back with a new post and a brand 
new attitude...  Yup, lucky for me I can just switch to my
 "happy face" when I need to, and I know that I have to get on 
with the month before me, after all it will be the NINTH tomorrow
 so I better get something achieved before we hit the double 
figures in July!

I have quite a few announcements to make tomorrow - June was
a successful month for me!  I also worked *bleeping* hard!!!
and got 16 layouts done - too many to be able to keep up with
putting them all through their paces on the right Facebook walls,
seeing if anyone wants to publish them, etc...so I'm going to
slow down a bit this month so that I can get that done as well.

I've done a little hopping from my bed today.  So glad to be
back in Durban and back in my own home and bed, despite the
flu having hit all 3 of us on our travels to Cape Town last week!
So why the bad attitude today then?!?  Well I suppose I am
 over-ambitious and impatient, both bad qualities I agree.  

I've just visited a friend's blog, where she voiced her 
disappointment at not making a certain DT, one most of us
would have tried out for I'm sure.  I read the comments and
EVERYONE related to that more than anything else in the post.
It DOES SUCK.  I keep telling myself it's not important, and if 
I don't make it it's FINE but let's face it, we are all human and
it's very difficult to REALLY not care that we are not selected.

I KNOW I can't be the only one to feel like this.  There have
been numerous worthy calls out there recently, so many that I
have had to be selective as I didn't have the time to create for
them all, and so far I've had ZERO percent success rate...

Okay so that's only 2 out of 2, but those are still the stats!
I have had 3 features (3 second places) and have 3 guest 
designer stints coming up in the following months, so that is
the successful part.  An online friend wrote to me recently
asking for "my secret to success"...My answer was that the
only secret was that I didn't express my disappointment 
over my failures, so there you have it...

I fail, A LOT!  In fact I fail pretty much constantly!!
So does that make me a failure?!  No!  I may FEEL 
like a failure at times, but a successful life (or vocation) is 
not judged or determined by anything other than the 
grand scheme of things - the "big picture" so here's to
a new month, new opportunities, new successes...

I guess what I'm trying to say is...DON'T GIVE UP.  We all
put on our "happy faces" online because we feel akward 
pulling out the sympathy card.  I'm not wanting you to
say "Oh Helen, don't give up please!" which is why I don't
tell you how often the thought goes through my mind...
I think we'd all be lying if we said that we just LOVED 
everything about what we do.

What I love is that I get to experience such a full life,
with people JUST LIKE ME, who are passionate artists
too and who create to fill that void in life that only 
creating can.  That at times are as tortured as I am by this
 "blessing and curse" known as creativity.  It's hard to write
 these things down...which is the reason most of us don't do it.

So let me end by saying that we are all in the same boat.
Never give up.  Keep striving.  I see people on that Prima
team that a few years ago I remember as unknowns.  
Things will happen for us all.  All along the way I am 
pushed and moulded to become a better artist.  Each
disappointment only fills me ultimately with more 
determination to succeed.  

Keep things in perspective.  Not always easy to do, but easier
when you see the hardships that some people experience in life.
While success makes our souls sing our families and loved ones
are what really counts.  I've just come back from visiting my
sister in Cape Town, who is a Spastic Quadriplegic, totally
defined by her disability.  As awful as it is to see someone 
living in the circumstances she is it makes me SO GRATEFUL
for the life I have, which quite honestly is fantastic by comparison!




34 comments:

Alison said...

Great post Helen..and love the way you summed it all up at the end...compared to many, we have great lives!!
Alison xx

Unknown said...

I hear ya, Helen...we all get disappointed, sometimes even hurt, when we don't make that team or when things just don't go our way. What I like to do in times like that is (1) remind myself that I've only been scrapping for two years, and (2) look back and see how far I've come! I've also noticed that when I don't "get" something I wanted so badly, something else comes along that I was just MEANT for...KWIM? My mom always used to tell me "When God closes a door, he opens a window"- it's so true.
So just look for that window, Helen. And thanks for sharing these feelings- yes, I know how hard that is to do. Today, you're vulnerable, and that's good! Because you're just saying what we're all thinking/feeling! And tomorrow we'll see you with your game face back on- and that's okay too!
Take care, my friend~
xErin

Lizzy Hill said...

Yep, yup, gotcha.... Never really worries me...nice to get the accolades, but the flip side is the rejections...good & bad; yin & yang or. Whatever it is!!! Gotta go through it ...part of life. Sometimes it's easier than others...all depends on other stuff happening as well:)) still looking forward to your new months slightly LESS LOs!!!!!:):):)

Marelize said...

Beautiful post Helen and so well said! Keep up your great work. With an attitude like yours, you can achieve anything! xx

Keren Tamir said...

I'm so glad you are back and feeling better!! I'm glad you got this off your chest even if you weren't sure how to express it. You summed up what I've been feeling for a while but you helped me see the light not only today. I don't care if you don't want people to tell you but I will. Don't give up because your work is fantastic and because you are a wonderful person who cares about everyone and we all know it even if you don't leave us comments. We all want feedback like you mentioned in the next post but we know the price for it. Its hours and hours on end of commenting which I would love to do but not always can. I know you will be successful only because you are those things: ambitious and determined. I do believe that if more people would share their dissapointments like you did, we would feel more at home with this blogging world. You know how I feel about it!! I wish you lots of success and may your mojo keep you going on and on and on!!

sandi said...

Nicely said Helen! Yes, we need to keep it all in perspective! Everyone can't be selected for everything. You got to just do what makes you happy, and if you end up on a team here or there, then that's just another adventure...everyone will have their own day at one thing or another. What's that important saying..."take time to smell the roses"....that's what's important...slow down, spend time with the family and be greatful for what we do have, not concentrate on what we don't have.

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Amen girl!!! Awesome post!!! You ROCK!!!

Stefanie said...

I tried once for a journaling creative kit team that SAID they considered internationals and then chose Americans and Canadians. Not my definition of international - but there you have it. Sometimes it is more about the logistics and postage than it is about talent and creativity. Just putting that out there.

Tina said...

Wonderful post Helen and many of us agree with what you put into words - chin up and keep doing what you are doing - YOU ROCK and inspire MANY!! Hugs, Tina

Keren Tamir said...

I do want to add that we have to cherish every day, cherish our family and friends. We are blessed not because We have made it another design team but we are blessed because we have family and friends that love us. And most of all we are blessed that we can have the time to express ourselves through this art because many people around the world don't have this luxury.

Bellaidea said...

Dear Helen, you are very talented, very samrt and have lots of friends! You make people smile . Girls admire you and your work. Another DT? It`s just a part of our creative life:), you know I mean it!

Michelle said...

I am glad to hear you are feeling better. No fun to be on vacation then get the stomach bug. I saw your LO at CS's today... it is beautiful!!! Great job with the sketch this week. Thanks for all the sweet comments I found today as well. :)

Mona Pendleton said...

I hope you feel better Helen! Not much fun feeling under the weather.

Nicole Doiron said...

So well said Helen! I find myself very disappointed often when a certain winner's post finally comes through that i had been anxiously waiting for, and my layout never even made it to the top 10! But i have to keep reminding myself that there are so many talented scrappers out there and i still have so much more to learn. You, along with a lot of the other commenters here, have been such huge inspirations to me this past year. With one disappointment often comes a blessing... and just as i found out yesterday that i still didn't make the winning cut on one of my favorite sketch blog, i received an email that i had been chosen as part of the DT of a cool challenge blog, maybe not the most popular or the most prestigious, but still a place where they can appreciate all sorts of creativity, at all levels. Keep up the great work Helen - you inspire me! :)

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Well said, Helen, and thanks for the encouraging words. I needed to hear them today!! ~ Blessings

http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

Rachael Funnell said...

Firstly! hope you get better REAL soon...
Yep! Totally agree.... We all have applied & been knocked back somewhere!! & like you said BUT! DON'T GIVE UP & Keep on Applying Cause you never never know.....
Take Care! x

Keren Tamir said...

Btw Helen you won goodies at OUAS

Gayle Price said...

So eloquently, honestly and bravely expressed !! How do we measure "success " in our lives ? If I said it was by the number of Design Teams I was on or the number of challenges I'd won I would appear to be a very "shallow" person living a very empty life. Creativity is just a small part of what makes us happy...it is subjective and not every one will appreciate what you do...the point is, when you're DOING IT does it make YOU happy ? Thanks for always "putting it out there Helen". xx

Lynnda said...

Hey Helen... well-said.... And I hear ya...Just like you... I can easily switch on and off too...Me too... I failed too many times... I do have a moment of great disappointment... but I'm glad DH is very supportive... he'd say "its not the end of the world" that lifted my spirit spontanelously... ... I've been turned down numerous times as well... Oh well... I supposed I'm not that good enough...and I move on... Personally ...at the end of the day... I just heart this hobby and the reason why I blog...is because I want to share my passion..And I heart the support and friendship I get from my blog...one of them is YOU.... You are such a great inspiration to me!!! Hugs...xoxo

Marilyn said...

So glad you're back but so sorry you're sick. I can understand how do you feel because i know how hard is all this and make me sad. We're humans and for more stronger we want to be..of course this things affect us but I think that something better is waiting for us!!! Love you sincerity in this post, for sure all of us know that rejections feels so bad..
But the best part is that tomorrow start a new day!!! ;) You're a talented scrapper, a wonderful person and a lovely friend!!
Enjoy your family, don't think to much in our hobby and you'll see that something great will come!!!
I hope you feel better very soon!!
A Big Hug!!! ;)

FiKenward said...

Well stated Helen, you already know my point of view through our emails so I wont go into them here. You are definitely one that will achieve your goals through you determination and your creativity and if that doesn't work try the soap opera effect "wink" lol. Hope your feeling better soon.

scrapping4me said...

Tell it how it is I always say....how will anyone know unless you tell them? Its all part of life - if you have the right mindset, you will take it on board and grow with it! Good on ya Helen for your post and keep it coming with those pages!

Jasmine S said...

Oh Helen, you give me shivers with your honesty, devotion and emotion. I just love your posts and thank you for your words about not making a team. I agree, there is more to life than making a team. Whilst rejection hurts for a little while, a disability is forever and yes, we are blessed to be who we are and to achieve what we have already achieved. I think we are both similar in that we strive to be the best we can be so to fail even a little, might sometimes feel bigger.
You have had a huge success lately with your fabulous wins and features so concentrate on those and get ready for the next roll.
x

Sandra said...

Good on you for 'keeping your chin up', the thing I get disheartened about is a lengthy time between end of challenges and announcements of winners, however it never helps me to stress over this, I just have to assume everyone is busy.

Scraps of Elegance said...

Don't stop doing what you love Helen. This is only a bump in the road and like so many others before me have said, the best is yet to come, hang in there kid, we're behind you.

topkatnz said...

Sucess is not acheived through triumph, but what we learn from our failures.xx

yyam said...

Glad you got some time away with your girls. Rest well. Drink lots of water.

The real competition should be with ourselves...to continually grow as artists. To produce work that's better than the last.

Kerryn said...

Yours is the second post I've read today that has put what is really important in perspective. Thanks for sharing.
x

Denise Price said...

Sorry to hear that you caught the flu. Hope that you'll be feeling 100% better soon!

Chantelle said...

I like what you've said in your post Helen - nice you are so honest and hope people can read this and feel encouraged by it. It's important to first enjoy this wonderful craft called scrap booking - it's not always about what DT's we are on and which challenge we've won.
Keep bringing your awesome work and inspiration to us. Love it all!!

Linda Eggleton said...

Such an honest, well said post, Helen.

Yep, we all have had disappointments in not making a team or our work going unrecognised etc...and I know it's hard at times, but I think we all need to have a different mind set so that when we're not chosen that we NOT make this feel like we are a failure! We can't all make the one team...and I do believe that when one door closes, another one opens elsewhere....so never give up!

Your work is always beautiful & created with much love <3
Hope you're feeling better soon! :)

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Congrats on being selected as one of the winners at OUAS for your amazing June layout. Well deserved!! ~ Blessings

http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

Marjie Kemper said...

Wonderful post, Helen. On vacation and unable to read McJob but I have all your new content alerts saved for when I'm home.

Diana said...

Gosh I know I'm late to this but I just cringe to read you calling yourself a failure for not getting on a DT.
I was relieved to read your concluding paragraph where you really put the whole thing into perspective!