My first two days of class went very well. Yay! For the next week, I'll be doing more lesson planning for units 3-5, and I adore lesson planning! My Mon/Wed schedule means no class until next Wednesday because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.
Wow, do we need that holiday to remind us who we are, how far we have come, and--dear Lord help us--how far we have to go.
After my second class today, I went for a walk in the brisk Ohio air (fresh air is good for the soul!) and hit my craft desk to play with a new set from Hero Arts called Winter Tree and Animals.
So much paper ended up in the trash!!!! The frustration was palpable, and I felt my grip on patience slipping. "Should you just go read? Sheesh. This is too hard. Dang it! Ugh. You will never stamp anything pretty again. Arrrggghhh!!!!!!"
Y'all, catastrophizing is not normally my thing, but this afternoon, I went there. Thankfully, mindfulness kicked in, and self-talk shifted: "Susan, you are catastrophizing. This is only paper. Remember that you do this for fun, honey, and you can let the frustration go."
And I did. Just like that, the frustration evaporated.
This is one reason I meditate and practice mindfulness daily. Mind your self-talk because when it goes negative, it gets in the way of creativity, of fun, of mental health. Acknowledge it, and let it go before it sinks you.
Then, this happened.
If you're a fan of Dear Paperlicious and missed Joan's most recent post about her lawyer days in legal aid, go read it. There is compassion on about fifty levels in her essay, and that warmed my heart.
Mercy, grace, peace, love, and kindness,
Susan
I'm not good at scenes either, but this is a great alternative!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon!
DeleteAnd I should have said Happy New Year! Glad your first couple of classes went well!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, too!
DeleteLOVE your card and the sharing of your process. Oh yes. Been there. And thank you for the reminders about self-care which we continually need. Loved Joan's post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy.
Delete"catastrophizing"....just love it! Importantly, writing about negative self talk is really important and something I must learn to stop doing...thanks for the reminder! Also, I clicked over to Paperlicious and read all about Benny...fabulous piece! And then being more curious clicked on to her "Stamping Destroyed My Life"... SO well written and too insightful and funny! Haven't finished all the chapters...yet, but look forward to! Thanks for that link.
ReplyDeleteI make a brief appearance in the Stamping Destroyed My Life series. So does Gina K. Joan is BRILLIANT!
DeleteI love when I wake up to an email from you. Your way you share your process is wonderful. My scene building skills need some work for sure, but I love what you did with the circles. I always appreciate your reminders and advice; negative self-talk is a reminder I needed. Thank You!. Joan's post was great! Her story telling is top notch.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks! And you're so right about Joan.
DeleteI read Joan's blog just before I came to yours. I have been following her for quite some time and love her stories, on all their levels. Really digging the circles. I need to remember to try that when other efforts fail.
ReplyDeleteLu C
Thanks! I found the queens of circles in some European stampers through Pinterest, and they have inspired me and energized me in some very satisfying ways.
DeleteWhat a fantastic layout, and as you said, it's perfect for a masculine card (which is always a challenge for me)! TFS
ReplyDeleteThanks! Masculine cards are just hard...always have been...for me. When I finished this one, my first thought was "Dude! You made a guy card!"
DeleteWhat a gorgeous card!
ReplyDelete