Thursday 18 September 2014

Purse-pective

Greetings all :)

Today, I wanted to talk about perspective.  Namely: yours.  Unless you are one of those odd people who always manages to see their work through the eyes of their adoring fans (whether they have them or not), you are probably your own worst critic.



It is so easy to get bogged down in what's wrong with your make, that you miss all the positive, impressive parts of it.  It's difficult to find the balance between looking over your make with a critical eye, and setting it on fire because you hate it.  I am guilty of this (more the "putting things in a box forever" than the "set it on fire" school of thought, but same principle), even with the makes I have on this blog.  The purse I made in an afternoon now lives in a box because it distresses me with it's failure to be beautiful.

Get back in your box!!

But the thing is, it's not terrible.  It works as a coin purse, and it is all held together nicely even though it was hand-stitched in an afternoon.  Sure, the button is a little off centre, but I can put a little popper under the flap to hold it in place.  It's a little boring, but I've had an idea to Geekify it, and it's given me ideas for how to improve.  This one isn't perfect, but the next one will be better, and the one after that better still.  Eventually they will be of a standard that I'm happy with, and I'll have picked up some valuable skills and tips on the way.

So when you're looking at the finished product of all your hard work, try seeing it as someone who hasn't watched it being made.  Someone who doesn't know where that one top-stitch is slightly out of line, or how the corners aren't completely flat.  If you can't, then show it to someone, without criticising it as you hand it over.  Let them help you be happy with your work!

Unless you're this guy...



... you are usually better at something than you think   You've just got to have the confidence to be able to look at what you've made and decide where it needs improvement, whilst patting yourself on the back for completing a good make.  Difficult, I know.  Have a try next time you make something.  It's all about perspective.

Live long and prosper ^-^

No comments:

Post a Comment