Perspective in Creation

I am working on some fairy wings for Halloween. I would love to make a sturdy, large, light, etherial pair of wings. I have these exact specs in my mind’s eye. “They have to look exactly THIS way,” says my inner editorial voice.

(This picture is days earlier when I was sketching the wing outline. She helped.)

I had a sketch on some newsprint on the floor and all the supplies collected are around me. The truth is that I was sitting with very little happening. “How am I going to make this WORK?” My daughter came into the room, looked at the scene and said, “OOOOoooo! Can I help?!” The editorial creative director in my head screamed possessively and was silenced immediately by the Mother-voice, “Yes, of course you can Love.” Then she asked, “What are you doing?” (Shouldn’t the questions have been in the other order? “What are you doing?” and THEN, “Can I help?” after she has decided that it looks fun enough to join? )

She picked up a floral wire and said, “Can I try?” Once again, there was a whole dialogue in my head, but “Sure. Careful near your eyes with the wire.” came cheerfully out of my mouth.  She bent the wire around her hand and adjusted it. Then she set the wire twirl into the wing template that was sketched. She looked at her contribution and said, “There!” “Like that Mom?” I looked at it, looked up at her and broke into a grin. “That is fantastic!” And it was. The executive Creative Director in my head was silenced. The Kid had picked up some wire and just made something without the fight. She didn’t bring a whole cast of characters in her head to the project. Her inner critic is there, but it has so little strength. How liberating! How beautiful! Lesson: Shut the critic up and just try your project. Try to set the picture in your mind’s eye to one side, and just look at the supplies you have chosen and make something. Craft like you are 6!!!!