Stepping Off the Edge

I've really been enjoying the weekly Live with Prima web shows on Ustream.  Everyone is such a hoot and the great designers (Marion Smith, Donna Downey, Cari, Sharon, and the Prima gang) are so inspiring!  These online classes really spark my imagination and get my creative juices flowing.  A few weeks ago during one of Marion's classes, she threw out a sketch challenge based on a sketch she drew in class. The winner would receive a box of yummy Prima goodies.  I was feeling inspired so I decided to take the challenge and create a layout.  I've never submitted my artwork in any challenges or contests before and had always hesitated to do so.  An article in Somerset Studio magazine made me change my mind.

The artwork on the cover of the July/August 2010 issue was titled FEARLESS and the editor wrote about why this particular piece of art resonated with her so much.  She mentioned wanting to be less fearful in her own life and embrace risks more often.  It really made me think about the layout challenge and how my first instinct was to not submit my work.  I always figured that there were so many other fantastic artists out there that I couldn't possibly win.

As I thought more and more about it, I had to ask myself some serious questions.

1. What did I have to lose?
2. Why would I only submit if I thought I had a chance to win?
3. Who am I really doing my art for anyway?

I finally decided to submit my layout regardless of the outcome.  At the very least I was participating in the community.  It felt GREAT!  I felt so empowered and connected to the community.  It reminded me of when I used to teach rubber stamp classes and I would encourage my students to not compare their work to anyone else but rather to embrace who they are how they choose to express themselves.  It was a good reminder.

The following week's Live with Prima class came around and I was shocked to learn that I had won!!  There were ~100 submissions and I'm sure it was a tough decision because there were so many wonderful layouts submitted.  While I'm looking forward to my box of Prima goodies, what I really won was my confidence back.  Since this challenge I've started to regularly submit work in several challenges.  No more sitting on the sidelines.  I'm feeling more creative than I have in a really long time and it feels wonderful to have taken that step off the edge, abandoned my fear, and embraced the unknown!

Here was my interpretation of Marion's sketch:

The layout featured a photo of one of the gorgeous camilia blooms from my mom's front yard. I love this photo so much I did an image transfer of it onto sticky back canvas - but that's for another project still in the works.  :)

It was a Prima challenge so I used nearly all Prima products including their gorgeous papers, flowers, and bling!  I crackle painted and inked the chipboard heart. I used the punched out butterfly bits to add to the corner collage.

I used one of the new Martha Stewart punches, this one being the pop up butterfly punch.  I love this punch!  I painted the edges of the popped up wings with white paint to help them stand out.  I then painted Marshmallow glimmer mist into the punched out butterfly spaces.  It's hard to see in this photo but they are shimmery. I think I might go back and paint them with some brown glimmer mist to help anchor the borders.  What do you think?