Yes, I'm OCD. Not Monk OCD, I don't do repetitive rituals or anything like that. So how does OCD play out in my life? Especially my crafting life? Well, let me give you some history. My family and friends used to point out to me that they could always pick out my car in a parking lot because my car was always neatly between the lines. When I was a hairdresser I was the world's slowest hairdresser because I couldn't finish until I felt my work was perfect. When I make paper copies in a copier I can't tolerate crooked or pale copies or wrinkles in the paper. Part of the reason for this is that I had the idea that there is ONE right way to do things. And that led me to strive to perform every task correctly.
Well, you might be able to guess by now that it could be difficult for me to manage the inconsistencies in paper crafting. And you would be right. Especially in the beginning when you imagine that everyone else has it all together and never get blobs of glue all over their embellishments. And always get card layers evenly spaced. And OH the horror of stamping fails. I was soooo happy to learn of the MISTI. But, of course, I could still find ways to mess that up. When you blame yourself for paper cutting or folding bombs that you now know are due more to paper quality or type than because you are a complete DUNCE.
So, you may ask, how have I managed to, not only stick with it but, improve to the point that I am teaching a card class and just became a Cricut instructor at Joann Fabric. The truth is that I love creating, solving puzzles, and learning. I had enough success, in the beginning, to believe that I could, at the very least put a card together if I needed one in a hurry. By now I have become one of those crafters who has spent thousands to put together a card I could have paid five dollars for. But, I didn't start making cards to save money. It was because I wanted cards that accurately reflected what I wanted to convey.
Why did I think I needed to post this topic? I get so frustrated when I see on facebook posters who say they bought a Cricut but haven't even taken it out of the box. They are convinced that they won't be able to produce what they see others producing. They are paralyzed by their notion that they shouldn't make mistakes or have to ask for help. The truth is though that Cricut makes it very easy to get started by providing ready-made items and plenty of help from their staff and facebook support.
I hope that this post will encourage others to take chances. Do it in private if you must, so that no one need ever know your work wasn't perfect. Or, better yet, find a group or live classes so that you can get help and support from others who started out just like you.
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