Courage To Create

Courage to create.  

Do you have it?  

Do you believe in yourself enough to stand up for it?

When was the last time you had to?

One of the reasons I like Zentangle so much is that it can help adults who have lost their courage to create. We learned in Zentangle training that most young children, when asked, will enthusiastically tell you that they are artists.  By the time they get to high school, only a small percentage will give the same response. 

I will admit to being one of those.  Somehow over the years, I gave doubt a foothold and he made himself at home.  Since finding Zentangle, I've started getting back into art.  A little at a time.  In addition to tangling, I have started dabbling in watercolor and willingly sketch in public.  And post my less than perfect results here on this blog. 

I thought I was doing pretty well.  Until Monday.  

Birdie had started a cake decorating project for 4H and we found out on Sunday afternoon that she needed to bake and decorate a cake for Tuesday.  (Did I mention that she is in camp from 8:30-5 every day?)  I didn't think she had enough time, so I started immediately trying to talk her out of it.

She wouldn't listen.  

She baked her cake on Sunday but on Monday we found out that her mentor would not be able to help her.  Again, I sat down with her trying to convince her that she didn't need to go to judging. I told her that she could still decorate her cake, just for fun and that she didn't need someone else to tell her she was good.  After all, I figured she would be competing against kids who've done this for years and she only had one afternoon of working with someone that knows what she's doing.

Thank goodness that Birdie is smarter than I am. That she still believes in herself. Enough to stand up to her doubting mother. Check out what she accomplished, all by herself.

By the way, she took first place in the county and will get to compete at the fair on July 30.  Wish her luck.

And the next time anyone, even your own inner critic, tries to tell you that you can't do something, don't believe them.