Turn your “Buts” into “What ifs” and your “If onlys” into “Why nots?”

Howdy friends! Today I am talking about excuses. You know, when you want to do something but you talk yourself out of it. For instance “I want to scrapbook but I don’t have the space” of “If only I had the time and energy to create…I guess I’ll watch TV instead.” But wait! Try this: “Hey! What if I clear off the coffee table and make a couple of layouts while I watch my favorite TV show!” and “Why not put all the supplies I need in a tote or basket and I can bring it to the living room with me and put it in the closet when I am done!” Now, look at that, you have turned an excuse into a solution.

I was so afraid to use the resin that I bought. I kept coming up with reasons why I shouldn’t. This green frame was one of my first experiments and it turned out great, I’m so glad I tried it!

The other day I was enjoying a cup of joe on the front porch when I was absolutely disgusted by the crud on my railing and ballasts. I thought “if only I had a power washer, I would have this clean in a  jiffy” but I changed it to “Why not get a pail of warm soapy water and wipe down the rails and mop the floor. The girls can help and we will be done in 20 minutes!” Well, it took a bit longer than that but not much and once you get started (which is the hardest part of any project) it goes pretty quickly.

More of my first resin experiments. I actually had a lot of dangles on this necklace but I changed my mind and took them off and left only these. See, you can change your mind and undo stuff, just because you make something with a supply it doesn’t mean you can’t undo it if you change your mind.

I can understand making excuses to get out of something you don’t like but why do we make excuses to get out of doing things we love? Maybe we feel guilty spending time on ourselves, or maybe we are afraid of making a mistake, doing something wrong or wasting precious supplies. Newsflash: You will make mistakes, if you don’t you are not learning. You don’t even need to be good at something to enjoy the process, for instance I am an awful singer yet I love to sing. You are worth spending time on! Maybe you are afraid of making a mess in a shared space. Why not pull together the supplies for a small project that can easily be tucked away in a box while it is in progress like a jewelry project, cross stitch or watercolor card.

Experimentation is good for the soul! Dive in! I love my first glitter pendants too!

My point is stop making excuses! The next time you catch yourself saying “but” , “if only” or “I wish” stop and say “what if…”, “I will…” and “Why not…”  no one else is going to make you be creative (well, except me, I’ll give you a kick in the pants!) except yourself. Don’t discourage yourself before you start. Pick something you want to do and DO IT! So, if you are feeling inspired I want you to leave a comment and tell me what you are going to make next, don’t be shy, the act of telling someone and writing it down will help you achieve it! Please let e know when you finish your creation too as I would love to see it. You are worth it! Now, go make something! Til next time happy crafting!