Have you ever struggled to make the “perfect” something or use the “right” supply? I sure have!
I’m Carolyn Dube a self taught mixed media art adventurer and educator here to give you permission to play. Your art supplies are a gateway to the carefree creative freedom that comes so effortlessly to kids but not always so easily to adults.
It never failed that I would pass judgement on myself for each and every mistake and failing in my art. That immediately shut down my creativity and took the joy out of creating. No shocker that being creative often ended in frustration for me back then.
But it doesn’t any more. Why? I just say O.O.P.S. One powerful little word that stands for an Outstanding Opportunity Presenting Suddenly.
You’ve probably heard inspirational quotes like, “when one door closes another one opens” or “inside every problem lies an opportunity”. When I had just screwed something up, made a mistake, or ruined what I was working on those quotes didn’t help me. In fact, they actually made me more frustrated!
Lives did not hang in the balance if I used the “wrong” color. Civilization would not come to an end if I smudged the ink. But it felt that way. Feelings like that can suck all the fun out of the day.
To shift out of that frustration, instead of using bleep worthy words, I started saying O.O.P.S.
At first, I said O.O.P.S. through gritted teeth and with an absolutely bad attitude. It was so incredibly difficult to take myself seriously, that I ended up laughing at myself every time. Try saying O.O.P.S. in an angry tone and see how seriously you can take yourself.
That little moment opened the door just enough each time to start to see that the horribly ugly thing I just made as just another layer. That’s one of the many gifts of mixed media play, the ability to layer.
I make a lot of “mistakes” so that means I’ve had plenty of practice saying O.O.P.S. What used to feel like a failure, is now seen for what it really is, an exciting opportunity.
What I’ve discovered from all those O.O.P.Sies, I share here with you here at aColorfulJourney.com. Join my newsletter to get weekly creative encouragement, my latest O.O.P.S. adventures, and a free printable each week!