Heart first

Part of the reason I haven't been posting more on my blog is because I really like to include pictures, and when I take pictures I like my house to be clean. It is not. The graphic design project due this week was to take a few of the hearts from week one (see post below) and recreate them with 24 different kinds of materials. Not only did I do a terrible job, my apartment is a disaster as a result. I need to learn to challenge myself with these projects. I focused on finding 24 different materials and completing 24 hearts (a number which, by the way, I did not reach). When I saw what some other people in the class had done, my heart sank. There were so many things that I did not even think to use! And the best projects consisted of less than 24 hearts.
What happened? Well, I fell into the old "just get it done" trap that often results in mediocrity. If I'd thought more about concept and quality, rather than quantity, I think my project would have been a lot more satisfying. I went into it thinking, "this will be painful, I will never find 24 different materials, I don't even know how I will translate my hearts using other media," and my negative attitude really showed in my work. In retrospect, I would have done much better if my goal had been to use the different materials to enhance each heart's concept. I wish I had thought about the heart first, then focused on materials, then focused on how many I could make.
I feel like this relates to crafting for me. Because it's a hobby, I never have the "get it done" mentality that permeates the tasks I feel like I have to do. I only focus on quality and improving my skills. As soon as something begins to feel forced, I lose all enthusiasm! I wonder if, as I try to make at least some of my money back, my work will become "forced" and I will lose focus. I really don't want that to happen. In all areas of my life, I think that the lesson of "heart first, output second" is very important to remember.