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It's kinda funny that I can make cards at my table and I spend a lot of time figuring out colors and layers....then it does eventually come togther and I'm proud....but only until I compare what others have done - then I'm discouraged. I can't seem to pull the depth of color/accessories/layers that the experts with the highest views have...no matter how hard I try.
What are the Best Practices for making progress - even if it is slow.
The bottom line is "I love stamping" and I'm quite determined to do it well! Note: I participated in my first VSN challenge yesterday and that was actually helpful because I had a time limit so I didn't overthink stuff and the cards turned out ok. Maybe I should always set a time limit for myself?
Everyone, I think, gets discouraged sometimes, especially if you compare what you do to the experts who have amazing talent and some of whom even get paid to do this, have degrees in design, etc.
If you want to "improve," I recommend CASE-ing cards you like. CASE is "copy and selectively edit"--in other words, get inspiration from a layout, color scheme stamp selection, punch, whatever you like about the card, and then make your own version. I do this frequently, and you learn so much by figuring out what works and what doesn't work for you.
Another thing is to do more challenges. I've just recently started doing formal challenges, but for years I've challenged myself to make a one-layer card, or a card with a scalloped circle punch and a button, or pink and green color scheme, or at least two stamps from one set, etc. The challenges here are awesome.
Take a class. I took an online class with JulieHRR and learned SO MUCH! It gave me a lot more confidence, was extremely convenient, and affordable.
If you're feeling discouraged by the complex cards you see, try checking out the CAS weekly challenge or the Clean and Simple Favorites of the Week thread started every Sunday morning. CAS stands for Clean and Simple...these cards are not so embellished or ornate, but still beautiful examples of "less is more." It's less intimidating for some people... like me!
It also helps to go look at the first cards the "great" stampers uploaded. You'll see that many of them didn't start off so great, either!;) Also, JulieHRR (who is my stamping idol) has said repeatedly that a lot of the cards she starts end up in the trash...she only puts her best work out there for peopel to see. I love that she gives people "permission" to screw up, make mistakes, throw stuff away. If the Queen can make mistakes, well, so can I, LOL!
Audrie, I just checked out your gallery and I love everything you have in there! Sometimes I think we are too hard on ourselves because we see what others have done and you think that theirs is better. Not always the case - we all have our own styles and you should be proud of your own style! Sometimes even when I try to CASE a card, I cant make it exactly the same, because its not exactly my style -- find your style and stick with it! I think you're doing an awesome job! Just relax and have fun!
I don't compare my cards to others. I tend to have a little simpler taste than most. I am not crazy about using 5 & 6 layers with punching, embellies, sewing etc. It can get to be too much. There are a lot of beautiful cards that have all of that on one card but just not my favorite style. So don't let yourself get too discouraged. What you do is unique because it's you!
wow! Thanks so much for everyone commenting today! I feel so supported on this site - everyone is always so encouraging. I am going to take your suggestions to heart and also, to LateBlossom, I'm going to take that class if I can find it on line!! I always feel better with a mentor or two.
Again, thanks to everyone. I'm going to journal the "Best Practices" entered on this thread and check them off as I apply them.
Don't be discouraged! If you're enjoying what you do then that's all that's important. Gallery viewing is a weird and wonderful thing and totally unpredictable so don't feel that a card with only a handful of views is somehow less worthy than one with hundreds or thousands. There are all sorts of factors, not least of which is the sheer number of projects uploaded every day.
Then, it takes a while to get established in any community and the more you join in with stuff like challenges, talk to other people on forum threads etc, the more established you get and often the views on your gallery start to creep up as well. You can try putting a link to your gallery in your signature - I know people click through to visit my blog from my signature link (I can see that through my stat counter) so I imagine the same applies to my gallery link.
As others have said, find a style and a method that suits you and just have fun with it. For example, I cannot consciously CASE a card to save my life. I've tried playing the Sunday Featured Stamper challenge several times and I am always dissatisfied with what I do. I've reached the conclusion that I'm never happy with it because too much of it is not "me" so I've given up on that one! Likewise, I often struggle with the sketch challenge but give me the limited supplies challenge and I'm usually off like a greyhound! So maybe try a few challenges and see what suits you - people often do the rounds of other cards in a challenge they play, just to see what other people did with it so you'll likely get the added bonus of more views/comments on those too.
Please do not get discouraged...everyone single one of us has been where you are. Even the most talented will admit to having bad stamping days. I looked at your gallery, and you do very nice work.
Please do not qualify your work based on the number of comments a particular piece is given. Hundreds of photos are uploaded to the gallery daily, causing them to get buried very quickly. Also, there are a number of factors that go into what motivates an individual to comment. I noticed that a number of your cards were "favorited" more than they were commented on. I personally stopped uploading because I found I was placing too much value on getting comments.
As Susan said, participating in the challenges is an excellent way to learn and grow. CASEing is also a good start. Be flexible, don't be afraid to try something new, and don't be afraid to start completely over. If giving yourself a time limit works for you...go for it; but don't judge yourself by volume either. I am a very slow stamper, and sometimes if something is not working for me, I'll walk away from it, give it some thought and come back to it later. Nothing gets glued down, until I'm happy w/ the end product.
Finally, enjoy the process. Do what you like, and the result will reflect your pleasure.
I looked up CAS and found out what they are - and I do like them a lot. My favorite CAS expert of the many that I love is StarofMay. Here is a link to one of hers:
We all get discouraged or have days where nothing goes right. I know I do anyway. Just keep creating and doing what you love. Practising will help you find your style, too. There are some great challenges here every day. Challenge cards get more views, too.
Challenges can be kind of intimidating....since I have to think fast. But I enjoyed my first try yesterday as I felt I worked well under pressure....I submitted 3 entries after all.
Thanks for the suggestions!! I'm listening with both eyes.
As many wise ones have said before me in this thread, don't get discouraged! We are VERY OFTEN our worst critics and see things that no one else does! I know I do this all the time.
One of the things I do is study the work of those people I really admire, and really look at those creations that take my breath away. Is there something specific that draws me to them? Maybe it's a color combo, use of hardware, or sponging, stitching or layout. Then I take one or two elements and pull them into my own creations. Sometimes they work, sometimes (more often) they don't! I find that those cards that end up in the trash are the ones that I was trying to force something that I just wasn't feelin', or doing something that wasn't quite me.
But I've learned through trying new things what I like and what I don't, and how to evolve my "style" into something that makes me happy. In the end, you're creating something that makes you happy, and isn't that what matters?
I haven't read the whole post , and actually plan to later tonight because I'm sure there are helpful hints from the great folks here..but I did want to add my 2 cents and say that is why I rarely go to the gallery - I end up comparing myself and feeling inadequate...you're not alone in your feelings. That said, I'm working on not comparing because the process of comparing means someone has to be inferiour - and in art - no one is superior or inferior - or so I keep telling myself!
Audrie, I checked out your gallery and you have a lot going for you girl! Your work is fresh and imaginative. Don't compare yourself with others, we are each on our own creative journey. Think progress, not perfection. Lots of my ideas wind up in the wastebasket and I tell myself "It's only paper" and start again. Currently, I am casing works of the great Zindorf and I'm a long way off, but I am having such a good time.
We are our own worst critics. I have also been trying to create Zindorff-like scenes. I made a card recently for a coworker with a sponged background. I made a big boo boo on the moon, and tried to fix it in various ways, all of which failed! I didn't have time to start making a new card so I decided good enough was gonna have to do. The next day I left the card on my boss's desk for him to sign before the birthday party. A few minutes later, my boss came looking for me. His exact words "This is beautifu, a real work of art. How did you do this?" He was truly excited about the card I had made, and had no idea that I wanted to throw it out and start over. He actually made me explain the whole process of creating that scene.
If you're ever feeling bad about something you have made, show it to a friend and watch the imperfections disappear.
my advice is...don't compare! If you are proud of your work that is what counts. I don't have nearly as many views or comments on my cards, and it is hard to see all of the lovely cards here and compare them to my simple work. But generally if I'm happy with them then that's good enough for me
__________________
~jessica(in MI)
if you'd like to peek at my gallery look here
It's kinda funny that I can make cards at my table and I spend a lot of time figuring out colors and layers....then it does eventually come togther and I'm proud....but only until I compare what others have done - then I'm discouraged. I can't seem to pull the depth of color/accessories/layers that the experts with the highest views have...no matter how hard I try.
What are the Best Practices for making progress - even if it is slow.
The bottom line is "I love stamping" and I'm quite determined to do it well! Note: I participated in my first VSN challenge yesterday and that was actually helpful because I had a time limit so I didn't overthink stuff and the cards turned out ok. Maybe I should always set a time limit for myself?
Audrie
I completely feel the same way. In fact, I really feel like I've lost that spark that I originally started with. I try to tell myself that I'm not making these cards to impress but, honestly? who am I kidding? I would like to have compliments on my cards just like anyone else. I, like you, enjoy stamping as well. Yet, every project I make seems just beyond my grasp of that "wow!" card. :( *sigh* I guess the key is...practice and determination. Try, try again as my mom used to say.
The talent on Splitcoast is amazing and outstanding! That being said, there are thousands of us still learning! I have been stamping a year, and yes, I can see improvements! I learn so much here! I also love the encouragement I get from this site! There is one person whom I admire so much because her cards are so fantastic and her talent is really outstanding!! Every now and then she will comment on a card of mine and I feel so happy when she does it! It makes my day! I realize I am still a work in progress--I know I am learning everyday! When some of my cards don't turn out as well as I'd like, I am not discouraged, I know my next one will be better from just learning what I just did! I visist this site several times a day. I have to. It helps so much in my learning process! I get very positive feedback to my work, and that keeps me going along with my love and addiction to stamping. I know how you feel, but don't ever get discouraged! As you learn you find a style that is more and more like the stuff you like to do.
The challenges here are great though, and from these you can venture out and try things you hadn't thought of before! Then when they turn out great, you'll just smile and smile!
Nice thread you've started! Many may feel the same way as you! Here is the site to learn though and soon you will feel positive about your work!
Your gallery is great! You are already on your way!
I came back at the end of my day to see what posts were made and I was amazed that the compassion I found here. I liked ScrampShopper's story about the card she was going to throw away, and I laughed cause that has happened to me at work too. I just never let it be a compliment cause I figured they had 'untrained' eyes....ha ha....ScrampShopper is right - a new set of eyes melts away the imperfections and the perfectionist attitude too! Seems like the general concensus is that we all have to find our own style - which can take time - so I have to be patient and keep trying - right? OK, I will - I'm not about to give up!
I'm glad I started the thread as I think we all wanted to talk about this subject....maybe there could be a SCS On-Line Best Practices Forum or Tips for New Stampers...or maybe not....in either case,
I love you all!! You really know how to make a body feel better.
Well...I have to say....I did take the advice of one poster who suggested that we try some challenges. I was doing some but, got out of the habit. I'm now doing some for Mojo Monday and loving it. It gives me a place to start anyways as I know what the layout will be. Thankyou for starting this thread. I have felt better the last few days as well.
Just wanted to let you know that I've felt the same way, too! I'd do a card for a challenge or blog contest that I thought was awesome, then I'd look at the other entries and think "oh, well, um, mine's ok, I guess". So I stopped entering contests and I also started doing challenges the week after they were introduced...so instead of it being a "must win" mentality for me (I'm a wee bit competitive even in card making!) it became a "how can I stretch myself with this challenge?" mentality.
I also just figured out (like last week!) that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I can never figure out shadows when I'm coloring, so I "cheat" and look up the stamp in the gallery to find a really great example I can copy. So if you have a card/stamp that's just not working, you can use the gallery as a cheat sheet.
Plus I have to remind myself that I've only been at this for about 9 months, I have a full-time non-stamping job, I don't have a design degree, and I've never had a person to whom I've given a card tell me they didn't appreciate my card or that they would have liked it more if it had more primas on it. Of course I want to get better, but I want to still enjoy it, too! It seems like you've gotten some good ideas from this thread so I hope your chin is up now!
ME NEITHER......I know you're supposed to remember where your light source is.....but then what (smiles). Thanks for the suggestion I'll try that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtgchic
Just wanted to let you know that I've felt the same way, too! I'd do a card for a challenge or blog contest that I thought was awesome, then I'd look at the other entries and think "oh, well, um, mine's ok, I guess". So I stopped entering contests and I also started doing challenges the week after they were introduced...so instead of it being a "must win" mentality for me (I'm a wee bit competitive even in card making!) it became a "how can I stretch myself with this challenge?" mentality.
I also just figured out (like last week!) that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I can never figure out shadows when I'm coloring, so I "cheat" and look up the stamp in the gallery to find a really great example I can copy. So if you have a card/stamp that's just not working, you can use the gallery as a cheat sheet.
Plus I have to remind myself that I've only been at this for about 9 months, I have a full-time non-stamping job, I don't have a design degree, and I've never had a person to whom I've given a card tell me they didn't appreciate my card or that they would have liked it more if it had more primas on it. Of course I want to get better, but I want to still enjoy it, too! It seems like you've gotten some good ideas from this thread so I hope your chin is up now!
I looked up CAS and found out what they are - and I do like them a lot. My favorite CAS expert of the many that I love is StarofMay. Here is a link to one of hers:
Her simplicity is always so artistic that I have often CASEd hers...although I didn't know what that was until lateblommer explained it!! smiled!
Thanks again to everyone for the best practices.
Thanks for this link. I just went to the gallery of StarofMay and it was wonderful. Her cards were so clean and simple. So beautiful! Really enjoyed the tour.
__________________ My Blog---My Gallery---My PinterestI'm a Punchkateer! (Prez) FOREVERDirty Dozen Alumni2014 CAS Spring DT--- Inspiration Challenge Co- Hostess 12/02/17-12/28/19 Watercolor Wednesday Design Team Hebrews 13:2Brenda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Benzi
Thanks for this link. I just went to the gallery of StarofMay and it was wonderful. Her cards were so clean and simple. So beautiful! Really enjoyed the tour.
she does videos on mondays called make a card monday 'MACM' and 'finally friday'
i stalk her regularly! i have learned so much from watching her.
Thanks for the info..I guess we can stalk together.
__________________ My Blog---My Gallery---My PinterestI'm a Punchkateer! (Prez) FOREVERDirty Dozen Alumni2014 CAS Spring DT--- Inspiration Challenge Co- Hostess 12/02/17-12/28/19 Watercolor Wednesday Design Team Hebrews 13:2Brenda
Last edited by Benzi; 03-10-2009 at 05:17 AM..
Reason: left out words
It's kinda funny that I can make cards at my table and I spend a lot of time figuring out colors and layers....then it does eventually come togther and I'm proud....but only until I compare what others have done - then I'm discouraged. I can't seem to pull the depth of color/accessories/layers that the experts with the highest views have...no matter how hard I try.
What are the Best Practices for making progress - even if it is slow.
The bottom line is "I love stamping" and I'm quite determined to do it well! Note: I participated in my first VSN challenge yesterday and that was actually helpful because I had a time limit so I didn't overthink stuff and the cards turned out ok. Maybe I should always set a time limit for myself?
Audrie
A quote from my yoga teacher that I didn't think I would be referring to anytime soon. (I just started back to yoga after a two year hiatus after having my son.) "It's not a competition." Comparing ourselves to others can always be discouraging. Views/comments don't make the art good. You have to decide that you like it. It is about personal growth and the previous posters here have given you a great start to grow and blossom into the stamper that you will be.
Practice, practice, practice...I haven't gotten to be the stellar stamper that I would like to be as I have chosen to spend a lot of the time I would have been creating to raising my son. I work full-time and I feel I would be doing him a disservice to not spend a decent amount of my time with him when I am home. I do stamp, but not every day...just as time allows. Maybe I have a guilty conscience about working...oh well.
artists are always more critical of their own work than we are of others'. i make a card and usually think its just okay, then someone else looks at the card and loves it. i went to art high school, and trust me, none of us like our own work, but we loved everyone else's....(maybe because it was a different style than our own? i don't know. LOL)
i stopped comparing my work to everyone else's, and just try to do my own work.
besides... Hallmark has many, many cards that are far inferior to yours. go in one day and look
-laura s
Yes, I get discouraged. And then I remember that it is a hobby for me and not to let it destroy what should be a fun thing. And then I get discouraged again -- it is a never ending circle!
I live the fantasy that if I only had more time (or a better camera) all my work would be fab!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I don't have time to read the rest of the posts on this thread, so I hope I'm not completely redundant. But here's my opinion..
I feel the same way when I see other people's work. I try to get better and all, but I still feel down when I compare and such. But you know what? When people get my cards they are happy! And complimentary! Some of them just think I am AWESOME!! :grin: So, no matter how you 'stack up' in comparison to those on this site, most of the people receiving your cards don't have anything to compare it to. And they see the thoughtfulness and hard work you put into the card, and the fact that THEY are the recipient. They feel special.
So, enjoy your hobby, give your cards away, and really...don't be so hard on yourself!
Always be looking at others creations and admire them. Some people are very talented paper creators. But remember never to compare yourself to them. We are all different - we like different colors, different combination of colors, different images - see where I am going with this. Study others work - CASE it if you like. But don't compare yourself to anyone. You are unique. Your gallery is full of great creations and you should be proud of them. Create your own unique style. There are no right or wrong way to do anything when it comes to Rubber Stamping - just experiments!
Enjoy and let the creativity flow!
I was comparing my cards with others the other day...I know I'm not supposed to, but I did. ;) When I see some amazing work, I like to go to the first page of that person's gallery. A lot of times, their cards are very simple--very lovely, but simple. I don't do that to pick on them, but because it helps me to see that everyone starts out small, and that progress is achievable!
Do You Get Discouraged About Your Progress?
Shadows
