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Hello,

Welcome to the lab. Currently, things are a little chaotic. Deadlines are being extended, sleep is being forfeited and much more laundry is being attended to. All of the peaceful crafting areas have been overrun with puppy toys and other puppy paraphernalia.

Yes, we got two new puppies two weeks ago and since then in addition to sleep deprivation, our lives are a little turned upside down with all the cuteness and messes that come with puppies. And, just to be clear I am “one of those pet parents,” so if you are not interested in puppies then please skip over my 44 seconds of doting.

Before we proceed with today’s project, it is week 5 of “The Artist Way” and this weeks chapter is titled “Recovering a Sense of Possibility.” If you are new here or just not sure what I am talking about, I have been doing a mini review of this book one chapter at a time. It is a book about creativity and learning how to live more creatively. I am choosing one small thing to work on and write about each week.

At the beginning of this weeks chapter, the author Julia Cameron writes about Limits and how we often dismiss opportunities, that would help us further our dreams and goals, as crazy. We do this based on our limiting beliefs in what we can accomplish. Her contention is that if we receive something beyond what we can imagine we will not see this “gift” or keep it or take advantage of it.

For me, it is a new way to look at limiting beliefs. I know we all have them. I have even spent some time historically cataloging my limiting beliefs, in an attempt to change them.

But this is not her point about limits. Her point about limits is that we have opertunities present themselves to us and we do not take advantage of them. For example, If I believe that I am a bad photographer (which by the way I do) and if I found a flyer that offered one free photography lesson, I would dismiss it as a scam to get me to pay for more lessons. I would tell myself I don’t have time and it is too hard to learn photography anyway (another limiting belief that I harbor) I would find some excuse not to try. Maybe that is a bad example but I think her point is that we don’t even begin to grasp the number of opportunities that we have passed up in our lives that would have helped us reach our dreams and goals.

I don’t know about you but I don’t necessarily like the idea that I have let many golden opportunities pass me by. It makes me feel stupid, but on the other hand, it also makes me feel hopeful. Julia’s argument throughout the whole book is that there is a power in the universe (God or whatever you are comfortable with) that wants us to create and in facts wants to help us create. Maybe this sounds a little bit out there for you but consider this, all life is creation. Something, (even if it was a total accident) created the universe.

Is it a stretch then to assume that whatever created the universe also wants us to create? And if that is true then doesn’t that clearly expand one’s idea of what is possible?

What do you think? I am part skeptic, part believer and completely hopeful that there is a helping force out there that wants me to be creative and even helps me to reach my creative goals. (And If a photography class falls in my lap in the next few weeks I will let you know.)

If you would like to catch up of the previous chapters you can find them at the following links.

Week One – Recovering a sense of Safety – (With upcycled pie tins made into a twisted valentine tree)

Week Two – Recovering a sense of Identity – (With upcycled found objects candlesticks)

Week Three – Recovering a sense of Power – (With my trashy St Patrick’s Day House Tour)

Week Four – Recovering a sense of Integrity – (With St Patrick’s Day Plastic Bag Bouquet)

Today’s project is part one of the St Patrick’s Day Mantel Display. I used an old canvas and an old picture frame to make the word display “Whiskey Beer and Shenanigans.” Which by the way there are plenty of in this household. The human whiskey and beer drinking has increased due to all the puppy shenanigans. 🙂

As with most of my projects, there are things I would do differently if I had it to do over again but I rarely bother to do things twice. The best parts of this project were the painter’s tape stickers. I was afraid that they would not stick well enough to keep the paint out but they worked really well and I got some nice crisp lines.

I also liked how the clear contact paper word “sticker” worked out. It was a little tricky to spray paint and it took some time to cut out but it worked well as a custom made sticker.

You can check out the whole project in the video below.

I hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Upcycling,

Advertising Disclosure: Upcycle Design Lab may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.