Wind. All last night and through the day today. Tomorrow ought to be lovely, as well as the week ahead. But the wind?
I’m over it.
Amidst the pouring rain yesterday, a couple of packages were delivered. I had to keep an eye on the porch all day long in order to retrieve them as soon as possible. One of them held my new puzzle and a book I had ordered. The other held – now, don’t get too excited – a new bathtub mat.
I was happy to see that new puzzle as it meant I could take the previous puzzle apart and start a new one. I didn’t get very far, but I need an ongoing project, as you know.
Speaking of ongoing projects, I did some work in the dollhouse.
I made the acrylic window inserts. I can’t tell you how frustrating this can be, mostly because I’m having to fit them into an already constructed window. I usually mess up the first one and have to make another. But, they’re done. And then I primed and painted the window trim.
Now for the baseboards, but I wasn’t in the mood to figure out how to do a mitre cut, so that will happen on another day. I have the tools, and I’ve done it before. I just have to remind myself how to do it.
We spoke a bit in the comments the other day about comparison being “the thief of joy.” It is. Nevertheless, I still struggle with it at times. Lately, I’ve been struggling with comparing myself to all the fabulous miniaturists I follow on Instagram. Some of them – especially younger dollhouse lovers – are so inventive and brave. I admire that so much. Others are so skilled that their work blows me away. Anyway, I’ve noticed this small, niggling little thread of doubt lately about my work. I won’t let it stop me because I know that I’m doing all of this because I love it and not to impress others, nevertheless, I’m just as human in my struggles with self-doubt as anyone else. My strengths are not in building furniture or adding rooms within rooms, etc. I don’t have many of the power tools and saws that they have – nor do I have room for them. I’m not sure where my strengths lie – maybe in an eye for color and detail? For a vision that includes the life of the owner and a story about that life and that house? Maybe a rigorous attention to scale?
The lesson in all of this is to just stop comparing. Everyone has different strengths, different styles. And I support and applaud every dollhouse lover and miniaturist out there. The most important thing is the joy of creating. That’s the lesson I keep relearning.
Just sharing in case you’re struggling with this as well.
Stay safe.
Happy Friday.
My strength is, I guess, buying cheap nothings from the recycling shop and combine them into a 1 : 12 scene. No building or rebuilding, no putting together kits, no decorating to speak of… just acquiring items and make something pleasing out of it.
And that’s a wonderful strength, Petra.
Stay safe!
I enjoy your stories about the residents of your little houses – it really enriches my enjoyment of the pictures. And the pink chair in the room with the slanted ceiling and low window; I had a nook very like that in a house we rented, so this one is special for me.
ceci
Thank you so much, Ceci!
Stay safe.
I think we all compare and deal with that thief of joy. For me, it’s painting. For you, the doll houses. But oh, how you can celebrate what you have — that beautiful room with those windows, the lovely acquisitions — both those you’ve made from kits and those you have found. The wallpaper and the furniture, the stories behind both the acquisitions and the “people” who live within… splendid.
I’m glad your packages arrived safely. It was windy here, too. It still is, but very cold, though they threaten 60s by Sunday. I hope they are right!
I am looking at my puzzle — a week or two into it and still only about a third done. Mine seems to be piece by piece! But I’m doing my best not to allow the thief of joy and your wonderful, rapid-fire execution of those darned hard puzzles to stop me! (Probably a little more time at the puzzle table wouldn’t hurt either, but oh, there’s so much fun stuff to do!)
No one really wants to live in a photo ready house where no one cooks, eats, cleans or takes a nap. Most photo ready houses disappear after the photo shoot when the photographers leave. Your lovely dollhouses are delightful. They are blessed with your creativity and talent. Don’t compare. Just be aware that your little dollhouses are actually dollHOMES. Have a great and productive day. My son used to be afraid of strong, March winds when he was little. I used to tell him that God was furiously sweeping his home and making everything all fresh and clean while he was getting ready for spring. He was only four but he believed me.
I wish that worked for me! Wind has been tough on our trees and it really, really does a number on my sinuses. Like today, where I definitely feel under the weather. Tomorrow will be better.
Thanks so much, Nancy.
Stay safe!
Don’t compare your puzzle skills with mine! Remember, I work on them constantly – I think I’ve done 6 or 7 this winter. Just like doing the NY Times crossword puzzle, the more you do them, the easier it gets! (Of course these puzzles are never truly easy but you start to get a way of working, if that makes sense.)
Thank you, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
That is an interesting statement that comparison steals joy. I never thought of it that way but it is so true. I always think I should be better, thinner, happier, whatever it is at the moment. I’ll have to work on that.
I love the little nook with the small odd window.
Enjoy your projects. I need to find a new one now that the yard plantings are almost done.
Thank you, Kay!
We’re not close to planting yet, so the puzzles and the dollhouse have to tide me over.
Stay safe.
I of course appreciate the continuing discussion on ‘comparing’ (oneself with others) because I’m sometimes a pathetic example of doing it (which then makes me feel bad about myself; so … as an observer told me once who was trying to be objective, ‘quit beating yourself up, Vicki’).
As I think on what you said … I’ll ramble with a few thoughts …
Claudia, you’re doing the doll houses, first, for you, true? It’s your own, individual, unique expression, to satisfy your creative needs; and you count, you matter. You don’t have to please anybody about it except yourself, and every finished task on each doll house is such an accomplishment. (I’ve read that we all need to have “any size” achievements as a part of each day, even if it meant you cleaned out the junk drawer that day [finally].) You’ve got special accessories and room arrangements that nobody else has in the doll house world, and they don’t have yours. You get to be your own interior designer! (And ‘builder’.) Each house has its own identity; a labor of love. They don’t come out of machines; it’s human hands. If they were so utterly precise, it might be an obsessive thing in the wrong way and take the fun out of it.
I hope you can feel your readers’ admiration for your doll houses. I got interested again (in adulthood) in doll houses absolutely 100 percent because of you. I didn’t know how much I loved miniatures until I started reading your blog years ago. Your pleasure in the work and collecting were highly contagious! It’s given me a lot of satisfaction although I’m a novice and more of a beginning (slow) collector. To work with a doll house takes a lot of dexterity with the fingers alone; then it’s eyesight; the bending and twisting in a small space with our older, more stiff bodies; we’re not teens. Doll house work is … well, WORK, but what a triumph (and a gift)!
To my view, your doll houses always look magnificent. (I want to LIVE in those rooms!) I’m not an expert, but I’ve looked at A LOT of doll houses, in person, in books, online articles; even TV-show segments. I think with a lot of artists/artistic people, they’re always thinking they could have done better (they’re harsh self critics, now & then!); like, how many times will an author tear up the page, the painter discard or paint over his canvas; a couturier rip out a seemingly-perfect seam or embellishment; an actor refusing to watch his movie afterward because all he can see are errors in his performance (although everybody else thought it was great); a hairdresser who keeps tweaking a new style on a client because she can’t get happy with her creation; a chef who’ll dump his whole meal because the flavor wasn’t to his expectation.
The creativity, the craftsmanship; it comes from within, to do (to emote!), to make (and not be sloppy about it; rather, strive for excellence; a masterpiece; give it what it deserves; a real dedication to something). The perfection side of it, if we get too focused on the flaws, does steal the joy. My husband can finish one of our human-home improvement projects (‘remodeling’) and, while it looks flawLESS to me, all he can see is the one little thing that didn’t come out like he’d planned, or couldn’t make fit, or line up quite right, etc. I guess self-critique is just a part of human nature; otherwise, we’d be so arrogant.
Now, while on the topic of the doll houses, what is the low window that looks greenish? Remind me from the photo, is that an attic window? I don’t know too much about how a furnished attic, in real life, is suppose to look. I know that in a basement, another thing I know nothing much about, the windows are of course situated high on the wall (‘above ground’).
Thanks so much for your support, Vicki.
Don is that way about his work in television and film. He gets very self-critical. (Having only done something like that once in my life, I can tell you that it’s very hard to see yourself on screen and NOT be critical!)
The low windows are on the second story. They’re very odd and I wish I had filled them in. It’s just the design of the house.
Stay safe, Vicki!
“Comparison is the thief of joy” has been a favorite of mine for several years. It is so very true, but it doesn’t stop me!! However, I DO think more about it when I find myself on a wild ride down that slippery slope.
Your houses are beautiful as far as I am concerned. But please know that the stories behind them captivate me! That is where I find the most joy. And others find the greater joy in the construction and decoration. We are all so different, and sometimes we forget to celebrate that.
I hope you are having a wonderful Friday! We have sunshine today, so it is a good day! PLUS I got some new markers for coloring. I put my books away a couple of years ago, and thought I would pull them out for something “new” to do. Take care.
Thank you, Chris.
We have sunshine, but it’s rather cold and windy. Tomorrow will be much better – I can’t wait.
Don and I were doing a lot of coloring a few years ago. It’s really fun! Good for you for pulling them out again!
Stay safe.
Your work on all your little houses BLOWS ME AWAY! You should immediately PUT ANY DOUBT ABOUT YOUR TALENT OUT OF YOUR MIND THIS MINUTE! YOU DO YOU! You are very brave to do all of this on your own — with no instruction! I am so inspired by your work that I have started looking at miniature web stores on line. I may have questions in the future! See there – you are a talent AND an inspiration!
From your friend you’ve never met, Chris
Thank you so much for your kind and supportive words, Chris.
Stay safe!
The very reason I like your creations above other creations is that you achieve extraordinary beautiful miniatures that I think I might some day be able to achieve. I look at some of their work and think, “oh, if I had that much money to contribute to a hobby, maybe mine would look like theirs too.” I know you are a regular, but talented, person who also has to do it little by little, saving for the bigger ticket items, doing what you can from crafts. I look at your stuff and think, “Maybe someday I will have something like that too.” Besides, I am very comfortable with your political leanings. I came for the miniatures and stayed for the “ranting” so to speak! I guess there is no use comparing because everyone has their niche – their perfect and extraordinarily valuable spot in this life!
Yes, I am indeed a person who has to save up for things. I can’t pull out a wad of cash and furnish the house. Besides, like in real life, the adventure is in taking the time to find the right thing!
Thanks so much, Jane.
Stay safe!
Yes, Claudia, thank you for sharing your doubts, I have this too. I tried to step back from Instagram a bit the last weeks to get a different angle of sight.
I noticed that some of the very talented miniaturists seems to start a kind of competition. That gets me too loud and exhausting. I don’t need jealousy, I don’t need too much ambition, I don’t need envy, I don’t need too much perfection in miniature. I don’t need to fish for followers. As I have no business with instagram, I really can be authentic.
I would like to keep Instagram as a photo diary to share the wonders of nature and miniatures in my little world and life to some like-minded people who understand. This is my naiv intention.
My Beacon Hill and all the dollhouses I hopefully will do are places to decorate as mirror image of the homes I want to live in. No historical correctness, no museums, no superperfection in interior and furniture, just imagination of personal stories I put in there.
What Vicky says, and Jeanie and Nancy is all so true, nothing to add. As soon you show your passion to the public, you will be compared and you have to deal with it.
You stay tight to yourself and nothing can go wrong! Take your time!
All my love, stay safe!
Helga
Yes, I’ve noticed that, too. Plus, they’re a little like a clique. I guess that’s to be expected.
Your thoughts are exactly like mine – I want the houses to look like a place I could happily move into!
Thanks so much, dear Helga!
Stay safe!
Claudia I feel the same way sometimes about other beginner watercolorists and how they are so good and I’m just mediocre at best. Then I remind myself I do it for fun and joy and not because I’m striving to be an ‘artist’ (in quotes). All my art is my creative outlet and for fun I remind myself often! We had horrible rain and wind and now it’s cloudy and blah. I need Spring!
Exactly. I have to remind myself of the same thing. I do it because I love it and I don’t want to lose that feeling by comparing my work to the work of others.
I need Spring, too!
Stay safe, Linda.
i agree with what everyone else said about your talents as a miniaturist (they said it very well). i hope you are proud of your beautiful work and enjoy the process!
thanks again for recognizing my birthday and sadness and for cheering me on yesterday. means a lot.
hope you have a good, safe weekend!
xo
kathy in iowa
I missed yesterday’s post; sending my belated happy birthday wishes to you, kathy!
thanks, vicki.
hope you have a good weekend ahead.
kathy in iowa
Thank you, Kathy.
Have a good, safe, and well deserved weekend.
Comparisons are tricky, Sometimes they can encourage us to improve our skills or actions, but other times they can cripple us. We’re all somewhere on the spectrum…whether it’s physical, mental, or spiritual abilities. When I compare myself to others, which I often do, I usually wind up on the losing end, so I’m beginning to love the idea of a spectrum. It’s fluid and allows for skill levels that all serve a purpose. And your work inspires and give pleasure to many. Enjoy the weekend–so far it’s a very pretty morning here. Hope it is for you too!
I like that – a spectrum.
Thank you Nora.
Stay safe!
Dear Claudia
I missed the ‘thief of joy’ conversation but I read this post at just the right moment. Over the last few months, I’ve built a new website for my business. It was slow and tedious work but I felt so proud of my efforts. Everything looks just the way I want it, and it works. I’m not a website builder by profession but being an artist I’m happy to do my own thing my own way and since the new site went live, I’ve seen a pick-up in customers so I know I’m on the right track. My online business is in a niche market so my competitors are few and I know who they are. Yesterday, I spent some time trawling their websites and started feeling more and more flat and unsure of myself. Every one of them did something better than I did it on my website (and I looked straight past the many things they didn’t do as well as I did). Suddenly, I didn’t feel happy with my website at all.
Then I pulled away from the computer, made a cup of tea, and had a talk with myself. I was beating myself over the head with the cumulative achievements of several people. Not one of them did everything better than me, and none of them have a website that I would rather have than my own, so why am I turning this unattractive shade of green? I’ve been suffering from an inferiority complex all my life and letting it rob me of joy in my achievements. At this late stage I’m working hard to end it. I think recognizing that feeling when it pops up is a very good start. Now, I just need to learn to nip it in the bud every time. Which is what you’re saying in this post, I think.
As for your dollhouses, they are stunning, which is one of the reasons I read your blog. I love your eye for colour and small details, and I love that you do things slowly, by hand.
So many miniaturists younger than us are relying heavily on cutting machines and 3D printers, stuff I will probably never have. They also don’t have the inventiveness to work with limited materials and repurpose them; everything comes with instructions, ready-to-use, from the art shop. I’m not implying that they’re not good, because what they make certainly looks professional but some of us have a different style.
I adore your style and I don’t want you to change it! Let’s drool over their stuff, then do what makes us happy in our own space.
You were wise to figure out that falling into the comparison trap is just that – a trap. Good for you. Thank you for your wise words about miniatures, as well!
Stay safe, Megan.