Bad Student

 I just found out I'm a lousy student.  No one told me, I just figured it out myself. Now of course this now means I'm also a lousy teacher.  No...I'm not really a teacher.  Nor an instructor.  But when my friends and I get together we usually have some sort of project for all of us to do.  Alot of times they are pretty easy but I am known to get a bit complicated with paper.  Fancy folds, albums, flower making etc so some instruction is involved.  So today I realized that all this time that I have been doing so, I have probably been lousy at it So why do I think so?  Well for the first time in years I attend a class myself at a local Scrapbook store.  I don't usually do this.  My way of thinking is look at the project, decide what I need, gather it up, rush home and make an example.  I'm usually pleased with that route and then I take all that I need with me when I meet up with my group of friends and teach them how to make it.  My thinking...why pay for something I can figure out?  Well this time, 3 days before the last class, I saw the project.  3 super cute tags.  I am a sucker for tags.  They are my favorite thing to make.   I sat down at the table with all my stuff ready in my bag.  The instructor was helpful to a fault.  In fact too helpful.  Being someone who knows how to use tools, I found myself constantly saying "It's ok I got this" only to be told I was holding the heat tool wrong or not aging my edges enough.  She would then take my tag and do it for me to show me the correct way.  Where I wanted more brown she'd put more turquoise.  Where I wanted to use my tape she would insist on wet glue (I used my tape though, I'm a rebel lol).  Little changes I wanted to do she said I can't because the instructions said to do it this way.  All this was slowly making me boil and at the same time realize that I might be doing the same thing when I am trying to show my friends how to do a certain thing on their project.  Oh no!!!!  Thats horrible!!!  Am I this bad all the time?? I need to change that.  I need to allow everyone to let their individual artistic vision shine instead of insisting they use mine.  Mine is good for me but they have a different view for theirs and I have got to let them have their views. I still agree that I need to listen to all instructions before I proceed but how I proceed is my decision and from now on it will be the way I look at things as I show how I completed a project but have the completion up to the individual.

Now would you like to see those tags?  They are cute for sure.

Well I don't think I'll be taking a class anytime soon.  I really don't like people telling me how to do things a different way.  I will listen but do not push me.  Pushing me makes me rebel and today made me not want to take another class for awhile or at least not without a friend to keep me inline LOL.  I learned some valuable lessons today though none pertained to the tags but hopefully my friends will notice a difference the next time I have a project to show them.

Until next time.............................................