Deadline Past

I did my best.  The deadline for the contest is today; there is no way I will be able to complete my medicine pouch on time and have it be the quality that I had hoped for.

I might have made it had I not developed a fever of over 102 last night, rendering me incapable of doing much of anything, but then again, maybe not.  The bottom line is I could do something second rate to get it done and turn it in, but I'm not willing to sacrifice quality for a contest.

The front and the back are zipped together; the final outcome of the pouch itself is far superior than I had ever imagined.  I tried to make the Zulu chain; it turned out too thick for my purposes.  All is not lost as this is a technique I can use for other purposes, but now I think I'm going to go to a braided assorted seed bead chain for the pouch; I have the time to explore options and think about it.

And as for the contest?  I'm a fool!  I had other things I could easily have planned to enter.  Like this for the seed bead contest.

And this for the glass bead contest.

I could have taken a lot of stress off of myself, still turned in exceptional work, and save the pouch for other venues.  I think that there are Gallery Juried Competitions coming up this summer including at the Palos Verdes Art Center.  I'll save the pouch for that.

The bottom line is that I want the exposure, I'm secure enough in myself to take the risk of having my work judged.  What is turned in to a particular venue is not of any particular importance.  My body of work is growing and the quality is improving all the time.  Instead of being so focused on one item for a particular venue, I should - as I learn of these events - think in broader terms.  What do I already have in inventory that might work?  What do I want exposed? Are the pieces I am choosing a good representation of me as a person, an artist, and a potential commercial entity?

If yes, and I believe that I have enough work to meet the criteria, then there is no reason to stress myself.  I need to stop the cycle of self-imposed crazy deadlines now.

The application for this contest went out today, right on the deadline, and we'll see what the judges think.

31 posts in 31 days.  Today is day 9.