Do vs. Don’t

I actually managed to do a little sewing this weekend, and promptly messed up.

I keep forgetting that I have a large melon head, which means that standard adult size head accessories don’t always fit me correctly:

Is this not the cutest headband? I absolutely love it, but the amount of elastic required to make it fit my head was a bit excessive. I got discouraged, and didn’t even finish it.

Now, a few days later, I’m thinking of this crafty “fail” and started writing a little list of “Don’ts” to keep me on track.

You know – Don’t get discouraged, don’t worry so much, etc. etc. etc.

But those “Don’ts” bothered me. It made me think of the old Psych 101 experiment. If you tell someone, “Don’t think of pink elephants,” what’s the first thing you think of? Pink elephants! If you tell a child, “Don’t spill the soup, ” let’s face it, spilling the soup is almost guaranteed. Why? Because the idea has been voiced. It’s out there. Better to say, “Think about red hippos” or “Keep your shirt clean,” because they are more positive, and don’t require you to think of the worst case scenario first.

Hence, my list of today’s crafty “Do’s”:

• Do remain confident.
• Do stay focused.
• Do strive and learn.
• Do keep trying.
• Do keep moving forward.
• Do have fun.
• Do make things.

Those sound SO much better.

Is there a “Do” that I’m missing? I’d love to hear it!

Filed in: Introspective