Welcome to my Tuesday Tea chat. :o) I hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee or tea, scoot up your chair, and join us for a little visit while we take a break from our busy days. What I’d like to talk about today…is really the idea that learning is a life long process. And that talent is over-rated. :o) There is nothing quite as fulfilling as creativity or learning something new.
Is there something that you wish you could do..but think that you never could learn..or that it’s ‘too late’. Well, I’m donning my cheerleading cap to tell you that is just isn’t so! It’s never too late!
Have you ever heard the saying that success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration? It really is TRUE! My son, who does indeed love to talk, is, of course, ‘naturally’ gifted with an ability to speak publicly..in that he is not afraid to say what he thinks--he’s comfortable with a crowd. But 90 % of his gift is practice… A LOT of practice! He actually doesn’t have very good grammar. But when he prepares a speech, he talks to himself, incessantly, practicing his speech over and over again day in—day out ..in his bedroom all evening.. cutting out words, adding words, practicing gestures…refining…polishing.
This week, we learned that not only did he win first place at the Right to Life Oratory contest this year (second place last year), but that now he is wanted for several speaking engagements at various clubs, public schools and organizations around the area. He wowed so many people by his ‘natural’ gift of speaking..but what they don’t know is that he’s practiced his ‘art’ of public speaking for YEARS…and his speech was written the DAY after he got 2nd place last year. He’s been practicing all year. Did he win because he was gifted? No. He didn’t. Did the gift help? Of course. But mostly it was just plain old hard work.
My kids are ‘gifted’ at photography. Sometimes I sigh..to see how, with so little effort, they produce a stunning photograph. Me? I have zero talent in photography. However, four years ago, I got inspired by friends like Shona, Shannon, and Anita M. to take better photos. Blogging forced me to break through my lack of natural ability. I needed good photos..lots of them! But linking to photos online..finding credits and giving them was so time consuming.
I started reading tips, blogs, taking a digital photography class. I started getting ideas from my kids…who love photography and could critique mine and push me beyond my comfort zone.
Some of you think I take good photos..but it’s not ‘natural’. And it’s not that I have a good camera. I don’t have an SLR..I have a pocket digital camera. But I practice..practice..practice..and I read everything I can get a hold of! I’ve worked through a frustrating ‘learning curve’ on how to edit photos. Why? To make my tutorials more pleasant and enjoyable. That’s all. I thought that there was no way I could ever learn. I was wrong. So what if it doesn’t come natural? You can learn..you can practice. That will result in a 90% success rate!
Why this topic? Because it always embarrasses me when you, my sweet friends, ooh and aahh over my creations. When really..it’s just the result of tons of practice! Really…even creativity takes practice.
In the past, my creative efforts resulted in messes most of the time (i.e. check out my first two altered art pieces). When you guys blessed me with your sweet comments about the cake I thought..it’s time to fess up! It doesn’t take talent! My first cakes were duds. Plain and simple.
What did I do to learn cake decorating? Well, my dad gave me the smallest tray of tips (all I ever needed) as a birthday gift--I bought the 1993 Wilton magazine and some parchment paper. Then I made a pint of icing...stuck it in the fridge...and when the kiddos were napping...I practiced shells...over and over and over again. Just as
Shona, author of The Artistic Mother suggested, I worked a little 'creativity' into 30 min. to an hour of 'spare' time..which isn't much when you have a house full of little ones.
After YEARS of making, to the best of my ability, all of the cakes the children picked out ...I became a little more creative..and much more skilled. Some of my cakes and decor didn't look too good..but they were always appreciated when a cake was needed. In a year, you can learn all you would ever need to know about most hobbies to make practical use of a new skill.
Here are the hobbies I’ve learned...one year at a time...
- As a child…gardening, piano, drawing, choir, camping, embroidery, animal husbandry and beginning sculpting
- 1970-1980 Poetry Writing and Accordion Playing
- 1974 Jewelry Making
- 1975 Crochet
- 1977 Sewing
- 1982-80 Guitar and Worship Leading
- 1980-84 Secretarial Work, Accounting, Budgeting, Shorthand
- 1986-89 Homeschooling
- 1985 Cross-stitching, Cooking
- 1985-1995 History and English Literature (especially Dickens)
- 1986 Bread Baking (without yeast!), Canning
- 1987-93 Cake Decorating
- 1988 Homemaking
- 1989 Sewing
- 1990 Home Birthing, Home Remedies (Thanks Mom)
- 1991 Child Training
- 1992 Weight loss
- 1993 Gerontology
- 1994 Gardening, Public Speaking
- 1995 Wildlife Rescue, Missions
- 1996 Gliding (I didn’t fly..I just encouraged son and rode in a glider)
- 1997 Exotic Pets: Sugar Gliders, Rats, Boa Constrictors
- 1998 Ice Skating, Civil Air Patrol
- 1999 Horseback Riding
- 2000 Quilting
- 2001 Appliqué, Beading, Embroidery
- 1998-2003 Formal Dress Making
- 2004 Song-Writing (CD)
- 2005 French Quilting (Boutis)
- 2006 FlyLady, Linux Scripting
- 2007 Chicken Raising and Horse Raising, Construction of a Building/roofing, Canning
- 2007 Frugal Weddings: candy molds, Altering Prom Dresses
- 2008 Candle Making, Knitting Loom
- 2007-9 Fabric Art: Indian Button Blanket, Civil War Ball Dress, Ball Room Dancing
- 2008 Convention Booth Sewing, Square Dancing
- 2009 Banner Making , Glass Painting, Soap Making, Persian Rug Weaving
- 2010 Blogging and Photography
- 2011 Hula Hooping, Altered Art
This year it’s Hula Hooping with Trudy…
and Altered Art…with Shona…
Next year? How about sculpting or cheese making?
I’ve always wanted to learn how to do these things…and some day! I will!
So please, don’t feel too impressed at what you see on my blog. :o) What I’ve learned has been YEARS in the making! Like Kerrie, Shona, Needled Mom, Julia, and Mickey.., I’ve been LEARNING for years! When you start setting goals and practicing every day..you’ll get there too!
Start today on a new hobby! It’s never too late to learn something new!
Just ask my dear hubby who learned to play the cello..LAST YEAR at age 47. And me? I’m hula hooping!!! Thank you Trudy of
Sewing with Trudy for inspiring me to try. It’s so fun!!
You’re NEVER too old to learn something new!Want to Join our Tuesday Tea party? Linking with
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Right now...at our house....
Brennan, age 3
Colin, Age 5
Self portrait of Grandma and Nikolai, Age1
(I held the camera up in the air and pointed at me and the grandbaby for both of these photos...
I prayed I'd 'catch' us in the lens.)
has been encouraging moms everywhere to take a little time to work some art into their schedule. 
