(Note – If you’re new to my page, this is how it works: At the beginning of each week I randomly draw a new project from my Challenge Bucket, then see what I can create before the week is over. You can read all about the Challenge here.)
Here it is! My very first Creativity Challenge! This is where the rubber meets the road, as they say. I’ve been thinking and talking about doing this for a few weeks now, and noticed I was starting to get cold feet. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” “Who am I to write a blog?! I’m literally nobody!”, “What was I thinking?”
But I’d always come back to why I wanted to do this in the first place. I want to grow in my creativity. I want to take journeys with new materials and new challenges. And I want to share my little adventures with my family and friends along the way. So here we go.
My “Challenge Bucket” prepared, I pulled out my very first challenge.
Thrift a painting and make it better.
I must admit that it wasn’t what I was expecting. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this one.
“But this is what the challenge is all about” I scolded myself, “so just do it!” (because aside from the creativity challenge, I’m also challenging myself to follow through on things.)
Background on this particular challenge: This one was inspired by a YouTuber I follow, Cas from Clutterbug. Her videos helped me declutter my house last summer while keeping me thoroughly entertained (she makes me laugh!). In some of her videos she gives budget-friendly decorating ideas, and one of those ideas is to upcycle art. She’d find something at the thrift store and add colors to it to make it fit the room she was decorating. I loved this idea and always thought it’d be fun to try. Little did I know that the time had officially arrived!
First things first… I would need a piece of art. I didn’t love the idea of spending money (we are currently attempting a strict budget) but knew that it probably wouldn’t cost more than $5-10. I was just about to head out to the thrift store then thought, “I should check and see what’s in the storage room.” Off the top of my head, I couldn’t think of anything useful there, but figured I should look anyway. I peered in and saw….
Squirrels drinking coffee. You read that correctly.
Oh man, I love these pictures! They’re so weird that they make me happy. Long story short, I came across them at Goodwill a couple years ago and bought them without knowing where I’d put them (I don’t recommend this if you’re on a budget). When I brought them home I showed my husband and we had a good laugh. He then asked where I was going to put them. I went around the house holding them up in different places, but realized they really didn’t go anywhere. So I set them on the floor in the office, leaning up against the wall… because I didn’t know what else to do with them! (this is how clutter starts, folks!)
Last summer I found a place where I thought the pictures might work. I pulled them out, held them up, and asked John what he thought. I then found out… that he actually hated them!
I was a little disappointed but it was not the end of the world. I realized that, while I could relate to the girl squirrel drinking coffee, the boy squirrel didn’t resonate with John at all – he rarely drinks the stuff. I mentally decided I’d donate them back to the thrift store… then stuck them back in the storage room (and this is how clutter continues to build!) I guess I wasn’t quite ready to part with these crazily-weird characters.
But lo and behold, turns out I saved them for a reason!
With the challenge looming, I pulled them out and looked at them thinking, “How could I upcycle these? Is there anything I could do to make John actually like them?” What if… the boy squirrel was holding something other than coffee. Something that John likes. Could I make a game controller?… Or… what about a can of Coke?!
If you know my husband at all, you know that Coke practically runs through his veins. Surely he couldn’t hate a squirrel holding a can of Coke!!
So there was now no need to hit up the thrift store. I had a task.
The next morning, after dropping off the kids and having my breakfast and Bible reading, I knew the first thing I’d have to do to get started would be to try to paint over the coffee cup that was already there. I got out my paints, brushes, and other tools. Then I realized the actual first thing I had to do was reheat my cup of coffee. That done, I was ready to go! (Excuse the lego in the background – life with kids!)
The first goal was to cover the existing coffee cup with paint that matched the background. I pulled out some white and ivory and tried to *patiently* let it dry between coats. It took at least 4-5 coats to cover the cup enough to proceed.
Next, I found an image of a Coke can online and used it to size out and sketch my new drink-of-choice.
Lastly I added the color (the most fun part). I carefully added red around all the words then tried to add a bit of depth. I added gray and white to the top and bottom for the metal parts. I thought it was looking good, but when I held it up next to the girl squirrel I noticed it still didn’t quite fit.
I then realized that, in trying to keep with the style of the painting, I hadn’t added enough detail. So I mixed up some black/brown/dark red and used it to add some lining and more depth. Next I found a metallic red in my paint stash and used it to brighten up the side as well as add some sheen.
I put it next to the girl squirrel again… and a smile spread across my face. I loved it!
Time to finally hang them up in all their weird squirrely glory! After finding some thumbtacks and eye-balling height and straightness (because this is the official way that Kara hangs art. It is also the official way to get more holes in the wall than you need), the two pictures are officially hung! I LOVE THEM!!! Now I just have to wait for John to wake up (he works nights) and see if he still hates them as much as before. I suspect that even if he still hates the squirrels, he will appreciate the idea of it all. The squirrels may just live to see another day in our house!
Update: My husband just woke up and came in the office. I smiled and said I’d completed my first creativity challenge and told him to look around the room for it. He immediately spotted the pictures and looked at me…COMPLETELY ANNOYED.
“What do you think?” I asked, hesitantly. He didn’t say anything. I then realized he didn’t even notice the Coke can! “Did you notice what I changed?” I asked. Suddenly his whole demeanor changed and he broke out in laughter!
“Ok, I guess you can keep them,” he said. I’m not convinced he loves the pictures even with the change, but I AM convinced he still loves me!
