Malcolm Gladwell wrote in the Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours to master a field. While I’m a long way from dedicating my 10,000 hours to sculpting, I do know that I improve every day that I’m in the studio.

Working Toward 10,000 Hours

Working toward 10,000 hours: This is Emily, my entry in the PCAGOE Re-Do Challenge.Meet Emily, my entry in the PCAGOE Re-Do Challenge.

What people don’t often talk about in terms of self-improvement is that there is down-side. Upon creation of a new piece, a romance can blossom. The journey of watching an idea manifest in physical form is intoxicating. Yet, as one works toward their 10,000 hours, the rose-colored glasses that you see your previous work through become clearer.

As a result, I fall out of love with my creations as my sculpting skills improve. I am forever “re-doing” things that no longer make me happy. On the upside, when we voted in the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy to explore “Re-Do” as a theme, I had no shortage of pieces to enter.

I chose “Emily as my make-over piece. I talked about the creation of the original piece, modeled after and Art-Deco era cigarette girl in this post last year: https://marieyoungcreative.com/art-deco-cigarette-girl/

 

Vote in the Re-Do Challenge

Voting is open through Dec. 7 and everyone who votes is entered in a prize drawing so head over to http://www.pcagoe.com and choose your favorite three entries. There are some really clever takes on the theme. Many of the artists even let you see  the behind the scenes of their process on their blogs.

PCAGOE Re-Do challenge entries
PCAGOE Re-Do challenge entries

About the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy: PCAGOE is a global group of polymer artists united through Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade, supplies and vintage. Members create amazing things using polymer clay, including jewelry, supplies, art, sculpture, functional art and home decor.