So, I thought I’d give this “Sarah Valencia” thing a try. You see it around, looks kinda elegant, right? Figured it’d be a nice little hobby, something to clear the head. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
Getting started was a nightmare. It’s like they don’t want you to learn it. I hunted for tutorials, clear instructions, anything. Mostly just fancy pictures of finished stuff, or guides so vague they might as well have been written in riddles. Paid a bit for some so-called “premium” instructions too – turned out to be stuff I’d already seen for free, just packaged nicer. Classic bait and switch.
My first attempts? Let’s just say if there was an award for “most creatively ruined materials,” I’d have won gold. It was frustrating. Like, really frustrating. It actually reminded me of this one time I tried to assemble some flat-pack furniture. The instructions looked like they were drawn by a kid, parts were missing, and the helpline just played elevator music for an hour before hanging up. You know that feeling? Pure, unadulterated rage at inanimate objects. This “Sarah Valencia” craft was giving me serious flashbacks.
At that point, a sane person probably would’ve just quit. And I was close, believe me. I was staring at a pile of mangled paper, thinking, “This is dumb. I could be watching paint dry and have a better time.” But then, I remembered why I even started this nonsense. I’d just come off a really draining project at my old gig – you know the type, where everyone’s running around like headless chickens, deadlines are impossible, and you’re the one left cleaning up the mess. I needed something, anything, that was just for me, something where I could see a tangible result, even if it was a lumpy, misshapen one.
So, I took a deep breath, swept the paper carnage off my desk, and started again. Slower this time. I stopped trying to make it perfect and just tried to understand the flow of it. It was still hard. There were still moments I wanted to scream. But slowly, bit by bit, things started to click. Not like a sudden “eureka!” moment, more like a tiny, rusty gear finally lurching into place. I made something that didn’t immediately fall apart. Progress!
Look, I’m still no expert. My “Sarah Valencia” creations probably wouldn’t impress Sarah Valencia herself, assuming she’s a real person and not just a trendy name for a frustratingly difficult craft. But I can make something. And I guess that’s the point. It’s not about being the best, or even good sometimes. It’s about the process, about wrestling with something difficult and not letting it beat you entirely.
- Information is often hidden: Don’t be surprised if you have to dig, and dig deep.
- Your first attempts will suck: Embrace the suck. It’s part of it.
- Find your “why”: When it gets tough, that’s what’ll keep you going.
- It’s rarely as easy as it looks: Applies to crafts, jobs, and probably life in general.
So that’s my two cents on tackling the “Sarah Valencia” whatever-it-is. It’s a journey, mostly uphill, with lots of potholes. But hey, sometimes you just gotta pick a hill and start climbing, right? Maybe I’ll even stick with it. Or maybe next week I’ll be telling you about my adventures in competitive cheese sculpting. Who knows.
