Every year about this time I pick a fight with myself. As the days shorten and darkness lingers like an unwelcome, whiny relative who won’t go home, my thoughts turn to a single question: “When am I going to get busy making Christmas cards?” The fight breaks out soon after that as I find myself debating the merits of homemade versus store-bought Christmas cards and thinking gloomy thoughts about how much extra time I don’t have this time of year. The argument continues off and on throughout the holiday season until the December 25 deadline looms large. If I haven’t made any cards by Christmas Eve, I figure it’s too late and root around in my card collection for cards that didn’t make the cut in previous years. They may be made by me or by Hallmark, but at least they’re something to send.
Blank Paper
This year the dispute started early because in early November I found some cranberry red card stock in my favorite craft store. “Perfect!” I thought, dropping a dozen or so sheets into my basket. Once I got them home I got them out of the bag and onto my coffee table where they have resided ever since. I think it was about a week later as I sat on the couch thinking I really needed to tidy up a bit when I realized I had no idea what I was going to do with that pretty red paper. I had no design concept. All I had was a few sheets of paper. I castigated myself about my lack of creativity for the rest of the evening — all while the paper and everything else on the coffee table stayed right where it was. It must have been a week later that I decided it was time to get serious about this year’s card project. I found a rubber stamp that I thought would be a great addition to my ever-growing collection, plus it had a Christmas theme. “This will do it,” I assured myself. “This is just the inspiration I need to get going.” The stamp found its way to a shelf near the coffee table — which is where I put it when I got home. So, I had paper and stamp and no clear idea of what to do with either. It would have been a simple matter to use the stamp on the paper and maybe use a few glitter pens to add some color, but that wasn’t imaginative enough for me. With paper and stamp collecting dust, the scene was set for my brain to have a production meeting about the cards and kick off the annual argument. One voice in my head was reminding me that if I’m going to do these cards I’d better get busy because I have other work to do — projects for which I get paid. Another was reminding me how I like to send these cards to colleagues and friends to remind them of how artistic I am, and that must be good for business, right? I ended this meeting by saying to myself that I still had some time yet and maybe I could find some other cool papers that would offer further inspiration. I was still kicking myself about not having a theme that I thought was brilliant and superior to others I’ve used in the past.
Searching for Scraps
Several trips to craft stores and a few online shopping forays later, I was still looking for the “killer” paper that would make the design juices flow. It was time for another mental meeting. After remarking on how much time had passed, I told myself I could always come up with an electronic card design. “No need for paper these days, plus I could send it out last minute and save money on postage!” As it usually does in my mind, creative urges edge out practical ones. So, a few days ago I opened the door to my office supply closet and hauled out the boxes of paper I keep in there. This is no trivial task because I am a paper junkie and keep all but the smallest of paper scraps for years on end. I keep almost every piece of paper large enough to hold a drop of glue. After my search I had sheets of paper stacked on my desk in my office and retrieved the stamp and the card stock in the other room. I tried a sample card or two, but nothing seemed good enough. “Christmas is so overdone, it’s hard to come up with something new,” is how I have explained my lack of progress to the committee in my head. “Plus,” I point out, “Christmas is still a few weeks away. I’m sure I’ll come up with something wonderful soon!” I was laughing at myself as I wrote this column because another voice in my head was pointing out how much my tempest in a teapot reveals about the creative process. I’m going to express my observations in “I” language, so take what you like and leave the rest, but the lessons I learned may be useful for you, too.
Who’s This For, Anyway?
I work best with deadlines close to me on the calendar, but not overshadowing me emotionally as I hate to miss a deadline. I am the most creative when I’ve had a chance to let the creative juices steep for a while, but I’ve got one eye on the calendar the whole time. That leads to an ongoing discussion in my head about how much I should be accomplishing versus what I’ve gotten done. Comparing progress to plans can help me stay on deadline, but it can also drive me crazy. Too often I equate the impact of small projects with those of larger ones, especially if I have gotten kudos for smaller jobs where I did most of the work. No one is going to remember the card I sent last year, but I remember the compliments I got on cards I made three years (and longer) ago. With the cards, I realized I’m the only hypercritical person in this whole scenario. Lesson learned: If I’m the only one pressuring myself, then maybe I need to re-think the project. My internal holiday card debate resolved itself this year as I sat surrounded by paper, scissors, glitter, glue and stamp pads. I realized that what I needed wasn’t a shot of creativity so much as a more productive viewpoint. I got what I needed when I realized my clients are more likely to remember the quality of the work I did throughout the year than a card they get at the end. My friends will recall the attention I paid them this year and not the quality of the handmade paper I choose for my holiday cards. As I sit looking at my work schedule for the month, maybe I’ll re-think that electronic card idea. I’ve already got the sentiment worked out: Wishing you a fresh perspective, and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on December 9, 2004
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