Altered Perceptions

Well, the past week was a week for "egg" jokes in our house as I made my entry to Round 3 - Alter It of SMI. As I mentioned before, I am not really into altering. I still think my winning the Altered Photo Box Challenge last Scrapfest was a fluke. So this round is really a challenge for me.

The first thing I did was to walk around the house from the third floor down looking for an item to alter and repurpose. I ended my occular inspection in my pantry where I eyed my baking equipment with evil intent. Practicality won over, however, so my Wilton cookie sheets and muffin tins remain safe. I decided to alter and repurpose, instead, an egg carton, including the empty eggshells to make "Eggs-tatic." I'd hardly call the process of creating it eggs-hilirating. More like eggs-asperating. I felt that I would eggs-pire anytime. And most of all, I really felt that my being an Idol contestant would not be eggs-tended. See what I mean about the egg jokes? Eggs-cellent!!! LOL.

This particular round opened my eyes to many things.

First, it confirmed to me what I have always known. That the Pinay scrappers are remarkably talented. And we ain't seen nothing yet.

Second, that this is no regular challenge. It doesn't let up. One minute you're celebrating the fact that you made it through and the next, you are murmuring expletives as you read through the rules of the next challenge.

Third, many people take this seriously. Man, those are serious work in the galleries. This has gone beyond, "I joined so I am forced to make at least one LO a week." Who am I kidding? If that was all there was to it, any LO I come up with should suffice. Instead, I come up with an idea, and then I try to second guess the other challengers. Not necessarily to top them but to at least ensure that my entry would hold its own.

Fourth, as David Hume said, "Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them." Or more prosaically, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I do not envy the judges as they review each and every entry. It is a daunting task. But in this contest, three contestants are dropped every week and one project is Pick of the Week. If you think your work should be pick of the week or that you really deserve to still be in the running, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't let anyone question your faith and belief in yourself. It doesn't mean that you and/or your work are not good enough. It's just the rules of this particular game. (I tell myself these many times as frail human that I am, I have massive attacks of insecurities.)

At this point, I do not know what the fates or the judges have in store for me so let me now post this -


because next week, my photo might no longer be in the contestants roster and except for my creations in the galleries, it would be like I was never part of this.