When we were kids, my cousin Melanie had permission to write on the door to her room. Before the door was eventually painted over, she has created a collage of graffiti-like names, drawings, and sayings. It was cool, but in my childhood home, drawing on the walls was definitely prohibited. Even though I was encouraged to paint and draw, my creative activities were mostly limited to paper. Walls and doors, even in my own room, were not an option.
Today it’s different. Walls and doors are just another canvas. We use chalkboard paint on entire walls to keep track of schedules and to create transient murals. We have large bulletin boards on our doors for collections of fabric, trim, color swatches, and party/event concepts. Walls are the perfect canvas for creating on a grand scale. And even though it’s never really permanent, it is very visible to everyone that enters your home and this, my dear reader, is where people become fearful, hesitant and doubtful. Deep down, many of us long to create something on our walls. Murals, wall words, etc. But instead, we freak out and hire an artist to do it. Sometimes, the only difference between you and the artist may be a lack of creative confidence.
Here then, are the baby steps we can all take on our way to our own biggest, grandest wall project ever:
- First give yourself permission. That’s what your mom and grandmother had to do when they first marked on the walls to track the growth of the kids and grandkids. Even if it was in pencil.
- Then make a list of all the things you’d like to create. Don’t edit yourself. You can do one or all of the projects you identify. Keep adding projects to the list, save it in your project inspiration file.
- Next—go shopping. Gather your materials you’ll need for your project at online and offline craft, artist/hobby shops, home decor and home improvement centers. Don’t forget your friends. Sometimes all you need is a small amount of paint. Your friends may just have the colors you need sitting in the storage bin. It never hurts to swap supplies and save money!
