Fellow Etsy Maine Teamer DreaBunny issued us a challenge: to make something that represented an irrational fear we have. I thought about it, but wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. How in the world would I depict my irrational fears:
Fear of people not liking me
Fear of people laughing at me
Fear of making a fool of myself
(obviously, I have issues).
So I thought about it some more and even mentioned it to my therapist, which prompted a discussion about WHY I have these fears, and I remembered a certain incident that happened when I was in grammar school. So for the first time, my therapist set me homework and told me to do the challenge.
And here is what I came up with. But bear with me, there's a bit of a story to go with it.
When I was in second grade I had a teacher who did not like me. I never figured out why. I was a pretty good kid and always did what I was told, didn't talk back, etc. She was mean. And scary.
So one day we had a project to make houses out of milk cartons. We had a lot of fun painting and decorating them. Some people even put them on stilts.
Then Mrs. Crowley spread some newspapers on the floor in the back of the room so the houses could dry. The problem was she had stuck me in the back of the room and had put the newspapers and houses so close to my desk I barely had room to move. I asked her if she could move them a little but she said there was plenty of room.
Well, this scared me. I was sure I would do something to the houses. I am, and have always been, a klutz.
At some point I had to get up. I don't remember why, but I do remember putting it off as long as I could. I tried to balance myself and walk carefully through the little space, but I was so afraid something would happen. And it did....
I lost my balance and fell on top of all the houses and ruined them!
Some kids laughed at me, but most were mad because I had ruined their projects.
Mrs. Crowley was really mad at me and yelled.
It's funny the things we remember, isn't it? Most of grammar school is a big blur, but this incident is very clear in my mind, even these many years later.
The kids are made from wooden figures covered with polymer clay. The teacher is all polymer clay. The school stuff (map, chalkboard, books, milk cartons and newspapers) was downloaded and printed from a site that makes printables for dollhouses and stuff. I made the desk and shelves out of toothpicks and mat board. The tiles and wallpaper I designed on the computer and printed out. It's all set up in a cardboard box diorama.
