My First Art Competition

"Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before." ~ Bonnie Blair

This is exactly what I feel about the Circus Scarf competition. This is another adventure from the past that I’m overdue in sharing. Yet, I would definitely regret it if I didn’t share before moving onto new things. Haha. ^^

I participated in this competition during last Thanksgiving break! It was my very first ever art competition with a practical use in mind. Before this, I never dared to compete for a commercial project.

I believe in fighting smarter, not harder. There are many opportunities we are offered every day so where to spend our energy is super important. We may overstretch ourselves, and like a rubber band, we may snap easily, if without focus.

Life is fair. We can’t win everything but when we do win, I believe God use those achievements to bring us to where we need to be.

Originally, I didn’t want to submit to this competition simply because going to the circus was not my ideal day out. However, I did do many floral designs in the past and I actually sold three originals and six prints! ^^ So part of me began to wonder if I could capitalize my design experience.

Anyway, as the days continued, I felt God telling me just to try. Even if I wouldn’t win, it would be a unique experience. It was then I realized that my previous abstract piece would be a great starting point. It was the first “A” I had ever got in a studio class. My professor named it “magical!” Which rings a bell to circus, right?

This artwork itself didn’t scream circus but perhaps the circles could become juggling balls! I could sneak the logo into one of the circles as well. Better yet, the little brush strokes could be flamethrowers. The swirls definitely bring in excitement! I began to get excited myself. Perhaps, I could find a way to make a repeating pattern to challenge myself even more.

I was concerned that this design would not be “circusy” enough, but I felt like to design a scarf where the honorees would wear besides at the awards ceremony. After all, would it be a pity if the scarf would be put aside in a memory box after the ceremony? How wonderful would it be if attendances at other occasions would be caught by the beauty of the scarf and would like to know more about what its design for?

I could be very wrong about this "brave" idea, but I sticked to the simplicity of abstraction. The hardest part was making a pattern out of digital art which I had never done before either. In the past, I only made traditional design patterns.

When I finished the greyscale design, I was very proud of myself. Everything I had learned in high school definitely paid off. Overlapping and repeating patterns were very fun as well as challenging. Plus, the pen tool was finally becoming my friend. Perhaps it wasn’t as tricky as I felt at the beginning, I just needed time and patience.

Playing with color was the most enjoyable part. Although, my favorites were definitely the first two.

The results came longer than I anticipated. I grew worried. Did I accidentally submit the wrong size? Did the competition get cancelled? What if they missed my folder since I submitted on the due date? I was really grateful that the deadline was delayed due to two hurricanes! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to submit.

In the end, the result did come and (drumroll please) …

I didn’t win.

I felt sad and bummed. But I still smiled. The winning design is much better crafted with a very cute and elegant circus theme. I know I can improve and make circus more apparent in my design. ^^

I responded to the announcement email, congratulating the winners. After all, it is my freshman year, and I had a wonderful time simply participating in this competition. It felt so rewarding to combine prior knowledge and what I had just learned to make something I was proud of.

To my surprise, I got an email back and the response was even better than winning the first place! I was told that my design was professional, and I had made the Ringling illustration department look good! This definitely encouraged me to maybe try again next year! Meanwhile, I’ll be putting my thinking caps on. :D

I’ll count all these words as a win in my book.

Maybe this time I got slayed instead of being victorious, but that’s okay. There is always next time! Being able to contribute back to our department already made me feel like a winner! :)

No matter if I win or lose, I think what’s most important is to have fun, enjoy the journey because life is like that – sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I will never forget what’s most important in the long run so as to press on.

Till Next Time,

Isabelle

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." ~ Psalm 27:14