"Because I Said So" Mother's Day Creative Project
“Because I said so.” We all heard our mothers say those words and most of the time it was in regard to discipline or we were being told to do things we didn’t want to do. Becoming a Mother has helped me to rethink some of the things I say to my daughter and how I use terms like, “Because I said so.” I want True to grow up as a confident, secure, and healthy person. As her mother, I need to make sure that she knows I believe in her 💯 because assisting her in building a healthy self esteme is my job. Just like how our moms didn’t want us to challenge them for discipline, I want True to know without question, there is nothing she could say or do that would ever make her unlovable or incapable of living a fulfilled happy life in my eyes. And when she asks me why I believe that? After reminding her of all the amazing qualities and abilities she has to offer, I will say because I am your Mother.... and I said so.
Most of you don't know this about me but I went to The School of Visual Arts in NYC for painting and drawing. I really love to paint and be creative but I haven't really made much time for that in the past few years. I have been feeling uninspired by social media and I have been thinking more about how I can be on Instagram in a more meaningful way. I got inspired to do this art project for True and myself for Mother's Day and I found the whole process to be really calming, fulfiling, and fun!
If you want to take this idea and do something similar for yourself or family here are a few tips:
1.) You want to use acrylic paint. Denim is really porous and will absorb paint. So, in order to have an opaque finish for your color on the denim, you need acrylic paint. NOTE* You will need two coats of paint on lettering.
2.) Use letter stencils. If you are amazing at freehand lettering that is a bonus but remember that denim isn't an even surface and it does make it more difficult to freehand paint your letters. I used a stencil and traced my letters in chalk first to adjust the placement. NOTE* Your first layer of painted letters using the stencil won't be perfect. That is ok, you can go back and freehand touch up the edges to even them out.
3.) Use a few different sized, small, and pointed paint brushes. I used a larger one for the first round of lettering using the stencil and then I used the smallest brush to perfect the lines.
4.) Don't stress about a little mistake here or there... just add a star over it! LOL You want these to look hand painted, that is the fun part! So if your inner perfectionist is stealing the show, tell her to chill out, put on some of your favorite music, and enjoy creating!
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I hope this gave you some great ideas to get creative and also spread a positive message about what it means to be a loving mother, woman, and human being. I will be doing more of these kinds of posts an would love to see your artwork if you give it a try! Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing women raising the world. You are a force.... "Because I said so."
xoxo
Katie