Barto's Basics

Can we agree that primer is scary? 

I’m working on restoring this piece of furniture and after I cleaned it up, did a little sanding, took the knobs and hinges off I poured the primer and got going. 

And then I had that “oh what have I done?” thought because….. primer always looks like crap! 

Oh and then you hear the echo of “I told you, you should have left it alone”…

So I got to thinkin about what a relatable metaphor this is for life. 

This piece was perfectly functional without me touching it. It was dinged up and some of the drawers were wonky, but it was structurally sound and did its job of storing things. 

But I wanted more out of it. 

And then I primed it and panicked a little. 

I don’t really want to turn back, but the primer portion of this project is a reminder that growth is uncomfortable and the process of it all isn’t the prettiest part. 

But if I can get beyond the primer, streaks and imperfections, I’ll have a beautiful piece and I’ll be proud of the end result. 

So maybe you’re in the primer phase of your career/marriage/parenthood/friendships right now and you need the reminder that it’ll turn out OK. 

The growth and knicks and streaks you are experiencing are worth it. 

The ones telling you not to do it, not to change, are just noise in the background. 

And when you’re done, with this phase….. you’ll have so much more to offer than just storing things. 

You’ll be a work of art. 🙌🏻