I watch as the judges pass by each piece of art, deciding on which one they think to be the best. I sit, trembling as anxiety runs through my veins at the same speed as a bullet train. Today was a craft contest, and I had been preparing for weeks, trying to figure out what I wanted to make. Some people made beautiful paintings, some made stools, and I made food items smaller than pennies.

In front of me was a small clay s’more, along with several other small baked goods and pastries, all made of clay, and all smaller than a pea. I certainly didn’t expect to win, and I didn’t, but I just wanted a little bit of acknowledgement of my accomplishment. 

They walked right past mine. I almost burst into tears. They had passed right past mine, not even turning their heads. What was wrong? Had I done something wrong? The girl who sat beside me looked at the judges, who were currently examining her work, and said: “Hey, you guys forgot to look at her work.”

The judges turned around, seeing a quivering me, and a handful of tiny creations. One had to pull out his glasses to see one of them. They were quite impressed by the display, but I knew that those tiny little things wouldn’t give me a first place, or even an honorable mention.

By the end of it, I remember hearing them talk about mine again. I was hopeful, but then I heard what else they were saying. “It’s like she’s not even proud of her work.” I stopped breathing. It was true, I wasn’t proud, but I still wanted to be known. And I was, just not for what I had hoped.

A few days later, I was sitting in the library with one of my friends, talking about book club, when another friend walked in. “Hey, so what happened with the craft competition?”

I paused again and looked at the ground. “I didn’t win. I didn’t expect to. But they told me afterwards that if I was proud of my work, I likely would have gotten at least an honourable mention.” I let that thought guide me through the rest of the day, and when I got home, I got to work. I went on a huge craft spree, making almost two dozen pairs of earrings within a day. Besides that, I also made a dozen items relating to food.

I’ve learned that being proud of yourself can be hard, but over time, you’ll have a bit of a ‘turning point’, and you’ll see who you can really be.

Since then, I’ve started up a small business to sell what I make. I haven’t made much so far, but I know with time, I’ll be able to accomplish great things. Anyone can accomplish anything, just as long as they’re ready to put in the effort to make it happen.