“Something’s amiss!”

For a solid 10 minutes, I find myself entranced, holding the meticulously painted BJD Face-up commission on Freedom Teller Amber head in my hands. My focus rivals that of a “Find the Differences” game, set against the backdrop of soft classical piano music and the comfort of the morning. Despite the cozy atmosphere, my brow furrows in concentration. What am I searching for?

Fortunately, these rare moments are shielded from any observers; otherwise, they might assume I’m casting some enchanting spell on the doll head. This is me when I sense a void in my BJD Face-up artwork, yet the missing element eludes me. Ironically, these instances tend to occur with face-ups I initially felt supremely confident about.

Gently placing Amber’s head on the soft fabric, I realize that a continuous stare won’t yield the answers I seek. I shift my gaze to the white clouds drifting in the cerulean sky outside my apartment window. Living in this space offers the gift of an expansive sky view. My thoughts turn to my mentor’s wisdom on shared art spaces, where artists can seek input when feeling stuck—a communal effort to identify missing elements.

Embracing this notion, I insert a pair of emerald eyes into the doll head and bring it to the living room, where my roommate, a children’s book writer, is engrossed in knitting.

“What do you think? I feel something is missing!” I inquire.

My roommate, a keen art enthusiast, studies the doll head for a moment and remarks, “The face-up is excellent. The issue might be with the dark eyes.”

She has a valid point! As an artist always striving for perfection, I sometimes get trapped in the loop of “this is not good enough” when the artwork is already outstanding. Reflecting on my mentor’s advice, she often reminded me not to be too greedy for details—an important lesson for an artist. “You must learn to stop!” she’d say.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this captivating BJD Face-up for Freedom Teller Amber with a pair of beautiful eyes!