I don’t know what is wrong with my lately, maybe stress, maybe I should stop doing customs… I just don’t like any of the babies Ive done recently, they are substandard at best. My Yael is absolute garbage. I can’t stand his limbs…Im a heavy painter and he has creases that are like scratches so no matter what I do his creases are dirty. I was stupid and painted his hair, then convinced myself that it looked ok, it most certainly doesn’t. I can do light prisma hair but I just can’t paint and my arm doesn’t want me to root anymore…Im doing it anyway, I don’t want to give up reborning just because my body is so intent on falling apart.
I “finished” my Azalea as well but her hair is a hot mess so Im going to root more and hopefully I will like her more.
I am going to have my husband strip Yael’s head…I hate his eyes too and I feel badly about that because they are expensive blown glass…why did I do that? who knows!. I was thinking maybe I can get some different limbs for him…I was thinking cuddle baby but I don’t know, anyone have any ideas or maybe a set of limbs that would work?
I have a seconds Kase awake, Im wondering if his limbs would work?
I love reborning but I just feel like I suck right now…please tell me everyone goes through this? Also it would be helpful if someone could remind me not to paint hair 
Seriously though, this is very depressing!
Health issues, especially severe flare ups really get in your head and can put you in such a bad headspace. I completely feel your pain! One minute you feel like you are finally getting a style of your own and all your hard work has finally helped you paint some babies you feel proud of then bam, you feel like you’ve lost it all and you are subpar at everything. Discouragement is so hard to cope with. I am currently dealing with a similar circumstance, bad flare and hate everything I paint. But when your health is so debilitating reborning gives you a purpose an outlet, a way to still feel a sense of accomplishment.
All your babies are so beautiful 
, I worry you are being hyper critical of your work right now. You have put in the hard work to improve in your art and it always shows! I am so sorry you can’t root right now! Great big hugs are headed your way! Maybe you can get outside for a bit, watch the birds, look at some flowers, just a little bit of nature can really lift your heart in a wonderful way. I find that helps me. Hang in there, this too will pass:wink:
Thank you Taunya…you put that perfectly into words. Im sorry you are suffering with chronic illness as well. Also I LOVE all of your babies!
I know I am very critical of my reborns but I swear Yael is really a mess…maybe I pushed through my pain too much and finished him too quickly.
Thank you for the encouragement. I do go out at night with my husband and walk our dogs…we live a beautiful area.
I like to take pictures and I post them on my FB
Mont Blanc
I think I just need to know that Im not alone, that really helps me 
Keep painting. Your babies are beautiful! I see constant improvement in your work. Sometimes a bad kit comes along. My Starling and Ashley were that way. I thought I had suddenly forgot how to paint. Then I sat them aside and moved on to others. When I went back to them, they were fine.
As for creases, I’ve had a couple of kits like that. Take a toothpick and scrape the creases out. Even if it’s been baked, it will remove all the muddy paint. 
We all have bad days and works of art that don’t measure up to our standard–we need to be critical to improve our skill. Your work is beautiful to everyone but you!!
Yael. I just finished 2 Yaels. I feel your pain!! That vinyl was difficult!! My paint was disappearing after baking–so frustrating!! And one hand and one foot was pitted in the kit. I thought it was just my painting until I did the second kit and the flaws showed up in the same place. Any 20" Realborn limbs will work well- Kase’s should be fine. I spent 20 hours rooting pale blond on one and hate it…ugh. I put the cheaper oval glass eyes from Macphersons in grey 20mm and they fit and look great. Better than the round expensive ones. One good thing!
Don’t give up!
There are times I can paint and times I can’t it seems. Usually when that happens, I take a break and clean or something. Lol When I miss the babies, it’s time to paint again.
A few months ago, something more happened with this, so I can totally relate to what you are saying. One of my chronic health conditions flared and I was under a lot of stress. Nothing was coming out right. And I do mean nothing. I knew I needed to take a break from painting, but couldn’t because I had a mile long list of customs to do. Of course I sent pictures out, people still wanted their dolls, but I really didn’t want to send them. I actually discounted some.
One super sweet customer claimed that the first doll she got from me set the bar and made her unhappy with so many others. And she was one of the customers that received a doll that was painted during the time when I hated everything I painted… I recently contacted her, asked her what her favorite new kit was and am painting her one. Not only will she be happy (I hope. Lol), but it will make me feel better too.
From now on, I’m only taking a few customs per month. I never know when my health problems will resurface and just don’t need the stress of a huge line of waiting customers.
Hang in there, @RebornsbyZebra, this will pass. You are a talented artist who makes beautiful babies. A little break and a bit of self care will have you churning out work you are happy with once again. 
P.s. You really do live in a beautiful area!
Look at this perfect baby and tell me you can’t paint. This baby is far from substandard. All of yours are perfect. 
Thank you I do like my Joseph, I have no idea why he hasn’t sold but Im sure someone will come along who will want him. Thank you for telling me that you feel the same sometimes. I tried to fix Yael’s creases but they are really terrible…like little scratches as Im sure @danidolly can attest too. I just paint too heavily to keep the paint out of those tiny scratches…and they are everywhere! Also his feet are ugly and thats an issue for me because I spend so much time on making feet look cute…its my favourite part. I think I will let my husband strip the head and Ill use the Kase limbs and state that in my sale, of course. I have a couple oval eyes, I didnt try those on him so I will. Ill post a picture of him…I hate his hair and his eyes (the iris is too big) but he has such a cute face anyway.
@DollyPardon thats exactly the way I feel…I feel badly that my customs aren’t coming out as good as I want them to…I feel guilty and I am also giving out discounts. The same thing happens to me I think a baby is off and then the person will tell me that my baby is their favourite from their collection, go figure. My husband always tells me that Im too hard on myself but I just don’t want to disappoint someone. So far I haven’t had anyone tell me they didnt like their babies so I don’t know why I am like this. Right now Im just in serious pain…I have one baby left that Im rooting for my customer and I really want to paint my 7 Month June, 6 month Easton and my Leo…they have been all primed and waiting for me.
I didnt mean that I would stop painting…I don’t know that I could actually, I think that would seriously crush me if I had to stop. I just feel depressed and anxious, I guess. Its nice to have you guys to talk to because other people really do not understand.
His painting and hair are fantastic. I agree his irises might be a bit large. I think it’s your current headspace and not your actual work 
Don’t strip him!!! Put him aside for a week.
Lil you have a situation that is not easy for us to understand. I mean I do understand and then I don’t. I do have health problems that prevent me painting a lot. But, I don’t have near the health problems you do. You amaze me with all you do, and you with the health conditions you have. You really are an amazing person. I am not just saying this now to help you feel better, I feel that way about you all the time. You always do paint beautiful babies. I hope you never have to quit painting them, too. Sometimes when we have issues beyond our control, some hobby is our main thing that keeps us going.
Well said!
I hope you feel better soon. You have so much love and support here, and you are one of the best! I’m always admiring your work when I see it on Reborns. I think hair painting is something that must be done while free of frustration. I painted a head a few weeks ago and had to strip it and it had everything to do with the frustration I was feeling with my kids and the amount of stuff I needed to be doing. I waited a few days to calm down and tried again and it went so much better. Don’t give up on the hair. You always find a way!
I feel this some days too and I have to sit back for a few days and then start another baby. Not all babies are my favorite, take a break your babies are beautiful!
Definitely, sometimes my babies, the vinyl ones and my big ones , are what keeps me going. Its what keeps me getting up from my bed everyday.
Thank you all for your kind words, you have really made me feel much better. @Alypants I will try to keep painting hair…but it seems they all come out looking the same LOL. Ive done a couple with combo hair for a customer and Im not very happy with them either but I may get to the point someday where I can’t root at all.
You are Not alone. This art I struggle with so badly. I know I haven’t been doing it that long (16 months) but I feel like I should be rocking it All of it, by now. I’m happy with very few of my dolls, asp my Tink that I ruined. But it is what it is. Your dolls are gorgeous April. You have nothing to worry about. If you need a little break, take it, but not too long because I love looking at your babies! 
I was looking at your big baby girl Joe, oh my goodness she is ever precious this pigtail pic and fat rolls are soooo stinking adorable!
And the outfits, she had to be so much fun to play dress up with!
She is adorable!!!
Try not to be so hard on yourself. You are creating and it is not always going to end the way you envision it. But someone will always love what you create, even if you don’t. I am sorry your health is not better right now. I hope you feel better soon. If you take a break from the baby you dislike and later come back to it, maybe you will have a fresh view and can re work it or leave it because you found a new appreciation for it. Hang in there.
I have found ALL the glass eyes I have got lately have irises too large. The don’t look right at all and I have gone to oval ones instead
Even without health issues (which certainly exacerbate our anxiety) I think we all go through ebbs and flows when we feel our work is not up to our own standards. Someone posted this graphic a few years ago (sorry, I forgot who!) and I saved the image because I think it perfectly captures my own dissatisfaction with my work at times. Just remember, those periods of frustration are actually proof that you’re growing as an artist!
