Rejuvenating Creativity

One of my favorite ways to rejuvenate my creativity is to head to a library or a bookstore, my preference being the bookstore, since normally, there is a coffee shop attached.  I arm myself with the following:

my laptop
my phone and cord to charge it on the laptop
some cash for coffee
an open mind

When I get to the bookstore, I usually first do one of the following:

A.  Select as many arts, crafts and interiors/architectural/gardening magazines as I can hold. 

OR

B.  Randomly walk through the magazine and books and select items that are as off the wall as I can find or as different from my "normal" selections as I can get.

I take my findings to a table at the coffee shop and usually put a pad of paper and pen or some other item on top of them so people know that someone is sitting there (and so that, in the event that the staff happen to walk through during the next few minutes they won't re-shelve my hard won items).

I order my drink--even on a hot day, I can't help myself.  I love hot chai lattes.  Sometimes I get a little something sweet like a cranberry scone or a piece of lemon bar.  Sometimes I just focus on that venti latte.

Then I spend the next few hours pouring over the magazines and books.  I look at everything--the advertisements, the articles, the pictures. 

Why the laptop and phone?  If I find something that I want to remember or that jogs some other idea in my head, I snap a quick phone picture of it.  If that item really gets my creative energy flowing, I open my Windows One Notes "Creative Juice" Workbook and I type in notes and ideas related to whatever got me intrigued. 

I find that I especially get a "Kick in the Seat of the Pants" (referring to Roger Von Oech's book and creativity cards Creative Whack Pack) when I do option B--finding random items that are far from my normal interests. 

It is astounding what sorts of things can then come up for me.  For example, I was in a sort of "stuck" mode at one point.  I picked up a science magazine (don't recall which at this time) and was inspired by photographs of space and various anomalies.  I then found a magazine (another science one, perhaps the same as with the photos of space for all I know) and it had microscopic photos at a cellular level of various items.  I was supremely intrigued by the fact that...the photos were not all that dissimilar.  This then led me to design a five piece series of enamels on glass that were designed to emulate both types of design.  I plan to do some additional pieces of this type in the future.

It never fails to leave me feeling rejuvenated.  I often regret that the time allotted for this pastime is over. But I always begin that or the next day fully charged and ready with plenty of ideas and plans for creative works.

Twisted in a Good Way...

As I mentioned last week, I took a wire wrapping class this weekend at the Bead Strand in Ocala with Miranda Turner of Wishful Wire (she does not yet have a website--sorry).  I had been practicing my wire wrapping for several weeks before taking the class and had made a few beaded pendants and some rings that I like very much...

(c) SZing Wire wrapped black swarovsky beaded ring (sz. 8)  $20

(c) SZing Wire wrapped black and dark pink swarovsky beaded ring (sz.6)  $20

(c) SZing Wire wrapped green/purple irridescent swarovsky beaded ring (sz. 7)  $20

So far, I've made about a dozen rings to sell (and kept three--a shiny silver beaded one, one of the black beaded ones, and a dark purple beaded one).  I'm selling these for $20 a piece (if you want one, email me and we can make arrangements.)  I'm going to be posting some of these at Bohemianartcafe on Etsy and maybe also see how they do on Ebay.  I'm going to work this week on making some of these rings using sea glass beads and will post the results when I have some completed.

I worked on a couple of beaded pendants but they are incomplete--I need to add bails and want to do some additional embellishment, I think.  This is what they look like thus far:

(c) SZing Work in progress wire wrapped beaded pendant. 

(c) SZing Work in progress wire wrapped beaded pendant.



I had such a great time at the wire wrapping class--there were only four of us, so it was the perfect size class--if one of us got stuck, none of us got too far behind while Miranda helped out.  She is a very good instructor with fairly clear directions and easy to follow along.  I specifically decided to take this class because fine soldered silver working 1) takes me a long time and 2) is getting quite costly, but I have a great many fused glass cabochons I have made over the past few years and wanted to find a way to incorporate them better into some jewelry.  This seems to be a perfect solution!!

I used an oval piece of black glass with two pieces of dichroic fused into the cabochon as my class practice piece. I was very pleased with the result.... I have already gotten several lovely remarks about it when I wore it to the grocery store and church.

(c) SZing Wire wrapped fused glass cabochon pendant (NFS)

Of course, Saturday evening and Sunday, since it was scorching hot and humid, we stayed indoors and had a movie festival.  I used my "breakfast in bed" serving tray to lay out jewelry making materials while I watched tv and worked on several other pendants.

(c) SZing Forest stone wire wrapped pendant. 

This is a square stone bead I've had for a while, not glass.

The "copper" color wire is plastic covered over wire and

will not leave the green residue regular copper wire normally does. 

Approximately 1 1/4" l x 1" w.   $35.

 (c) SZing Wire wrapped red sea glass pendant. 

Approximately 2" l x 1 1/4" w,

$40.

(c) SZing Wire wrapped pink and gold stone pendant.

Approximately 1 3/4" l x 1 1/2" w. NFS.

Since my studio is not quite up and running, it is AWESOME to have a creative outlet.  I do have to say that my resolution to "not make anything new until I sold all my existing inventory" really didn't last long.  I just can't not create! (sorry for the double negative there, but it is the only way I can adequately describe this drive to create.)  It is truly a passion within me driving me to express my creativity.

Not only was the wire wrapping class a delight, but I was asked by the owner of The Bead Strand if I would like to hold a trunk show at the shop in the winter and we scheduled it for November 2nd/3rd.  Very exciting.  I am going to see about finding some other venues where I might be able to do similar trunk shows in and around the Florida area.  Things are moving along despite not having an "open to the public studio."  Happy Day.  Now on to the excitement of starting to load some items to Bohemianartcafe on Etsy.