Jewelers Carnival - Rituals

Every month a group of jewelers participate in a Carnival blog. Although I am not a member of that group of jewelers, I usually find their topics of interest and often will explore them on my own blog because the topics make me think. This month's topic is:

Rituals- Do you have a particular process that helps you to tap into your creativity, complete projects on time or any other ritualistic habits?

Reading through my friend Tonya's blog, it seems that she has a lot of things that help her to settle down and create her artwork. She is a wonderful artist and a creative person who also operates a shop full-time. Those of us who operate our own businesses know that the 40-hour weeks of most people translate into 60-80 hour weeks for us. That doesn't leave a lot of time for personal art expression. In addition, we have families who also require time and effort and the larger world that just won't go away. We get sliced and diced into so many pieces that it's difficult to pull things together to create art. Rituals can often help to pull those pieces together faster and focus with more clarity.

Looking at my home and store studio spaces, things are in a total disaster mode after the holiday season. I have projects that I was working on until the last minute that still have detrius on my workbench. Since I need to anneal some copper within the next few days, I will have to clean some of this up before I fire up the torch. As for my home studio - I just got a shipment of some new enamel colors, some oil for enamel painting, and a few additional supplies (as well as some awesome books). I don't have the room for my enamels, so something has to be done. I need shelf space for my enamels and enamel supplies so that they are not sitting on top of my workspace for my painting, etc. My DH said he wanted to build something for my space, but that hasn't happened yet. I'm SO tempted to take a look at Ikea and see if I can afford something that will work for me. So....Cleaning my space would have to be my first step towards a ritual before I can work (although a sketchpad and pencils can be operated anywhere without any rituals).

I DO make sure to thank my Muse and the Singer who Created the Universe as many times as I can each day. My life, my art, my creativy all spring from that LOVE. I am SO grateful for that itch in my fingers that comes through in art. And I think about projects as many times as I can each day. Often by just thinking about a current project I can work through the steps and eliminate possible problems or fine-tune my approach to allow a more successful result. Deadlines are extremely helpful to help me keep my focus. Projects without deadlines tend to drag on. Projects with deadlines are focused, pointed, and usually successful.

So...what would your own answer be to the Carnival blog question? Think about it and maybe incorporate a ritual or two into your artistic life to help kickstart your next project.

Light Pollution - The Price of Progress?

I love the stars. I have a link to the Astronomy Picture of the Day in the right-hand banner of my blog, and I start every day by clicking on this link and viewing some of the magnificence of the universe. They had a picture two days ago from Mauna Kea that was indescribably beautiful. As you move through the picture from left to right, you are left totally mesmerized by the heavens above. Why aren't we all out looking at our amazing panorama nightly? Light pollution. I live in the city. There are many advantages to living in the city, and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to become a country girl on a full-time basis. But living in the country, closer to nature and further from the city lights, allows you to see this wonderful painting of the sky. I've been in the country and far away from "civilization", but usually even in the far away places, there are some lights somewhere that are affecting the view. Light pollution has cut us off from our origins and turned our focus to a very small area from the vastness above.

People will translate that small, insular look of their surroundings to their immediate environment. We build shelter because we don't want to be exposed to all of the rain, snow, cold and other less than wonderful weather. We also build shelter for protection from other people and security for items that we cherish (items that are starting to get out of control for so many of us). The same thing can happen on the psychic level. We can build shelters for our mind (or our art). We erect walls for comfort, deciding that we will create within those walls. In extreme cases we can even build a full structure. But a creative person will view the walls and roof with suspicion and will, when able, blow up the roof and collapse the walls - creating their art "outside the box". I'm not fond of trite sayings, but it does seem that mankind is more comfortable inside a box than outside, and the challenge of any artist is twofold: 1) Get yourself out of your own personal box of comfort and create something entirely new, and 2) Through this artwork of your creation, chip away at the walls that others are creating to allow them to experience the joy that the panorama of the heavens allows. Turn off your personal light pollution and revel in the larger universe of creation. Valar valuvar.

Back to the Grind

It's been a while since we got new product into the shop. January is usually spent with inventory and taxes and then we go back to routine in February. I have two orders scheduled for delivery over the next two days, so my days of catch-up in the shop are ending. That's a shame, because it is always wonderful to be able to play catch-up instead of running around trying to get things processed and packed. The pace is a littlle more laid-back. But....those halcyion days are ending again and we have to start applying our noses to the grindstone again.

"Wait a minute", you say. "Hasn't the terrible economy pushed you to the grindstone already?" Well, of course we are impacted by the economy. There isn't a person around the world who is not impacted in some fashion. But I operate from a premise of 'estel' - hope. A platform of trust that all will work out as it was meant to and that I will continue to produce art and have joy in my life if I only allow it to happen. So, whether I can afford a fully-equipped studio or just a pad of paper and pencils, I can create. And if I can create, I can be happy and I can lower my stress levels to be more laid-back. All of which is beneficial to my health and my positive outlook, which leads to more creativity. It is a circle of benefit and love. Take some time to create today - you'll be the better for it.

Books and Enamels

What a wonderful day yesterday. Both the mailman and the UPS man were very kind to me. The mailman brought my copy of the "Atlas of Middle Earth". I had wanted a copy of this for quite a while and had resolved to save my next 15% off coupon from Barnes & Noble for the purchase. Unfortunately when I got the coupon, they were sold out of the book. So I searched their on-line system when I got home and ended up ordering a used copy. Even with the shipping, it was less than I would have spent. I had to wait a week to have it in my hands, but the money saved made it well worth-while.

And on the enameling front, the UPS driver delivered a shipment of enamels and equipment from Thompson Enamel. I am working with some shaped copper components to make some enamel pieces that will be incorporated into my Beading For A Cure piece this year. I'm starting work on the beading this week, and I hope to cut out the copper and shape it today. The colors that I received in my packet yesterday should be complimentary for the kit, so I am looking forward to adding some of my metalwork to my beadwork. It won't be a project that will be finished quickly, but it is starting to come together in my mind. Now to see if the physical reality will allow for my mind-image to truly come to life. (That's where the fun in my artwork really lies for me!)

Beading For A Cure

I have been involved with Layne's Legacy - Beading For A Cure for many years. I first got involved with what was then called VTB when their usual bead supplier was ill and couldn't get kits together for them on short notice. I was called in as a quick, secondary supplier. Since that time I have been providing the beading kits on alternate years. This is the final year that I will supply the kits, and with the help of Laurie, a lampworking friend from Florida, I put together a really spectacular kit for the beaders. The first kits will be sent out today, and by the end of the month, I expect that all 80 kits will be sold and on their way to their creative and temporary owners. If you are interested in purchasing a kit (you WILL be expected to return a finished product for auction), feel free to Email the Secretary@beadingforacure.org for more details.

BFAC participants purchase a beading kit at below-market pricing with the promise to make an item for resale using at least one of each of the beads that are contained in the kit. Those completed items are returned to our photographer and then are auctioned off on eBay in March and April each year. The items that we have had available in the past have been fantastic. The current auctions will start in a couple of weeks, and I will be promoting them at that time, but if you are interested in getting a preview of what's available, check out our website (http://www.beadingforacure.org/) and click on the 2009 Gallery button. There are more than 70 outstanding products for you to bid on. Take a look, decide which items you might want to own, and watch for our weekly auctions. Each item will only be available for one week, so bid high and bid often.

(The pieces pictured were made by Kookie [Bracelet] and Pam Perry [Necklace].)

Facebook Musings

I know a lot of my friends are on Facebook. I'm also there, but I keep wondering why I am bothering. I fully admit that some parts of it are quite fun. But it is another time sink - another opportunity to use computer time that is already overloaded with work, recreation, and my morning communications. So where am I supposed to fit Facebook into things? Should I Facebook instead of cleaning up my blog front page so that it looks more fun and inviting? Should I Facebook instead of keeping up with my blog and reading my fan-fic pages? Well there is only so much time that I have for my projects and computer time, so, I will continue on Facebook, but only to comment and very occasionally to add another list or take another quiz. But I don't think I'll be putting the work into it that other friends of mine have done.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in becoming one of my "friends", feel free to attempt it. If I actually know you, I'll probably approve you. If I don't know you, or if I haven't been in previous contact with you, I probably will ignore your "friend" request. Don't take it personally....or maybe, do. Either way - Facebook will NOT rule my life - my life is too full of art that needs to be done and project deadlines that are already staring me in the face :-)