Welcome to Studio
Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their
studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our
readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free
prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard.
The following week we choose a random winner.
The following week we choose a random winner.
This week's winner is Catherine/Meadowland Designs! Congrats!! You have won a Photoshop/Photoshop Elements set of Actions. Send Brandi an email so she can send your prize.
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This week we visit the studio of
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While you are reading this, I'm working on making my way back home from another memorable experience teaching on Bead Cruise. Our boat docked this morning and I'm hopping from plane to plane in hopes of making it back to my family before midnight.
Now, it may seem a little silly to have a Studio Saturday post from me when I haven't actually seen the inside of my studio in over 10 days! HA! However, my classroom really is an extension of my studio. When in a class with me, it's like we are hanging out together in my most favorite of creative environments.
I thought I'd share with you what projects I showed students how to create in my Bead Cruise classes.
It my class, TRUE COLORS, I show students my technique for creating cold connection bezels for lampwork glass cabochons. We also add a punch of color with embossing powders on metal.
In Sweet Tweeter, we create one of a kind pendants with embroidered birds and colorful embossing powders. Oh how I love seeing all the unique little birds my students come up with.
I sincerely hope my students enjoyed their time in my class and on the Bead Cruise! I know I sure did!! Now that we are back on dry land, it's time to race to our studios and set to putting all our newly learned techniques to work.
Which leads to this week's giveaway question, but first, the prize! This week's giveaway winner will receive a surprise mystery set of my original handmade lampwork glass beads valued at $25!! Just leave a comment here answering this...
As I mentioned, it has been more than 10 days since the last time I saw the inside of my studio.
So, do you find is easier to jump back into creating after a long break or more of a challenge?
So, do you find is easier to jump back into creating after a long break or more of a challenge?
35 comments:
I have to confess that I find it more of a challenge to jump back into creating after a long break because I have trouble finding my beads! I hate to admit it but I forget what I have and where it is. I have spent a lot of time organizing my beads by color and metals. That practice has helped a great deal. The beads and metals aren't really the problem. It is more the focals and some of the components that are multi colored and don't fit into one category.
It can be both. If I have been overdoing it for a show, and then take a needed break, it seems to be hard to get back in a routine. But if life has just gotten in the way and the break is not my idea I can't wait to get back in the studio and create. I try not to overdo but that is really hard sometimes.
I love your work! I have to say it's challenging after a long break mentally. It's easy to psych yourself out! But I think a break can do you good and is sometimes needed.
Such interesting, colorful, creative designs!!!! I love the concept.
I always find it difficult to get back to the bead table after a break. I have to force myself, and really I dont' know why that is. But once I'm there it's like riding that bicycle again. Thanks for the chance to win your lovely beads!!!
I find it hard to get back into creating after a long break. But it's just the getting started. Once I get surrounded with beads and other materials, my brain gets going and I have a million ideas. Then the only problem is the messy work area. :)
I love your use of colour! You are right on trend with all the bright colours this spring.I find a break from jewelry is needed to refresh my perspective. after a break I look at everything with new eyes and usually remake most of my previous projects because I don't like what I did before! All part of the creative process.
long breaks allow you to see unfinished projects with new eyes. I find this a good way to get re-inspired on those projects that leave you stumped as to how to finish.
If I'm away from my bead table for longer than a long week-end, I've been experimenting with designs in my head and I can't wait to run upstairs and get my hands on some beads. Sometimes I don't even unpack first!
Long breaks have me itching to get back to work; I'm always coming up with designs & never seem to catch up with all my previous ideas.
Your class designs look like such fun & all the little details make them a delight to see.
~ Catherine
For me, short breaks are OK, but if I absent myself for too long, I risk losing my Muse in the mess LOL.
Your classes looked like a riot, Kerry... I love anything that mimics stitching!
More of a challenge. Most of the time I can 't seem to get the mindset and energy to get started again.
I actually find it to be pretty easy because usually when I am taking a break my muse goes on overload. I end up with so many designs in my sketchbook that I can just reach for it to get myself back into the groove.
I agree with Cheryl and think it depends on why I've taken an extended break. I was burning the candle at both ends before a holiday show I did in December and had to take a break to re-energize myself (and deal with one million details and gifts for my family holidays!). It was hard to go back to the beads...but maybe it was partially because of the extra stress of the holiday season.
If I've just been on vacation or away from home for a little while, I'm itching to get back to it and see whatever designs have been rattling around in my head be realized in real life! I wish I was better about sketching or otherwise capturing my ideas.
Thanks for the chance to win some of your lovelies!
Long breaks usually give me itchy fingers...itching to get into my workshop and starting making jewelry. I also start dreaming up designs when I should be fast asleep. I even been known to get up in the middle of the night and sketch a few so I don't forget the ideas.
Thanks for the great giveaway, Kerry!
Lynda
Oh wow - what super kool designs!
Oh wow - what super kool designs!
I am much more creative when I just keep at it! I probably wouldn't take a break if I didn't have a day job, laundry, bills, cooking, cleaning, etc. I love the bezels with your colorful lampwork cabs. I hope you will be selling them soon, let us know!
I just had a week long break, as I was speaking at a living history conference out of state and found it very rejuvenating to not think beads for awhile. This is partly due to so many of my projects being very large and complicated and taking literally months to complete - I love them, but sometimes reach a point where I can't stand to look at them, much less work on them!
I'm back to work with one of these projects, with deadlines quickly approaching, and it's going much more smoothly for having stepped away for awhile.
More of a challenge. If there are no I have to finish that, it takes a while to get back in the groove again.
Not to much of a challenge once I put all the things away that I have collected over the time I have been out of the studio!
Super cool designs. I always have designs floating around in my head...so I think it's harder to get started...because which one to I do first?
Usually it is harder to get back to it if I haven't been in my studio for awhile. Even if I'm feeling burnt out, its better if I spend some studio time just cleaning up or something mindless like that, until I'm ready to start creating again.
Usually I just pick right back up - I'll have to take a week or two off here and there for classes or shows or vacations - but i was challenged when I had a forced break for illness.
I guess it makes sense: if it's something I planned and expected, it's just life like usual. If it's a mess, then that's extra challenge.
After a long break from the creative process I do find it difficult to get back in the swing. I sometimes just sit quietly at my table with eyes closed waiting for a spark of creativity. You see it's the quiet that helps because I have so little of it normally. However, if I know I’ll be away or indisposed for a time I make sure to keep my trusty sketchbook with me (I keep a little one in my purse too) then it is a lot easier to ignite the spark an fuel the passion I had when I first thought of an idea. Moral is, KEEP A SKETCHBOOK or JOURNAL,life is too short as it is to give up any ideas!
I don't get a lot of time to work on beads so I just love the opportunity to get in my studio! I am in process of moving right now and yesterday I officially packed up all my "stuff" and I cannot wait till it is unpacked - oh especially since my new house has a better space for me!
A long break...hard to get back in the routine, and so easy to really doubts yourself again
More of a challenge, because I usually have left a mess in the studio and I need to clean and organize that before moving onto the next project.
It depends what the long break was for - if I have been away on holiday somewhere exciting, then I will often come back brimming with ideas and my worse prpblem is sorting them all into a workable order!
Sometimes though, breaks can occur that are difficult to get over - you lose the rythum of constantly creating and it can take time to pick up speed again.
Oh boy...those pictures make me regret that your classes were cancelled at Bead & Button! I so wanted to learn your cold connections secrets and just to meet you! (I will hopefully see you in the fall at ArtBliss!) I have been away from my studio for about two weeks. Life has taken me in a totally different direction. I think that it is hard for me to get back in the groove, especially since what I long to do is pull it all out and rearrange, but I also see things with a fresh perspective. Of course, I cannot win the prize, but I just wanted to comment. Welcome back to dry land! Can't wait to see how this experience will inspire you! Enjoy the day. Erin
I am usually anxious to get back to my beads if I'm away too long, for what ever reason. I always have new ideas in my head, and some old ideas I didn't have time to explore previously, so a break just feeds the fire!
Thanks for the chance to win!
It depends - If I had been in the moddle of creative madness and left everything out on my bench (which happens A LOT!) it is hard for me to get my groove on and pick up where I left off. If I managed to leave my bench clean, it is much easier to jump in and create!
Angi Mullis dj2isme@aol.com
It is usually difficult after a break just to get started, but once started the ideas are sometimes fresher when you have been away.
I was ready to start creating again after I broke my arm. I had several challenges to work on and that got me started again.
Thanks for giving us a chance to win some of your goodies.
Carolyn
Carolynscreations@live.com
Yeah, getting back in the saddle can be tricky. I'm always bad at starting anything. Love planning, love doing, but that starting phase can be hard and I have to force myself to it. Don't know why as I usually love it once I'm in the middle of creating. I found several strategies that makes it easier to get back into creating when I hit that block. Sometimes it's a challenge that makes it easier to start (= having someone else give an idea to start me) or doodling (e.g. freeform embroidery/beading) as there's no demand that I make a good finished product. Focusing on (playing with) techniques is another way to get away from the anxiety associated with have to produce an outcome.
Other time it's an idea, technique, new supplies I bought etc that creates the spark that makes me want to create again. The other way around from above when I have to try and use something to ignite my creative engine. Then it's easy. No pressure, just creative energies wanting to be released.
Most of the time it works best if I keep consistently creating. My mind jumps to other things and then my stash gets neglected.
Have a great week!
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