I love New York! February 19, 2008
So the family took a road trip to NYC to visit the in-laws for the Prez day weekend. We left Thursday night, arrived friday morning and departed Sunday night to arrive Monday morn. It was both fun and stressful! It was a very loooong ride. 10hours there, 12 hours back, thanks to the awful rain most of the way back. What was cool was that we passed thru all my old stomping grounds…Morgantown WV, Pittsburgh PA, Harrisburg Pa, Waynesburg, Pa, etc, etc. I had lots of stories of my misspent youth for the hubby, like the time me and my crew ate and and ran from the Eat’n'Park….aaah, good times.
The best part of the trip was that this time I got to see the NY I want to see, and I got to go out on my own without a bodyguard, lol. I went to the fashion district in Manhattan, and got to visit a good number of fabric stores and bead stores. The selection was quite overwhelming, but I did manage to snag a whole bunch of fabrics, and some jewelry findings and beads. It was wonderful! I also got to see my friend S.W. We met for drinks in the village and went to a gallery opening. Fun times.
Next stop, Palm Springs in April. Then it’s on to VA for a wedding in June. I can’t wait to explore fabrics and more stuff in CA. Oh, here’s some of the patterns I snagged today at Hancock’s pattern sale. I am all about the dresses this spring/summer. This is the first summer in like 7 years, that I’m not either a)pregnant, or b)nursing. I plan to fully flaunt it! I can’t wait to get sewing!
List of things I’m excited about today:
1. ooh, ooh, My Lotta Jansdotter book is arriving tommorrow!
2. I also preordered her latest book coming out in april.
3. My Faux-Gocco I made today. I still gotta work on getting a perfect print, but I love it so far.
4. My paper bowl that I made. I still need to paint it, then take a pic, so stay tuned.
5. The fact that I’m doing some traveling this year.
6. My friend S.W helped me crystallize what I want to do, establish my brand. Thanks girl.
7. My oldest, who is not quite 7 years old yet, is reading chapter books.
8. I have the best hubby in the world.
9. I have the most beautiful, sweetest, kindest, most loving, most generous, closest-knit children in the world.
10. I get to do exactly what I want, and live how I want to live. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn close.
Creative Paralysis February 12, 2008
Yes, it has struck me again with its deadly blow. I am currently in deep paralysis. I’ve OD’d on a bunch of books on different techniques. I have a few half-completed projects lying around. I haven’t put anything new on my etsy site in about 2 weeks. Everything I’ve been making has been turning to shit, with the exception of a couple of things. I cannot bring myself to photo and list.
I go through this at least once a month. It usually goes a little something like this:
Step 1: The excitement of discovery. I’ve discovered something new I want to make, or a new technique. I’m really excited. I go about collecting the supplies and information.
Step2: I get every book I can find on the subject from the library, and immerse myself into learning it.
(There’s a hidden problem here: I keep searching to do something different, never before done, but at the same time, I’m looking for evidence that it’s been done. Why is that???)
Step 3: This is where I get stuck. I start to realize that it may not be as easy or wonderful as I originally thought. This is sometimes also caused by feeling inadequate as compared to other people’s work that is similar. It is also caused by me realizing that there’s actual work involved, as in the actual execution of the steps. I get paralyzed and look to doing anything but what I should be. I start to procrastinate. I spend time doing frivolous ‘research’ on the internet.
Step 3b: I also tend to stop working after reaching a certain point in the project…once the initial itch has been scratched, as it were.
I’m starting to think I’m an excitement junkie. I love new thoughts, new ideas, new things to do. I read somebody’s blog entry the other day where she stated she’d rather be content than to look for something new. I’m the exact opposite.
Step 4: I (sometimes) get my mojo back. This is where I either complete the project (or not.)
As of right now, I have several half completed projects lying around in my studio, waiting for me to breathe life into them.
Part of my problem is that I tend to be interested in several techniques at once. The problem with this is that I don’t get to spend enough time learning any of the techniques to master them. This is highly frustrating. You would think that once I identify the problem, I can now conquer it. So far I haven’t. Any tips?
Ouch!!!!!!!!! February 4, 2008
Slammed my thumb in the car door earlier today (don’t ask me how as I was the one closing the door). WORST.PAIN. EVER. (and I’m the 3 time champ of natural childbirth.)
From what I understand, my nail will eventually fall off. Right now it hurts like hell. I can’t type anymore tonight.
One step closer January 31, 2008
I am really excited because I’m close to doing the things I’ve always wanted to do. I kind of fell back into doing jewelry by accident. Jewelry is fun, it’s fairly simple, and I love designing, but more importantly I love housewares! Love, love, love it! In another lifetime, and possibly this one, I would’ve studied a combination of Industrial/Housewares design, and crafts. I may still go and get that M.F.A, when the opportunity arises. Thankfully, one doesn’t need a degree for this kind of work, as long as one is determined and willing to learn, and oh yeah, talented. I was always struggling with not having the technical know-how, and access, plus of course cash, but thanks to technology, and a wonderful thing called the library, I have the first two. The cash is another story. The good news about the cash thing though, is that I don’t have to go mass-market. If I’m willing to promote heavily, and make one-off items, I can still live the dream.
Last night I went to the library and got a lot of great books! I think the difference was that I had time to sit and look in the section that had my general interests. The books I got go a looooong way in addressing questions I’ve had about some things I want to do. These books have shed some insight on production issues, design, and marketing avenues.
Be on the lookout for my housewares line. I don’t have an ETA, but I know it will be in the next 6months.
I was going to shut down this blog and start one on blogger for Jesplayin, but on second thought (at least for now) I won’t. My main reason for wanting to shut it down is because wordpress doesn’t allow Etsy Mini, or let you actively promote your items for sale, but it’s all good. I still have my flickr to your right. I won’t move from wordpress because I’ve actually got readers and I don’t want to rock the boat.
I’m trying to be a better blogger, so please check back often.
Until next blog…Check out my wares.
Studio Time January 31, 2008
I was struggling with how to encourage my children’s artistic interests without losing my mind while trying to work. I posted a question on Etsy Forums requesting ideas on how to incorporate my children into my studio/worktime. As a mother of 3 and a budding mom-preneur, my time is VERY limited, and some days I feel like I’m losing my mind. I do my work after they go to bed, but I’m usually really tired by them myself. The daytime is a marathon of events as someone ALWAYS needs something, or the laundry needs to be tended to, dinner needs to be prepped, etc, etc. By the time I look up, another day has passed, and another week, and another month, and on and on to the break of dawn.
The question was really about my daughter, the (almost) 7yr old. She of course wants to ‘help’ in the studio, but her help and my help are two different things. She basically wants to be like mommy, which is really sweet and flattering. I know I should appreciate that while it lasts, and I do, but when I have a very limited time to work, supervising her activities, or letting her mess around in my supplies is not going to cut it. Also she would continually ask me when we could do something together in the studio, usually at a very inopportune time, like when I’m racing to finish cooking dinner, or trying to put the young’un to sleep. This would just break my heart, because I felt like not only was I not making time for her, I was also not nurturing her creative interests. In the past I had explored the option of giving her her own supplies and letting her work alongside of me, but I usually ended up having to help her out, which cuts out of my productivity. Too, most of the times, I work after they’ve gone to bed.
The posters had lots of good suggestions, but one stuck with me. You can read the responses here. This has led to the creation of ‘Studio Time’ in my house. On wednesday night after homework, and sometime during the day on Saturdays, we have approximately 1 hour of studio time. This has made an unbelievable difference on the whole. She has that time to look forward to every few days, and so she doesn’t have to ask…it’s already on the schedule. Plus, now we get to explore different craftivities, with my attention totally on guiding them through the activities, instead of getting annoyed about not getting my work done. Sometimes it’s just me and her, but most of the time it’s the three of them. Let me just say that an 18month old + a vat of soapy acrylic paint water = this cannot end well. But it’s great fun, and a good time was had by all, even if mommy’s nerves are shot!.
This showed me that I just needed to structure my time a little differently. Since I’ve decided absolutely no studio time for me during the day (I only photo and pack orders during the day), I can focus on laundry, get dinner started a little earlier (like around 4pm) and carve out that 1 hour sometime before they go to bed. They get to bed sooner, and I get to work sooner. Everybody wins. I really enjoy our ‘Studio Time’ too because I now have the time to indulge my ’supermom’ fantasies. I always wanted to be that mom who exposed her kids to different creative pursuits. It’s very important to me that they be creative for two reasons. At my ripe old age, I’m just now fully embracing that it’s okay for me to be different from other people. I am creative, ‘making’ is what I live for, and that’s alright.
For most of my adult life I tried to fit into society’s mold. I tried to do the office thing, which is totally not me. I never took my creative compulsion seriously, and I was isolated from my tribe. It wasn’t until I moved away from where I had lived for the past 11 years…away from the old definition of who I was, that I was able to really go within and see what I want and start going for it. I intend to nurture whatever my children want to do, regardless of what that may be. The worst thing you can do to a child is squelch who they are because they will be forever trying to re-define themselves. Of course it works out well that my daughter is into making things too. If she wasn’t, that would be okay too.
My second reason for wanting them to be creative is that I want them to be self-sufficient ‘outside the box’ thinkers. Our nation is such a consumerist throw-away society. I’m not saying it’s bad to be a consumer, because lord knows I need customers…but we just need to know how to do more things for ourselves. If you can think outside the box and be resourceful, you’ll never want for anything! Even if my children don’t grow up to be basketweaving experts, my exposing them to creativity right now will teach them how to solve problems.
And you can take that to the bank!
Interesting…. January 2, 2008
Here’s an entry I read about chocolate. This is kind of random of me, but I think chocolate lovers might dig it.
Screw the jewels, just gimme chocolate!
Wow, Glad I got over that… December 26, 2007
I’ve got my mojo back! I finally found a way to make what I want and I’ve been a crafting fool, that’s why I haven’t updated in a while. I will post photos later.
Changing Focus December 26, 2007
Hello world…it’s been a long time.
I’ve been doing a lot of inside work and figuring out my focus. I guess it’s the fact that 2008 is just (at press time) one week away. My 36th birthday is just 1 month away. Playtime’s over…time to start doing the things I was meant to do. Time to stop procrastinating, time to stop making excuses, time to stop avoiding what I’m supposed to be doing in life. All this time I’ve been saying “I don’t know” what I’m supposed to be doing, when in fact, I just refuse to accept it. I keep running away. That explains a lot about why I have the recurrent dream that I’m trying to escape from somewhere. I’ve been having this dream for years. Dream analysis says that there’s something I’m avoiding. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what it is, considering all the inner turmoil I’ve been through…all the ill-fitting, dead-end “what were you thinking!”jobs I’ve had in my life. It’s all because I’ve never accepted that I’m supposed to be doing something creative. Up until now, I’ve referred to it as my hobby, my ‘childish things’. Now I’m embracing it, and moving forward with a plan to be successful at this.
Wish me luck, though luck has nothing to do with it really…just determination.
With that said, I am changing the focus of this blog. I haven’t been doing any home projects in a while, and I don’t anticipate that I’ll be doing any for a while. I am at this point dedicating my time to JesPlayin‘, my online craft store.
On that note, I will be opening a new blog, dedicated to that venture. It will host information about my new products and new crafts I’m exploring. Once that blog is set up and running, I will put the link on this one, so my public can find me.
