New Years Resolutions - 6 Months in

Can you believe it’s mid year all ready? The time has flown by and I’ve heard mention of the “C” word already! 

This week, I’ve been thinking about my January post where members of the AJE team shared their plans for the New Year. Today, I thought I’d catch up with everyone and see whether we’ve stuck to our plans, failed miserably or ended up somewhere completely different! 

Where has this year taken you so far?

Lesley Watt

Good progress with the components with more original and thematic designs... Dipped toe with the sketching and larger clay pieces but still want to do more...I've not made that much jewellery but what I have made has been more technique based...No progress on books yet. 

Ceramic Components

Art Journalling

Ceramic Sculpture and dish

Designs by TheaJewellery

Jenny Davies-Reazor

My year has been productive! New experiments and a new series developing of pendants in porcelain. New tile designs being ads to the Mythic Nature line. And shows, many shows. I have been neglecting the personal/inspirational side of things. My pile of books is no smaller, but Ive been reading plenty of fiction. My artists journal got stalled due to travel and shows. At mid year I am reevaluating and trying to reinstate my journal practice and give myself permission to read!

Reading Pile!

Ceramic Tiles 

Selling at shows

Linda Landig

-My first goal was to continue developing my skill in ceramics. I'm doing that.-Next goal was to get a feeling for my personal style in ceramics. That's def going to take more time.-Did some drawing in Oaxaca, as planned.-Haven't done much in the way of wire work, except to have made a small supply of handmade ear wires, while in Oaxaca.

Ceramic components

Sketching

Destashing

Karen Totten

What resolutions? I made resolutions? ::blink::
Karen’s intentions for this year were to get back to daily art journalling, but that was sidetracked when she started a new job in UX Design. It sounds fantastic and she gets to hang out with some pretty cool co-workers! 

Awesome Co-Workers

Rebekah Payne

Things are coming along for me.
Slower than I'd hoped, but progress is progress and I can't complain! New leather stuff is finally happening! No new critters yet, but I have been making new beads… and old beads in new colors to change things up a bit. Right now I'm really focused on efficiency and I'm designing beads around that idea. I'm very patient when it comes to art, but long production time is limiting to me. My goal is still the same: maintain what I'm currently doing and get more time for fun (non-bead related fun once in a while is nice!) and family.

The production Line

Leather Components

New bead designs

Susan Kennedy

A water disaster turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to do a few things in my house that would not have gotten done otherwise. That prompted a large garage clean out and some other rooms were organized as well. Still searching for the creativity muse that's hid somewhere.

Clearing Spaces

New Designs 

Stunning Lampwork

Francesca Watson

I haven't made time for the drawing class I wanted to take, but otherwise I feel like I'm making lots of progress towards the other goals. I spent a whole week with Connie Fox at our retreat in March digging into the elements of design - it has profoundly changed my working process and style. I also walked through a process with her of discovering what I'm trying to say with my work - it was an intensely personal and eye-opening experience and I feel freer in my creative efforts than I ever have. As a result, I've gotten much better about scheduling and protecting my creative time, maybe because I'm enjoying it more.

Developing Styles

Hand Forging with silver

Jennifer Stout Cameron

I haven't really accomplished any of those goals as I have been too focused on getting straight A's in my college classes towards an art degree and not neglecting my family too much. However, I signed up for a drawing class for the fall semester (it helps that it's required I take drawing classes to get an art degree). I did talk to my advisor about the fact I do not have any drawing skills and that my artwork up until now has been mainly glass and metals which did not require I even be able to draw a stick figure. As for balancing school, home and studio time, that hasn't happened at all. As for journaling, I have started a bullet journal, which has helped contain everything plus encourages me to journal a few days a week.

Bullett Journal

Wall Planner

Keepsakes

 Melissa Allford Meman

The only goal I met was continuing to play with metal clay! I didn't get a chance yet to try cloissone, but do have Pam East's Enameling on Copper Clay DVD and am getting ready to experiment with that. My personal blog has not improved!

More metal clay

Designing with handmade components

And for me? 

Caroline Dewison

Well getting back to sketching lasted for an entire drawing, I like it though and it feels good to get things out of your system when you need to. I've played with metal clay, although I was only brave enough to try out some bronze, the silver is still in the packet.  I’ve cranked up the pottery wheel and managed to practise a few times, I even produced a wobbly cup! And being more organised… well I don’t think that’s ever going to happen! I have plan in place for the rest of the year though, and that's to keep practising on my wheel and creating bigger work. I have a new kiln on the way so I can fire larger items... we'll see how that works out in another six months!

Sketching with pastels

Creating with Bronze Clay

Wobbly cup

I think we've all done pretty well so far!


So how about you, our readers? Have you managed to stick to your plans? let us know how your resolutions are working out so far in the comments!

Struggling with Creativity

Happy New Year everyone! Is it still okay to say that, now that it's 17 days into the new year?!… it just felt wrong not to since this my first post of the new year. I do hope you each had a most wonderful holiday!

The beginnings of a shop restock.

I'm now about two weeks back from a very short, but much needed break over the Christmas holiday and things are once again starting to look much like they always do: I'm packing molds and shaping fine details on dozens of beads, and next week I'll be starting my first paint batch. One of my very favorite things! Here's a bit more of what's taking shape on my work table right now…

If you would like to know what I did during my break, the answer is simple: I made things! In other words, I swapped out bead making for other kinds of making. I made pies, cookies, and my mom and I spent many hours in the kitchen preparing all the other homemade goodies my family loves. I do love to bake! And then I made a few gifts—jewelry, a vase (I was still working on it on Christmas morning!) and some little tiny plant pots. And I started another couple gifts that weren't finished in time and had to be given as work-in-progress gifts. Have I convinced you that I really have no clue how to take a real vacation?

This was my work table 3 days before Christmas! You would have never guessed I wasn't making beads.

My heart is so very happy when I'm creating, especially if it's something special for someone I love. And I truly believe that what talents I have are a gift meant to be used and shared. So anyhoo… when Caroline asked us all about our goals for the new year, I came to the full realization that I really didn't have much planned. I had been pondering things for the past few months and even though there are so many things I want to do, there was nothing really solid, and it finally hit me hard.

A little tiny air plant pot! I made three of these little guys.

What I've realized most, is just how much my creativity has consumed me—filling up every last moment of my days. I joke that if I'm not working, I'm working: it's either my day job or my studio job, but I'm always working. I actually feel sad that some of it kept me so busy that I missed out on time with my family and friends. It's no longer a hobby, but a second job. One that I do love, for sure! I mean, who can complain about doing something that has been a life long dream? But when you miss out on the simple things like dinner and movie night with family. every. single. time. It's time to step back and rethink things.

This vase, for my mom, was my Christmas morning project. I finished just in time to open gifs… actually gift opening was delayed on my behalf. :-)

I do have a very good excuse for being so late: the gift I purchased for her arrived late and was not quite what I had expected. Handmade gifts win every time!

I know some of you might ask why I am complaining at my success. But no, it's not that at all! I'm overjoyed and am so very thankful for each and every success that comes my way. It's not at all success that I am struggling with, but how to rein in my creativity. Just a little bit.

It's the struggle on how to feel okay about a particular bead being sold out for a few weeks while I fiddle with new ideas that might come to nothing. Or when to clean up and turn out the lights in my studio early some nights. Or even for a weekend. It's about the struggle on how to handle not doing it all, all the time. For a person who thrives on organization, schedules, and lists it's an alarming thing to discover just how unorganized I've become! Take for example me editing this post at 2:58am because I was too busy making beads earlier. See what I mean?

I always laugh when someone who doesn't understand what I do comments on how nice it must be to work for myself, because it means I can take breaks whenever I want and do what I want… really!? That certainly wasn't in my business manual.

Does this all mean that I'm burnt out or should take a long vacation? Not yet and no. I think there will probably always be beads coming from Tree Wings Studio. I am often exhausted, but know I'm not burnt out when new ideas are constantly flooding into my mind. Yes—what about all the new beads that I hint at every so often? I do want to finally make them!

I really can make new beads, if I make the time for them—nothing quite like a Secret Santa gift swap to push me to create something brand new!

So, for this year, my one and only true goal is to live life just a little bit more, to stop working so hard, to actually stop creating all the time… to breath a little and relax, and be inspired by more quiet time and time with family. I hope that this will in turn fuel my determination to work more efficiently. I think it may prove harder than any other goal I've ever set…

Okay, now it's your turn! Do you ever struggle with too much creativity? Does it ever get in the way of other things you love doing? Or maybe you have found that happy balance? Do share!

Rebekah Payne

Tree Wings Studio

What Neil Gaiman, Studying for Finals, Art, and the New Year have in Common

Have you started looking forward to 2015 yet? 

Photo by Volkova Irina

My Facebook feed is filled with so many wonderful and varied artists and I've noticed some of them making statements about things they will do in the new year. 

After all, 2015 is only a little over 3 weeks away....

Personally, I'm having a bit of a self-induced crisis. 

Because I decided to go back to school this fall and finally complete a Bachelors degree. I mean, I have enough credits to be considered a senior with all the starts and stops and transfers and changes over the years. 

What to study? I chose what made the most logical sense.

I freaking hate it. 

So today, as I'm studying for finals in classes I'm getting nearly perfect scores, but are crushing my soul (sorry for the dramatic flair...), 

I thought about Neil Gaiman. 

Weird, right? 

He did a speech a couple years ago that I refer to when I'm feeling lost or confused or like I'm trying to make things more difficult than they need to be. And I thought I would share it will all of you. I own the speech in a little book. But you can watch it below. 

"Life is sometimes hard. 

Things go wrong, in life and in love 

and business and in friendship

and in health and in all the other ways

that life can go wrong.

And when things get tough,

this is what you should do. 

Make Good Art.

Husband runs off with a politician?

Make Good Art

Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor?

Make Good Art

IRS on your trail?

Make Good Art

Cat exploded?

Make Good Art

Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it's all been done before?

Make Good Art..."

                -Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 

from The University of the Arts (Phl) 

Mr. Gaiman is full of words of wisdom. He tells the audience to make mistakes. To write and draw and dance and live and play as only you can. 

But the thing that stands out for me, on this particular day, is this: 

"Something that worked for me 

was imagining where I wanted to be-

(an author, primarily of fiction, making good books, 

making good comics, and supporting myself though  my words)

-was a mountain

A distant mountain.

My goal. 

And I knew that as long as I kept walking towards the mountain, I would be alright. 

And when I truly was not sure what to do, I could stop, and think about whether it was taking me towards or away from the mountain...."

    -Neil Gaiman

I think I have strayed far from my mountain in the last several months and it's time to get turned back in the correct direction. 

What, if anything, are you planning for 2015? What kinds of goals and dreams have you come up with? How will you stay on track? Please share in the comments below!