So, a short and sweet little lesson in sparking inspiration when you are so absolutely unmotivated you could cry! The last few weeks have been totally stressful for me...my day job has been converting to new financial systems and I have had to focus on training and learning an entirely new way of doing my job, which involves sitting at my desk staring at a computer screen. I have been so mind-weary every day, creativity has been lying dormant.
Today after work I decided to just sit at my bead table and look. There were some things that had been sitting there for a while that I just hadn't played with yet. I pulled out a couple of bags from recent purchases and looked at them. Walked away, came back, walked away, etc...
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| Small raku-fired beads by Keith O'Connor |
I saw this pile of raku beads I got from Keith O'Connor's trunk show at my friends house.I remember loving them so much when I saw the stacks of these he had in almost every color of the rainbow. I wanted some of each, but was strapped for cash so chose pairs of my favs. I intended to used them as pairs in projects...earrings, probably. When I saw them all in a pile like this, though, I thought...don't fight it! Use them all!
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| Copper bracelet with Keith's gorgeous beads. |
I didn't add anything else, just wire-wrapped them with copper wire and made a quick clasp. Simple, yet totally effective! Disclaimer, I used a stupid headpin as my charm that wouldn't patina, so I'll have to go back and fix it!
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| Karen's gorgeous beads! |
The second package I picked up was an auction I won at the Ceramic Art Bead Market on FB from our own dear
Karen Totten! I remember when I bid on them how much this color combination moved me. I have been looking at them and fondling them for a while.
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| Wrap necklace with Karen's beads, an enameled bead by me, and one of Keith's raku beads. |
I have been seeing lots of simple wrap necklaces...beads or other components on each end of a long chain that can be wrapped around the neck or just looped over in front. I thought this was a cool way to show off gorgeous beads in a different way. I hope to be creating a few more of these. Again, pretty simple, yet colorful and unique!
So the crux of today's lesson: You don't have to be inspired or feel creative. Take the time you need. It's okay to walk away from something and come back to it as many times as needed. Trust your first instinct. Take a chance.
My mind too has been dormant the entire week as I was dehydrated owning to the heat and just couldnt think, now you have inspired me to start playing with my beads
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pieces with beautiful beads. And I always find sitting at my work table and looking at beads inspiring even if I don't get anything finished. I feel like ideas and combinations are building up in my brain for later use.
ReplyDeleteA much needed shot of 'good sense'...thanks so much! Lesson take away for me...just go play with my pretty beads and don't overthink.
ReplyDeleteHappens to us all, sometimes you just have just go with it, thanks for the great post, you have made lovely pieces that do the beads great justice.
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