togan
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Posts: 231
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Post by togan on Jul 10, 2019 9:42:36 GMT -6
Hi everyone, I was thinking about this concept while at work and thought I'd pose the question to you all. Inspiration is an interesting concept, or process even. By that I mean, sometimes we're just instantly inspired like a muse is whispering the idea into our ears. Other times, we have to deliberately seek it out. For me, inspiration can come a few different ways. 1. Window shopping- This gives me ideas for what's trending and the colors of the season. Sometimes I have a moment of "oh! I know what would look great with that outfit!" and I take a photo with my phone and save it in OneNote in a digital idea board (a personal Pinterest I guess) with a quick note about what I was thinking of. 2. Looking at/Buying supplies - Sometimes I'll see a material and instantly visualize multiple ways of using it. I consider this as the material speaking to me. lol. I frequently tidy up my supplies in ways that put them on display in my studio and that inspires me when I sit down. For instance my briolettes: Attachment Deleted3. Being guided -for example through a design challenge or a request from someone. I consider it designing with rules, with the rules serving as a form of inspiration. 4. Nature -Sometimes I have to just take a break and go for a walk to ease the tensions of the day (or week!) The colors in a sunset, the vibrant greenery, the shades of gray in storm clouds...the palettes are most often inspiring. Sometimes it might be more abstract than that...for example, seeing calming water and then conveying that concept of calm in a piece of jewelry. 5. Talking with other creatives - Somethings it's great to just discuss with other crafters which is encouraging, enlightening, and uplifting. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic! =D -Togan
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Post by caeterle on Jul 10, 2019 12:46:01 GMT -6
First of all, I love the picture of your briolettes. Second, since you don't know me (yet ), a little about what I am, what I do or make because it explains what inspires me or not. I stumbled upon jewelry making via a short report about Etsy on German TV more than ten years ago. It led me to crocheting with wire, for some reason I then ended up on the predecessor forum of JAC very quickly, the Starving Jewelry Artists. The people were so incredibly encouraging and nice to a newbie who had nothing more but a few beads, some copper wire and a lonely crochet hook I have no idea what would happened without them. Now I crochet, knit and weave wire and bead loom, very rarely I bead off loom. I never learned or even wanted to stick with one style although some people have told me that my pieces are recognizable as my work. I'm happiest playing. I rarely plan designs although there are a few ones I come back to from time to time. Pieces that were supposed to be earrings can turn into a pendant instead, a pendant can become a bracelet. Only my bead loomed pieces are planned as I have to make a pattern for them, but even during pattern making things can suddenly change a lot. I know nothing about fashion or trends, and I'm hopelessly old-fashioned. So what inspires me? Most of the times it's either a thought from my imaginary muse Mabel hits me or I just start playing with the wire. I don't make sketches, I don't take notes, so many ideas just die in the dusty drawers of my brain or in the first kinks of the wire why it helps to use copper wire which I learned to appreciate for its color over the years. If I'm in a rut, I go back to one of my few trusted designs or make a simple wire bezel for a cab to awake my creative juices. There used to be a time when I couldn't be without fiddling on something, over the last year or so I found I've come to terms with my uncreative days and can even enjoy them. Of course that's easy to say if making jewelry is not your day job. Challenges can be a great way to help you think outside of the box and flex your creative muscles or even try something completely new. I participate in the JAC challenges, but also started to participate in a blog hop challenge on an art blog. I skipped the last ones, but will be back this month. Not only creating for a challenge, but also writing about it AND reading about all the other participants' design processes is very inspiring. Nature is also a great way of getting inspired. I love to make creatures for example, but flowers keep popping up as well.
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togan
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Posts: 231
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Post by togan on Jul 11, 2019 7:59:16 GMT -6
Cat, Thanks so much for your introduction! Nice to meet you It's really interesting to find out about the creative journey of others and how they end up using their signature techniques and materials. It's also really cool that you found SJA and got creative support and guidance to expand your craft. That's inspiring and encouraging. I love the exercise you do to get your creativity back on track. I understand what you mean about enjoying uncreative days too. I have days where I don't feel as inspired or motivated to be creative and I end up doing something else and enjoy it for what it is. It's all about balance I suppose. Also, I saw a post of yours may be in Show and Tell (can't recall at the moment), where you made these adorable basket earrings. I just wanted to say they were adorable!! -Togan
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Post by caeterle on Jul 11, 2019 8:10:14 GMT -6
Thank you, Togan! In fact my yarn baskets are my one signature design, and they got developed thanks to SJA ten years ago. Dawn was the one who saw my first basket and said wouldn't it be fun to add some knitting needles, so I did. They have developed a little over the years, I added fillings to the baskets beside the "yarn", and they are the #1 design I go back to if I'm in a rut.
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Post by DawninCal on Jul 12, 2019 0:51:58 GMT -6
Everyone loves Cat's baskets! Like many, I'm often inspired by nature. I almost always have my camera with me so that I can photograph things I see while walking around - a bug, a bird, a leaf, a flower, a rock - so many things can be sources of inspiration. Shapes inspire me. Things like a wrought iron railing, metal gates, the curve of a street lamp, an unusual vase or patterns in doors can all be sources of inspiration. As I'm typing this for my post, I was thinking it sounded familiar. Then I realized the I wrote a blog post about this way back in 2014. What I wrote then is still as true for me as it is today. Finding InspirationFiddling with wire leads to inspiration as I wonder "what would happen if I try this...or this?" This approach is sometimes an epic fail and other times it turns out to be a great success. Tutorials can also be inspiring. Learning a new technique or skill can lead to all kinds of new designs and ideas. When I'm really in a creative funk, what helps me most is to just start making things even if it's a simple pair of earrings. There is something about doing rather than thinking about doing that jump starts the creative process. When all of the above doesn't work, I've come to find that forcing creativity usually ends badly. On those days, getting away from the studio and doing something completely unrelated clears my mind and takes away the pressure I'm putting on myself to make something. Once refreshed, I'm ready to get back to it! Dawn
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Post by caeterle on Jul 12, 2019 1:27:10 GMT -6
Maybe we should take up our monthly blog carnivals again, Dawn. I seem to remember we were talking about what we do when we feel stuck creatively. I have never blogged as little as this year, shame on me.
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togan
Full Member
Posts: 231
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Post by togan on Jul 12, 2019 7:40:23 GMT -6
ooooo Blog talk! =D I've been reading sooo many guides on setting up a blog. I have lots of things I want to write about and blog pages set up but always seem to get side-tracked by everyone. I guess it is motivating/inspiring when you're exposed to people doing the same things as you, or that you'd like to do.
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Post by DawninCal on Jul 12, 2019 12:44:26 GMT -6
Funny, Cat. I've been thinking the same thing. I enjoy blogging, but other things always seem to get in the way. With the carnival, I know I'm accountable which guarantees I'll at least 12 posts in a year. Want to start up again in January or do it sooner? Togan, we'd love to have you join the carnival. I found blogger really easy to set up and to use. Everyone around here knows that im not technically minded; if I can do it, anyone can! Dawn
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Post by lotty64 on Jul 13, 2019 5:51:01 GMT -6
Oh my, what inspires me, that is a toughie. So many different things really, nature, art, sometimes it just pops into my head with no rhyme or reason. I think probably the most inspiring thing for me is to be with and around like minded people. I have not had much to show in here recently because I have been working on tutorials and challenges for magazines so cannot show here until they are published. I have just completed a challenge for a magazine and have had lots of other 'ideas' pop up into my head so I am going to be working on those this weekend. I will post pics later as they are not 'secret'.
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Post by lotty64 on Jul 13, 2019 5:51:33 GMT -6
Maybe we should take up our monthly blog carnivals again, Dawn. I seem to remember we were talking about what we do when we feel stuck creatively. I have never blogged as little as this year, shame on me. YES YES YES.
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