Weekly challenge- week 11

I've been working like a mad woman to get as many if the in progress pieces on my bench finished for the Cosmic Trunk show this Saturday at the metal museum. I had making things that are the exact same so I have been doing little things here and there to make each piece unique.

Here are the 5 infinite love necklaces I finished tonight and the latest lily pad ring. (Also hot off the bench)

Weekly challenge - week 10

It felt so good to sit in the studio and make tonight! I've been sick for over a week and there hasn't been much energy for doing anything,  much less creating but tonight, fueled by a venti mocha and the looming deadline of my first show of 2015 at the Metal Museum next weekend, I was a making fiend! 

I actually completed 12 rings,  7 pairs of earrings, and 3 pendants tonight. I got a good bit carded and tagged, still need prices, but it's progress. And I have several more pieces in the pipeline so next time I get to sit for a few hours and work, I should be able to boast a comparable haul. :)

Here's an overview pic

something to remember on the cold, dark nights...

"Au milieu de l'hiver, j'ai découvert en moi un invincible été." 

~ Albert Camus

{in the depths of winter, I discovered there was in me an invincible summer}.

Weekly challenge- week 9

I posted 4 times before I was out of town for a week so technically, I don't think I should be penalized for missing week 8. :)
Here are the rings I made during today's snow day. :) I had some requests for smaller rings so I've been making some in the 3.5 to 5.5 range. They also work as great midi rings.

Living the creative life

The last couple of months have flown by for me. Between traveling for work, preparing for shows, and taking a very eye opening workshop presented by Thomas Mann, I've been in a physical and mental whirlwind.
One of the themes that keeps coming up (for lots of other folks too, if the blog-o-sphere is any indication) is 'telling your story' through your work and the importance of authenticity. I started thinking about what makes something authentic and how authentic does it have to be for people to connect with it- because we also all enjoy a good tale- fantasy and science fiction would not be such popular genres if that wasn't true.

I decided that living the creative life was a keystone to my authenticity. Walking the walk, if you will. A creative life is *not* the status quo- in fact, it's likely the farthest place from it right now. It's changing, mind you, but we're only really seeing the shift in affluent sectors where the disposable income to make choices about where your sustaining necessities are sourced exists. The most visible of this shift right now is in the growing presence of organic and sustainable products on the store shelves. But living the creative life goes beyond that- it's not just about *buying* things that are better for you, the environment, etc. It's about creating them as well.

Creative life isn't just for artists- look at the word creative- its root- create... It's about making, growing, producing, fabricating, bringing into being. Promoting, fostering- sowing the seeds for... it's about the choices we make that allow our lives, the lives of our families and the lives of those around us to be touched by this amazing creative energy. It's cooking a meal -even if it's not from scratch-just assembling convenient components- rather than grabbing drive thru. It's planting a garden and enjoying the crop, however big or small, from your labors- from your act of creation. knitting a scarf, putting a button back on a much loved shirt. it's in everything we do, every thing we say.

I have fully realized that living the creative life isn't just about making art- it's so much bigger than that. It's about your life being made up of so many conscious and positive choices- about creating and fostering growth. From the food you eat, to the clothes you wear to the art you hang on the wall. And when i look at my life, i see that i am already well on the path to an authentic, creative life that i can be proud of- that i can draw upon and that i can shine a light from to help others find their path.