The Timer experiment

Well its not really an experiment but a re-alignment. I tend to waste a lot of time when I get overwhelmed, worrying more about what to do instead of actually doing something... ANYTHING. So last week for the whole week I used a timer and I gave myself an hour to fully concentrate on each task that I had to do that day. I tutor kids in the morning and in the afternoons so most days I have 4-6 hour window to devote to my creative work. I started on Monday by making a list on my calender of the things I wanted to work on for the day...
clean the studio, make beads, work on purses, and work on portfolio pages. Cleaning the studio of course is a 6 hour job in its self, but I freak out when I know that I'm going to spend my whole day cleaning and not get any 'work' done.

So, its Saturday and the studio is almost clean, it got 4 hours worth this week, I made 200.00 worth of beads, I got 3 sets of portfolio pages done and painted 1 new collection, and I worked on three purses all about 50% complete. I also spent the extra time in my schedule to teach myself how to do a repeat pattern with a tutorial I found on line (4 months ago) and experimenting with a new tool I got for jewelry design.

I'm setting the timer again today. And I'm including my household work I never want to do, clean the bathroom, organize my closet and put away laundry. Ill let you know how it goes!

this years valentine

My daughter totally outdid herself this year. Every year she does something creative on a pretty big scale for valentines day, I photograph or scan it and print cards for her classmates for valentines day. I was driving home from work in the pouring rain thinking how is she going to do it this year, and after a little brainstorming with her we decided on an altered photograph. We did two (she insisted that the boys get a different one than the girls...) her dad cant stop laughing and she is very proud!

Ok, so Im a week into this new direction and Ive worked up one collection of love/valentines. I have a coffee design and a tea design that need supporting pieces and ideas for more. Im working off of single word sentiments and building around the word...thanks, calm, dream, friend, love, family, joy, peace, anything that comes into my head and Im looking for more single words to work from... maybe some silly ones like boo, yikes, chill... I wonder if there is a place I can go to find more words, besides the dictionary.

CHA and a change of direction

I just got back from the CHA trade show. Inspired and tired. I saw some great new products, my favorite being a personal (but really professional) silk screening machine from Provo Craft. Its a super cool all in one machine that is about the size of a personal copier complete with a light system for exposing the film. I'm really excited about this thing! I have been silk screening for a long time (probably 20 years now) and although I don't do it daily or as an income stream, I still get out the screens and inks to do something about once a month or so. If I had this system I think it would be more like once a week!!! I will be watching the Provo Craft website for launch info and saving my pennies!

I also met with my reps at the show. We found a quiet corner and they gave me the "you know what you should do..." talk. (they should charge for that, by the way) I walked away from that with a completely new and freeing direction. My art has gotten stiffer and flatter as I have gone on this year and nothing was really very good (good ideas maybe) but no heart. So, I'm going to try something a little crazy and all of my art is going to come straight from the sketch phase, no cleaning up, no machine type, fast and furious and full of my heart and soul. I'm excited and happy and a little scared... whats the saying... Feel the fear and do it anyway!