Monday, January 26, 2009

Secret #2 Honoring Your Inspirations

Where do my inspirations come from - is there a theme - is it the same thing over and over. Well I will say nature is an unending source of inspiration for me - I love being outdoors - walking - looking - I am amazed at the huge bare tree or the beautiful green leaves. But equally amazed at the itty bitty snail hiding under a fallen branch. When in this environment my mind is clear I can more easily drive away the negativity. I love running and walking at the local "lake" or "woods", there I am truly at peace - fully aware of my abundance of blessings. I can clear out and then let the inspiration come in. I can see a new color combination in the bare brown trees covered with bits of snow - white agate with picture jasper. Or the lake covered with snow - amazonite and white freshwater pearls. Or it could be a name - I see a wide open space and it is beautiful and quiet and I feel so calm so I might add a "clearing" or "reset" or "anew" to my collection....inspiration comes in many different forms and while I can always find inspiration in nature I too find it in the most random of places or moods. A beautiful painting with certain colors inspires yet another new color combination. A quote brings about a feeling which translates into a new named set. A TV show inspires a design or educates me of a style. A random stranger's outfit inspires a design. Or a unique name - names a set.
As far as times when I am most receptive to inspiration - generally during the day when the kids and Steve are away. I create in my "studio" because I love it. It is my sanctuary, my sacred space. I am surrounded by MY things - photos, quotes and wonderful art work from the kids are pinned to my window shades in front of my desk. My little TV playing my favorite movies that I watch over and over again (like Goonies, 16 Candles, Family Stone, Big Fish, Transformers, Disturbia, Catch and Release, Serendipity, Sweet Home Alabama, Scooby Doo, Becoming Jane, Pride and Prejudice - eclectic and yes I said Goonies and Scooby Doo) This is my favorite room in the house - because here - so much magic happens! :)
And yet I can be TOTALLY moved to create during our weekend movie time. I sit down on our living room floor and create like mad - I just go with it - you can't ignore a creative urge - you might miss something magnificent.
And on the flip side I find that you can't force creativity or inspiration - if it's not there then it is not there and I create pieces that I am not happy with and that I do not enjoy creating. Thankfully I don't usually work on a deadline - I work on my own schedule and time frame - which usually works well for me and the "shop".
I am passionate about creating. I can't imagine a life without it. I have been at it for so long - I would be lost without it. My mom inspired the passion of creativity - she was creative - she crocheted, did ceramics, baked. And she was always letting us do some art project when we were younger. And my dad let us create in the garage with his tools and scraps of wood. There wasn't really a right or wrong way - they just let us do what we were inspired to do. So I feel I have always been creatively awake. Thank you mom and dad.
So what are the struggles of being a creative individual? I guess the biggest struggle for me is the mixing of being creative and finding the definition of success. I not only want to create but I want Star Hitched Wagon out there for lots of other people to enjoy. I am on my way - it gets better and better - but what would I define as being successful. I just haven't figured that out yet - it is something I think about often. I do know I need to get over my fear of rejection - I need to just walk through the doors of those boutiques because I KNOW my pieces would be a great fit. I believe in my art - I know the quality and beauty are present. I dream about having Star Hitched Wagon in several boutiques around the states but I am just too chicken to walk through the door. I put so much of myself into each piece that I would take the rejection so personally. But I do know that I can't taste that success if I don't try - so I keep dreaming and I keep trying to work up the courage. One day......

So some random things about me - maybe more to see for myself.
What makes my heart sing? What am I attracted too, drawn too? What do I want to try or do? Who are the people I most like to be around?

I am eclectic. I love so many things.

I so enjoy:
pinks, and red, robins egg blue, greens and browns.
numbers and letters - completely random in their order and form.
hearts
ROCKS - I collect rocks - I always have according to my parents.
bare trees
leaves
black and white photography
quotes
shabby distressed things
bright happy Riviera Ware Dishes
papercrafts
scrapbooking

My favorites to create with:
silver
Amazonite
Rhodochrostie
Garnets
Russian Serpentine
Picture Jasper
Agates
Jades
Turquoises
Freshwater Pearls
Dumerototite
faceted rondelles
faceted cuts
hearts
hammered metal
silver tubes

I adore my family - they are the world to me - I want them to be proud of me and what I do. I seek their approval.
I think I might want to try yoga again.
I think about become foster parents.
I am interested in finding out more about Reiki.
I want another baby.
I desperately want to live close to the mountains again.
I want friends in this new place.
I want a group of creative souls to hash out ideas - barriers - struggles, etc with. I MISS my friends from Wyoming.
I like people who are happy to be themselves - the good the bad the ugly.
I like people who accept me for who I am - the good the bad the ugly.
I want to learn to solder, cut metal, set stones. I have these wonderful ideas in my head for a free-er more random design - cuffs and pendants and rings.
I am an extremely spiritual being - just so eclectic in my thoughts - its probably just for me.
I want to like me more.
I cuss a lot - and I want to cut back. :)
I am a self help/spiritual book junkie - I don't always like or relate to what I read. I figure if I take one new concepts from each of the books that I read and apply them to my life and they create a positive change then I am doing good.

So what does all this tell you about me? Hmmmm I'm not sure - like I said I think this is more of a rambling of things for me to notice - an internal audit.
It does tell you that I am all over the place - which is something I am starting to/trying to accept about me.