Six ways to re-charge your imagination

Like me, you may love to make things. Bread. Drawings. Dresses. Jewelry. Deep conversation. A good mess. If you are one of those makers, you know that there are times when you are completely sapped of juice. Creative green thumb gone. 

We've all been there, but over the years I've found a few things..some active, some not, that have been effective in bringing back the zest to my studio. 

1. ℂ𝕦𝕣𝕝 𝕦𝕡 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜.

The internet and Pinterest are the digital version of this, but often it can impact your mind more when the image is singled out.

Just let the color combinations and patterns wash over you. No intent, no action needed, just absorb.

Take the images that move you most, print them out and make yourself a wall board to keep them on. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧. 

Pottery and dishes provide a wonderful springboard for glass beads and jewelry, as do museum catalogs/online articles. Research by-gone periods and ogle some of the jewels or even the vessels and dishes of that time. Art Deco. Byzantine. Renaissance. 

One of my work spaces with my Inspo wall.

The Dunstable Swan Jewel, a livery badge in gold and ronde bosse enamel, about 1400.

2.  𝔸𝕕𝕕 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕖.

This one is a given when we're working, isn't it. 

Consider a move outside of your regular playlists.

Be ɮօʟɖ and listen to something completely different. Music changes mood and energies which in turn changes the flow in the environment and can definitely alter the work that comes from within.

Israeli artist, Asaf Avidan

 3. 𝔾𝕠 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 
Yes, it is simple. But simple is sometimes all that's needed. Simple little exercises can encourage new thinking.

Breathe in the fresh air and try to see the surrounding through a child's eyes. Tune in to the Earth. Notice texture, line and color. 

Is it possible to take a brush and paint or a slice of clay or, in my case, a rod of glass..and mimic the patterns you're seeing and present these ideas in a nonverbal way. 

Notice how a shade of brown may seem to change in hue up against a shade of blue, or maybe yellow. 

How is it that 𝓃𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒 never messes up a color combination? 

Taken while in the Boston area 2011

 

Which brings us to:

4.  ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕣!

  

Vincent van Gogh said, "There is no blue without yellow and orange."  

Play with color. No matter what medium you're working in most of us tend to fall back to a familiar palette. Explore outside of those hues..even if just for a day. Almost any color combination is possible if you're brave enough. Try changing just the tone rather than the hue itself..where there is mild melon try a vibrant saturated orange and see what happens to the entire work. 

I know, this is funny coming from me, the Queen of muted colors. I promise though, I do gravitate to more vivid colors in other areas of my life. 

'Avatar' by Stricher Gerar

5. 𝔻𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕥𝕠𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕝𝕪.
There's no right or wrong way. Probably some of the best advice I've heard is, 'You're work is not precious.' Yes, it's special to us but if it becomes too precious in our mind we will freeze at the moment of making. 

Try to regain the beautiful childlike ability to play that we all had at one time. 

                      𝒫𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉.  

6. 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕒 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕤.

 I have to add this because it is such a productive idea, but somehow this has never worked for me. If you happen to be one of those creatives that has incorporated this into your work methods I applaud you. 

We all work differently and I suppose I just need to see things in front of me or in my workspace. and that would take us back to #1

Do any of these methods speak to you? and if so I hope it helps spur you on! 

                    𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝐜г𝐞卂ŦίѶＩ𝐓Ｙ = 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕.

Have yourself a great week. 

Past set of handmade glass beads