Shake it Up...Creatively

A funny thing happens when people think you're creative. They want you to know that they're *not*. They'll say things like, "I wish *I* were creative", or (wistfully) "It would be great to be creative", or the old standard: "I'm not creative".

And to them I say, that's crap. Well, mostly I don't say it to them directly. That kind of shuts down any developing warm fuzzies between us. But I believe we're all creative in different ways. My husband, for example, says he's not creative. But he's the biggest out-of-the-box thinker I know. And the man loves nothing more than being handed a challenge, and solving it. He's a born fixer, and he uses all sorts of creative solutions to do his fixin'. Just because he doesn't create "art", for lack of a better term, doesn't make him uncreative.

I have to admit, I never felt creative myself until I began designing jewelry. And then it was like the ideas couldn't stop coming...sixteen years since I began, and I have never lost my passion for jewelry design. I only want to learn more, and push my skills further all the time. And feeling creative in that arena led me to be open to creativity in other ways. Playing with color, for example. I wasn't always so bold about mixing colors, and now I do it almost without thinking. Starting a business. Writing a blog. Taking more risks. Being less afraid of confrontation, when necessary. Approaching the people I want to get to know, rather than waiting for them to (maybe) approach me. And you know what? I'm happier because of it.

If you don't feel creative, shake up your perspective! Are you a problem solver? Are you innovative in your work, whatever work that may be? Do you relish challenges and find imaginative ways to solve them? Do you ask yourself, "What if...?" Are you willing to try new ideas, avenues, activities? I believe all of these (and more) are indicators of being open to creativity.

Take a class. Try something new. Buy something in an unusual (for you) color...for your home or your wardrobe. Do something that feels like a risk to you. Let yourself be open to possibilities you may have overlooked before. You never know where a creative path will lead you...

What It Takes

A recent (and less than complimentary) comment  from someone at a festival made me realize that most attendees have no idea what it takes for an artist to actually *be* at the festival. Which isn't surprising; after all, most of you have never applied to one, have you?  Then you're smarter than me.  :)

Here's what's involved in exhibiting at an art festival:

1. Submitting to the event:

- Filling out the application. Submitting images of your work. "Submitting images" can mean many things: 1. actual photos. 2. slides. 3. a CD of images. 4. online application and images. And you'd better have all of them on hand because each show wants something different.

Oh, and those images? For a competitive medium like jewelry, they need to be top-notch. Which, for most of us, means paying a professional for photos. That can run several hundred dollars (some of the best pros charge about $100 per image; most shows want 3-4 images to review). And even if your images are fabulous, there are so many submissions for so few jewelry spots, that many, many hopefuls will be disappointed every year.

And it's best not to submit to the same show for more than two years with the same images. Juries like to have "new" and "fresh" work to review. And if they see the same shots every year, they can think your work is "stale" and be more inclined to select someone else over you. So you'll have to pay that photographer at least every two years (some people do this every year) for new images.

Plus you have to submit a booth photo. And your booth had better look professional. Or individual. Or creative. Or...all of these things. Or...some of them. Or not. The "booth shot" is often the trickiest part of submitting to a festival. Juries are never clear on what they want from the booth shot, so we artists are left to guess. And hope. :)


- The jury fee. Most of the high end shows are juried. That means an artist will pay typically from $25 - $45 just to be reviewed by the jury. This does not guarantee that they will be accepted into the show. Nope - you pay for the privilege of just being looked at. So if an artist does 20 shows a year, assuming (on the low end) a $25 jury fee for each, that's $500, just for the jury process. Booth fees are a whole other expense.

2. The Waiting.

- After you've submitted, the waiting period begins. Often there is a space of several months between when you've submitted your application and when you will be notified about the event. If you make a living exhibiting at these events, this can be very nerve-wracking. You never know from year to year whether you'll be invited to attend. Which means you can't plan your potential income until you know one way or another. And I do mean potential income...just because you made it over all the hurdles and got yourself accepted, is no guarantee of anything...except that you will now pay, on average, anywhere from $200 to $500 for the privilege of having a space there for the duration of the show.

3. The Acceptance. Or Non-acceptance. Or Limbo - the Wait List.

- So the notification day arrives, and you are ecstatic! You've been accepted! If this is the case, you start planning ASAP. How much inventory do you need to have? Do you want or need to make changes to the booth? If so, what changes?  Do I have enough business cards, packaging, receipts, etc., etc. Of course, as previously mentioned, acceptance to a show by no means guarantees that you will make money at it! The show will bring the shoppers (at least the better ones will, and the weather is good), but it's up to YOU to make sure that your booth invites them in, and that  your product and pricing invites them to purchase.

- Or you've not been accepted. You are disappointed. You try not to take it personally, but sometimes you can't help it. The rejection is especially painful when you have exhibited at a show in the past and then are not invited to exhibit the next time. If you are a sensitive artist type (which, if you weren't, you wouldn't have applied in the first place, right?), you can start to question your validity. One rejection is one thing. A whole slew of them is another issue entirely. The tricky part about being rejected is that you will likely never know WHY. Is it your booth? Your creations? The way they were photographed? Should you quit and get a "regular" job? Should you change what you're designing? Are you still fabulous but there was just too much competition for too few spaces?


- Or you've been Wait Listed. This is a little form of hell devised to keep you bouncing from "I won't get accepted" to "I really, really hope I get accepted" to the show. Being on the wait list, as my husband likes to say, isn't a rejection. And as I like to respond, it isn't an acceptance, either. It means you didn't quite make it, but if something happens to another artist, you might be able to exhibit after all. So you have to hope that you have the opportunity...without hoping that something bad happens to the person who was previously accepted. Tricky balancing act, there.

(BTW, remember the jury fee? Well, if you submit for a show and you plan your income around selling at that show, what happens when you are not accepted? No income, of course. So many artists will "double book" (submit for more than one show on the same date), hedging their bets that they will get to show somewhere. So that $500 in jury fees can easily double to $1000 or more. And what happens if you are accepted to two shows at the same time? Well...jury fees are nonrefundable. So you will sacrifice some fees along the way, if you get accepted to two shows and then have to decline one.

4. The Actuality

- The day of the event arrives. The event starts at 10 a.m. You are there by 6 a.m. to set up. Let's not think about what time this means you actually GOT up. Maybe, if you're lucky / have a simple booth / don't have a lot of set up to do / the Universe is on your side that day,  you arrive by 8 a.m...wth all the other people who are exhibiting. Ever tried to manage 400 exhibitors who all have to be set up by 10 a.m.? I am always impressed at whatever magic the show staff works to make this happen. All those vehicles, all those artists trying to get unloaded and fit everything they've brought into a 10' x 10' space! At the same time!

- You're set up and ready for the show to start. It's hot. Or it's cold. Or it's raining. Or it's windy. One of the most difficult things about exhibiting at outside festivals is that the weather can change in an instant.

-Rain is not good because: 1. It often drives the shoppers away. 2. The nicer and more expensive your booth display, the more likely it is not going to mix well with water. 3. It's no fun to be out in the pouring rain in a temporary (and possibly leaking, if it rains hard enough) structure.

- Wind is not good because: 1. It can be devastating, plain and simple. If you work in glass, and a good gust catches your tent or display, you can have thousands of dollars' worth of work (not to mention all the time invested in it) crash to the ground in seconds. Ditto for ceramicists. Even if your creations are less fragile, you still can lose your booth entirely (don't doubt it - anyone who has been on the show circuit for a while has seen, or experienced, an entire tent lifting off the ground and blowing away, or has seen the aftermath of a wind-destroyed tent). Even if none of that happens, the wind can cause such havoc that customers don't want to stick around.

- Heat is not good - though better than wind or rain - because: 1. While warm sunny weather can work to your advantage, if you happen to have been assigned a shadeless spot for your booth, and it's 90+ degrees for 5 straight hours, you are going to be very miserable. Spending several hours in the blazing sun can result in sunburns, heat exhaustion, dehydration. Why not stay inside the tent? Often the tent will get so warm / humid that you can't stand to be in there, even though it's the only shade you have. Not to mention that if you're sweltering inside your  tent, shoppers aren't going to hang around for long.

5. The Moving On

- The show is over. You made your necessary income, or you didn't. Either way, everyone is going home. One thing I haven't mentioned is the physicality of exhibiting at shows. That 10' x 10' tent? It' s not exactly featherweight (otherwise it might blow away in the wind). Those weights on each corner, to help keep it stable? They're 40 pounds each. But they can feel like twice that during load-out. All the tables / cases / signage / display items / walls and wall hangings / floor / the actual creations you bring...it's quite a bit to haul around. You possibly are still sore and tired from setting up. You've been on your feet for 10 or more hours for two (or more) days in a row. Now you're taking it all down again. If you're lucky, you can get your vehicle close to your tent to load out. More likely, you'd better bring a hand truck because you don't want to be carrying those heavy loads too far.

- You get home, unload, reorganize, and start the process all over again for the next show. Depending on your schedule (and how many shows have accepted you), that could be next month, next week, or in two days...

So...any of you ready to board the festival train?? Hm. No takers? Can't say I blame you. Just try not to dismiss what we do so easily the next time you see us there...now that you know what it takes to have gotten us there.  :)

Somone to Watch Over Me

Do you control your life? Or is it controlled...let's say directed...by something greater than yourself? I tend to believe in both. I think we get a great deal of latitude in managing what happens in our own lives, but that a higher power also exerts itself on us. We can choose our mate(s), friends, careers, where we live, how we act...but I believe that if we are choosing poorly, the Universe will nudge us in a more appropriate direction. And I think that if we don't listen, it will nudge us a little harder. Like going from stubbing your toe, to spraining your ankle. And if we still don't pay attention after the small nudges, things will really get messy!

I've had it happen many times in my life. It's not always easy to see when it's happening, but it's quite clear when looking back (that hindsight thing is pretty accurate). I've encountered people who seem to have no other purpose in my life than to nudge me one way or the other. Some seem to be aware of their purpose, others not....but I don't believe those encounters are random. I've run into incredibly painful or frustrating (or both) situations that have made me take a huge step back and reconsider nearly everything in my life up to that point, and realize that things need to change...in a big way. Or in several small ways.

One of my more recent toe-stub nudges (that turned into an ankle sprain, and then practically a broken leg!) has been career-oriented. I've been designing jewelry since the early 1990s, moving from bead work to wire, dabbling in PMC, and then a little in metalsmithing...then PMC again, followed by more metalsmithing...but somehow I felt that I couldn't get past the wire work, which comprises most of my current designs. I have had it in my head that metalsmithing was this HUGE mountain, so high that climbing seemed impossible. And forget about reaching the top! That was never going to happen...as much as I really thought I wanted to try.

So the Universe stepped in, in two ways. First, it brought me in contact with my friend Delias, who is an extremely talented 'smtih herself. Not only have we become close friends, but her studio is my Learning Annex and she teaches me about so much more than how to make cool stuff with the torch. We've been friends for just over a year now, and I have learned so much - both personally and professionally - during that time.And there is no question about her purpose...Delias doesn't "nudge". She pushes you forward despite yourself, refuses to accept "no" for an answer, and problem solves all roadblocks into oblivion. If you're ever fortunate enough to have her take you under her wing, count your blessings!

Second, my business has struggled over the last 16 -18 months. It's not been horrible , but I was not achieving what I wanted to achieve. The business wasn't growing, and I wasn't enjoying it like I used to. I felt stuck - to old designs, old ideas, old routines. I felt trapped. This didn't happen all at once, of course; it has been more like a series of hurdles that I couldn't seem to get past, disappointments, and frustrations. I didn't know what to do to shake things up, make the appropriate changes. Everything I tried seemed to bounce back in my face.

And then, slowly, the process itself has started taking over. I've become more proficient with the torch, and a bunch of other tools. I've started to "get" why some things will work, and some won't. I've melted some things, made some cool stuff, and become comfortable with the idea that maybe I, too, could really metalsmith one day. And even if I never reached the top, the journey was going to be one hell of a fun path. As this began happening, I almost literally felt the doors opening. Ideas blossoming. Possibilities shining so clearly in the distance, beckoning me to try them. Now I can't wait to get into the studio every morning (and I'm not even set up to solder here yet...but I am doing everything else possible in the meantime!).


I'm nowhere near where I want to be, of course. I still feel like I don't have a ton of fully formed ideas, because I don't truly understand the possibilities of what I can do - and there's a lot I still can't do right now. But I feel like thoughts and plans are rushing into my head, and I can't wait to try them out!


Oddly enough, though I felt so unsure about choosing the fabrication path, I have managed, over the years, to amass nearly everything necessary to do it. The big things - torch/tank, a true studio, a couple of necessary items (pickle pot, firebricks, etc) were missing, but I have had all the other tools at my disposal for some time. I just didn't have the confidence to start the climb. So...was I getting the subtle message from the Universe, and gathering items necessary for my next career journey? I believe I was...and could have considerably shortened the wait time by paying closer attention to the first few nudges.

What's nudging YOU lately...?

BMAC Winter Postcard

This is my newest postcard. It's oversized and hard to miss....which is the point. These are not getting mailed out, but will be at my booth for the winter BMAC next month. They're meant to serve as a visual reminder of Blue Piranha for interested buyers. Not bad, for a pretty inexpensive VistaPrint order.

The necklace shot in the middle was also my image for show advertising, so hopefully I'm laying some groundwork for the buyers to remember me from that. 

What do you think? Feel free to share, good or bad. I can take it!

Studio Extras 2 - Feel Goods

This is scrawled on my soldering table. When Brett and I put the table in the studio, we made sure that this was facing front. Both the soldering and design tables are old lab tables from a school, re covered with graffiti. I love the idea that every time I sit down to solder (an activity at which I am not yet consistently "good"), that's what I see.

The Board of Joy is opposite the flower cork board shown in the Nook post. It's a tiny board, and I've never found another one that size - it fits that wall space like it was made for it. It's a little small for any real functional use, but I sorted through a whole pile of miscellany that I've been keeping, and this was the end result. Items on the board include:

- pictures of my niece and nephew, and one of me with my BFF

- a postcard of NYC, bought on a trip years ago, when the Towers were still standing

- ticket stub from a special concert

- a coaster for Fat Tire Beer (Brett is a Colorado boy, and we both grew up out West...there was much cause for celebration when Fat Tire finally was available East of the Mississippi (just last year!))

- various buttons & pins from over the years

- a football helmet thumbtack I've had since I was little, showing my favorite team

It's not a necessary item, but I want my studio to be a happy place, and these little reminders make me smile as I work. I even made up a Board of Joy for Brett, now hanging in his office. Why not try one for yourself?

And last but certainly not least, a picture I've had since I was a kid. I can't remember where it came from, or how I ended up with it, but it's a tiny drawing of a frog and a unicorn. Underneath is lettered, "Who knows what magic tomorrow may bring". It hangs between the solder table and the Nook, and it's a fabulous reminder to keep looking ahead.

What I love best about this room is that when we moved to Georgia and I started my business, I didn't really have any idea of how things would lay out. Now that I've been designing full time for several years, I knew where I wanted things to be. It was just a question of making everything fit. It's not some glossy magazine design on home offices (in my dreams), but it's suited to how I work, and that's even better. :)

Best Christmas present EVER, and big thanks to B who worked a lot on his "staycation" to help make this happen!!

Studio Extras 1 - Practicalities

Here are a few of the extras that are the icing on the cake for me. They "ain't pretty" but they make the daily work so much easier.

It's hard to see in the big pic, but on the main wall are two "hammer hangers". Similar to the cord roll idea, these keep my much-used hammers close at hand and keep them from taking up drawer space. Brett found these at HD; I'm not sure what the original use would be, but they are designed to go with our shelving unit and they are the perfect size for hanging hammers! (see closeup below)
Just to the right of the brass hammer, is a pair of switches (see closeup below). The one on the left controls my tumbler, so I don't have to crawl around on the floor to plug / unplug it every time I tumble something. Who designed tumblers without an on / off switch, anyway??

The other switch controls the track lighting that is above my computer desk. Both switches were bought at the ubiqutous HD - they're the same kind of f switches some of you may use for Christmas tree lights (which is where Brett stole the idea). They're zip-tied to the "hammer hanger".

As mentioned, they aren't pretty, but they make tasks simpler, and that counts for a lot.

Phase 8: Finally!! And the Bonus Room

Phase 8 isn't really a phase...everything is pretty much done now. But we (and by we, of course I mean Brett!) did hang two wire mesh mail sorters. As you can see, they are already getting plenty of use. The one on the left is for me, and the one on the right is for Brett. I put incoming mail / magazines / catalogs etc. in mine, and once I've gone through it, I do the same for Brett's.This is much better than our old system, which often was me ignoring the mail for weeks on end, because it just sat in a big pile. Now I can't have a big pile, so I am forced to go through it regularly!
And the Bonus Room: a quick shot of the attached bathroom. The mail sorters are hanging on the short wall leading to the bath (would be to the right of this photo). It's little, but it manages to cram in a sink, toilet, and full shower (hidden by the curtain on the right), plus storage shelves (not shown). We redid this bath - it was THE most hideous room in the house, and that's saying a lot - November 2008. Now that I'll be using it regularly for draining tumblers and stuff, it might have made sense to have waited. But I really don't mind - I love this bathroom now. My mom and I ran around for several days, shopping for just the right items, while Dad and Brett did the grunt work...and we were all happy in the end. Plus, who can resist the charm of Rosie, my favorite mirror in the whole world? *wink*