Category Archives: Diversions

Creativity, Diversions, Metal Work, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Summer Camp

It’s hard to think about summer without remembering going to summer camps both as a child and later as an instructor. My favorite camp experience was the annual gathering of Creative Scholars in Louisiana. Each year, students who rated high scores on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking were invited to join together for a two week learning experience. Initially we met in Natchitoches and later in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I was fortunate to be among the small group of instructors working with these students who were sixth graders or older. We wrote and shared our own creative thinking curriculum.

We instructed students in three basic creative thinking strategies, Synectics, Lateral Thinking, and Creative Problem Solving. Students also took electives that included inventioning, book writing, song composing and many others. The students always challenged us as only high creatives can do, but we loved it. I conducted my masters degree research with the first group of students and used a good deal of my learning there to set up my doctoral experiment. Therefore, it’s hard not to think of Creative Scholars in June each year.

While throwing out items from my files, I came across a list by the man who first dreamed of developing the Creative Scholars program, Dr. E. Paul Torrance. Although Dr. Torrance is now deceased, his words still ring true to individuals all around the world who value creative thinking.

How To Grow Up Creatively Gifted

  1. Don’t be afraid to “fall in love with” something and pursue it with intensity. (You will do best what you like to do most.)
  2. Know, understand, take pride in, practice, develop, use, exploit and enjoy your greatest strengths.
  3. Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games they try to impose upon you.
  4. Free yourself to “play your own game” in such a way as to make good use of your gifts.
  5. Find a great teacher or mentor who will help you.
  6. Don’t waste a lot of expensive, unproductive energy trying to be well-rounded (Don’t try to do everything; do what you can do well and what you love.)
  7. Learn the skills of interdependence. (Learn to depend upon one another, giving freely of your greatest strengths and most intense loves.)

The above manifest by Dr. Torrance makes more sense to me with each passing year. He certainly made it OK to be creative.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that other side of summer camp – BUGS. If you didn’t get bitten by something or have a rash or get sunburned, it just wasn’t summer camp. There were always lots of varmints around ranging from snakes that the guys used to scare the girls, to turtles. turtle Those varmints are much tamer in today’s jewelry studio as shown by the one I made this morning.

Ah, the good old days of summer camp. Alas, I think I’d rather stay in by the air conditioner for now. I’m not sure I could still handle the exuberance of those sixth graders.

Diversions

TV Shows Enacted at Dreamcatcher

Does your life ever feel like a soap opera? Luckily, I’m not having that issue since life is really quite good here on the ranch. However, lately, there have been several incidents that remind me of television shows.

The first occurred when I scheduled a visit in another town to a new customer. I try to “clean up” when I call on boutiques and had done so this particular morning, yet, my attire didn’t seem to fit with “the rest of the story”. Since the puppy needed his shots and the vet was in the same town as my client, my husband and I loaded into the dirty pickup to make the trip. The puppy doesn’t yet enjoy riding, so we also brought one of the older dogs to keep him company. Picture two adult people sitting in the front of the cab, one dressed up and laden with jewelry, the other in typical “been out in the pasture” clothes. Add to that two dogs in the back seat beside a large nitrogen tank (I won’t tell you what that holds.). Hear one of the dogs in the back seat howling because he doesn’t want to go with us. But let’s don’t stop there, the pickup is pulling a large cube cart because one of the lease pastures filled with hungry cows is near where we are going. By the time we get close to our destination, the transmission on the pickup has begun to slip and as I climb out at my customer’s with all my jewelry, the pickup drives on to the vet. That’s when I see that the wheel is falling off the cube cart. Thanks goodness for cell phones as a quick call to my husband helps avoid disaster as the wheel does fall off. My thought was that we looked just like “The Clampets” who came to town. Thinking a good deep breath can cure almost anything, I took one and went into the boutique trying not to appear rattled. After a pleasant time with my customer, I checked on our status to see if I needed to hitch hike back to the ranch. Eventually, our foreman arrived, loaded the ailing cart onto a trailer behind a better pickup and we were left with the still crying puppy, the big dog, the malfunctioning transmission anddog bonnet the required trip to the lease pasture without the needed cubes. I think I now know why Jed Clampet didn’t have a wife.

In the evenings, we reenact another TV series, The Waltons. While we don’t have a large group of children, we DO have to say goodnight to the little animals. Four dogs, goodnight Dixie, goodnight Cheyenne, goodnight Frosty, goodnight Bruno. Then to the cats . . . Well, you get the picture. I guess Bruno, who is pictured would be our version of John Boy.

I don’t recall the name of the other TV show that seemed appropriate yesterday. As I was out climbing up and down the ladder to wash the windows I couldn’t help but think about Mrs. Jefferson before she made the big time. As I finished the windows I wished that I, too, could “Move On Up” to the east side.

Who knows what TV series will show up next. In past years we’ve had all the CSI drama with necropsies of cows and determination of causative factors. Perhaps we should turn off the TV and just hope for the best.

Diversions, Uncategorized

The Secretary Had Blood on Her Hands

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It seemed like the right thing to do. The task wasn’t difficult, just a little secretarial work. It wasn’t til later that she realized the real nature of what he wanted . . . later, when she had blood on her hands.

. . . and so the story goes. Let your imagination run. What crime might have resulted in blood on the secretary’s hands? What messy, cruel act had sucked her in? Was it the promise of money, the lure of adventure or was it lust?

Late the night before when he said, “we need a secretary tomorrow,” she had thought little of it. Although she had other plans, she cared for the man and agreed to help him. It seemed so easy. It wasn’t until later than she learned the whole of the request.

O.K., enough drama for one blog . . . although I thought I would work at the design table yesterday, I was drafted to be the secretary while the men vaccinated, tagged and sampled our 137 heifers. How hard could this be? I would sit at a table outside at the lease pasture and keep tabs on the work. I didn’t know that I would get to be the blood card holder who gets to place the sample collection card under the tail of each animal who has just be needle punctured and is dripping blood. This wasn’t really very difficult, but it was REALLY messy. And so . . . this secretary had blood on her hands.

With blood on her hands, the secretary left the scene hoping that no one would see her. Yet, even after washing away the evidence, she knew what she had done.

Diversions, Philosophy

What’s Important?

Yesterday, I sat at the computer twice to write about a new design and I left the computer idle both times. The first instance occurred first thing yesterday morning. I had a jewelry photo ready to go and narrative on tap when the phone rang. “I need you now!” uttered my husband on the other end of the line. He had discovered a newborn calf. Since we were not expecting it yet we didn’t have its mother in the safe pasture. When he tried to move the pair, the little one ran through the barbed wire and electric fence onto the neighbors property. Eventually, following a loud yell when my husband encountered the electric fence, we retrieved the little and got the pair all the way to the barn. The poor newborn was so hot and tired that it . . . (good grief, the phone is ringing again this morning. . . got to go to the barn) . . . (45 minutes later) Yesterday’s “found” newborn was so hot and dirty by the time we got her to the barn, that she had to be hosed down and have the thorns pulled out of her nostrils.

Late yesterday afternoon, I again sat down to write and the mobile phone rang. Since my husband was here at the house, I just kept writing. Yet, there was another newborn that needed attention. One of our customers had a newborn calf that arrived three weeks early and couldn’t eat or stand. We grabbed  a bottle, tube and warmed the frozen collostrum from our freezer, setting off on a mission to save another life. I was worried the little one would perish in the hour and a quarter drive to the ranch, but there she was when we arrived, barely able to hold up her head. I fed her all the collostrum while the two men kept the mama cow away from me and we left shaking our heads at the less than 40 lb calf. Yet, after our friend followed my advice and fed the calf both at midnight and six am, she’s standing this morning. They will bottle feed her until she can stabilize. While the calf may still have grave difficulty, it appears there is always hope.

Oh, and about today’s phone call. It WAS from the barn. We watched as another cow delivered her healthy bull calf without assistance. Whew! I need to close this writing before the phone rings again.

As for design work . . . it seems that the more compulsive I become about sticking with work, the more apt LIFE is to remind me of what is important.

Diversions

Another Tiny Diversion

At the first of this calendar year, I wrote about my little diversion from design work when our first grandchild was born. Today, I have another diversion of a different biological configuration. Today the pictured calf was born early and small, but thankfully is quite healthy and eating well. first pair She’s the first calf born to those cows that will make up the pairs in our October sale. I always know that once these little creatures start being born it’s not too long until sale time. This little gal has a good mother; therefore, the photo was taken from outside the pen while the mother made  disparaging sounds in my direction. I’m certain she was saying, “If you come in here with my calf you’ll be real sorry!”

I enjoy listening to each new mother cow as she encourages her calf. The harsher moo echoed in the pasture pre-birth changes to a softer, gentler, more singing and elongated sound directed toward the calf. I never cease to be amazed at this occurrence. On the other side of this duo, the calf actually seems to pay attention. I’ve been almost close enough to touch a newborn only to hear that Mother Moo and have the calf immediately get up and move away.  It’s a shame that we humans don’t exercise that power over our children.

With six more births pre sale due in the next few weeks, I look forward to that hopeful feeling that often comes from nature in the Spring of the year when things branch out and bloom. In ranching, the best “blooming” comes from successful births and healthy calves.

Diversions, Pendants, Philosophy

The Song Remembers When

I’ve always liked Trisha Yearwood’s song by the above title. Based on something most of us can relate to, she sings of hearing an old familiar song over the radio and lets the tune wind her back to a memory. Couples may have “their song” that reminds them of a first meeting, wedding or other time. Music can bring up a memory out of the blue when you are riding in a car, sitting at a desk or moving along with daily chores, but it’s not the only memory initiator.

Last week, using the drill in the house, my husband, unbeknownst to me, brought in an old tin can from the garage which housed the larger drill bits. He set it on the bookcase and went about his work. Later, it caught my eye and took my breath. Papaw As the picture shows, it’s just an old tobacco can, rusted, dented and worn; but it is a definite reminder of my father who died in 2000. It sat in Papaw’s workshop for many years. As the tears gathered in my eyes, I could almost smell that tobacco smoking from his pipe and see the gnarled mouthpiece of that same pipe he chewed upon when he quit smoking. The can also conjured that funny memory of my father doing a little jig the day he put that lit pipe into his pants pocket just a little too soon and it caught his pocket on fire. These are good memories and I’m thinking of leaving that sad old can in the house.

I’m sure I could name many other things that bring back memories, but today I’m thinking about some of the special jewelry pieces I’ve made that “remind me of a time”. One of these is the seed bead piece pictured here. It reminds me of our family joy when our daughterKim got married here at the ranch over three years ago. It was a small outdoor wedding, but totally ours as we did the planning, work, and setup. This simple, but beautiful event, set in the bluebonnets of our front circle, left me quite exhausted the following day; so I gathered my seed beads, plopped in a chair and declared that I should not be bothered. I sat there all day and made my very first freeform pendant. I still love wearing it and it emits happy memories when I look at it.

I’ve sold a good deal of pieces for weddings in the past years and I’m hoping that some of them bring pleasant memories for the purchaser. I also hope that those tourists who pass through the hill country and pick up a local artist jewelry souvenier find pleasant memories when wearing each piece. Certainly, those folks who have recently purchased “Ralph’s Rocks”, picked up and polished on a ranch in Cameron, Texas, which I’ve wired and hung on copper neck wires were looking for a little piece to help them remember our hill country.

Many people look for little treasures while traveling to help them recall the trip. I’ve repaired many such “treasures” for people who just couldn’t part with an inexpensive and, in my mind, often not so pretty, piece of jewelry because of where it came from or the special person who gifted it. I enjoy hearing the stories of why the piece is meaningful.

While all our design pieces certainly will not store precious memories, I’m struck today by the power of the few. I believe I’ll be paying even more careful attention to construction of my designs in the future so those little treasures will hold up. We just never know when the “necklace will remember when”.

Balance, Diversions, Philosophy

Balance

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I was explaining to my younger friend, Dr. G, how I was trying to keep things in balance, indicating that perhaps this is more necessary as we grow older. For example, we might work at the computer until the backache sets in, then move to the jewelry making until that arthritic hand hurts, go to clean the kitchen, etc. and then start that cycle all over again. Hopefully, by the end of the day things all come together and reached closure (or nothing does!).

Today’s balance involved stopping in the middle of baking to go round up cows who for some reason wanted to stay in the shade rather than coming to the barn to receive their shots (go figure - - who’s smarter on that one?). Is it true that if you put your cookie batter in the refrigerator while you round up cows, it will actually taste better? I don’t really think so.

Design balance can also involve a little bit of this and that. I used to try to create asymmetrical pieces without much regard for balance. They either hung crooked because there was too much weight on one side or were not very attractive. You can always tell when people who normally look at your neck to see what jewels you are wearing suddenly start looking you straight in the eye. Something must be amuck with your jewelry piece and even the face looks better than the asymmetrical design. That means it’s time to go back to the design drawing board.

I recently received the Wee People Newsletter from my friend, the doll maker. She has wonderful artistic taste and her newsletters are a feast for the eyes, ears, and spirit. I hope she will forgive me for including the U Tube video below which she  shared with her readers. The photos are by Hans Silvester who also offer a book of similar title available on Amazon. Although I might dub this video with many titles, today it shows me balance. The stills that start part way through the piece show marvelous artistic balance achieved by individuals as they have decorated their faces and bodies. Often the Omo people shown used earth objects to form asymmetrical beauty. The photos offer a lesson in balance for designers. I’m hoping that if I watch it enough, I’ll begin to “see” better and transfer that to my designs. At the very least, the music and photos of the video together present a peaceful aura.

As for the balance from computer, to design table, to cows . . . I can only hope for the best.

Diversions

Doggone It!

It’s hot, really hot and although I’ve made a cool spot for my blue heelers to lie in, they still think it might be better in the house. Today, after each of the three received their customary brushing in the laundry room, the fattest one refused to go outside. She did NOT get the “I’m a human, you’re a dog” thing at all. Finally I relented and Cheyenne got to stay indoors.

As I worked diligently on a copper bracelet and began to hammer, the dog became very annoyed. She actually appeared to squint one eye as if the pounding hurt her head. When staring directly at me did not cause me to quit hammering, she finally left the studio as shown in the right picture. dog She didn’t go far but just went to the hallway where she could continue her stare. Finally, I gave in and quit hammering. No, I wasn’t finished, but just look at her sad eyes.

When I put down the hammer, she came back into the studio as if to say “thank goodness you’re finished.” dogfoot She did her cutest, lay on my foot and look sad act and all was well until she discovered the cat looking in the studio window. Racing through the baskets of wire and tools on my floor to get nearer the cat, she left jewelry components strewn all around. That did it! I put her OUT and will not be such a sucker next time.

Here’s the question, “if a dog is this annoyed by my hammering midday, what does my husband think about it in the late evening hours?” Should I ask him? Probably not, because I don’t think I want to hear the answer. I’ll just continue to think I have a very sensitive dog!

Creativity, Diversions, Philosophy

Children’s Art Versus Creativity

I was pleased to hear from several readers after my last post which showed pictures of my grandboy. Summer is definitely the time for family visits and time with children. After the initial excitement of the visit wanes, children may be left wondering what to do.

My daughter shared a blog, http://artfulparent.wordpress.com/ , wherein the author talks about things she does with her child and the neighborhood/friends craft group. It’s interesting to see the author’s excitement over involving the children in artful activities. She provides links to other blogs that may be of interest to you.

I remember planning art activities for my children. We would go to the library and pick up books on how to make your own glue, paper mache, etc. I distinctly remember a recipe for making glue out of dryer lint. It made a horrible mess, but we did it!. I think the biggest mess we made was when we tie dyed. One of my piano students happened by that afternoon and she took off her tennis shoes and dyed them. I was a bit concerned when her Mom came to pick her up, but she took it better than I would have.

My initial concern about children’s art projects stems from a deep belief in the power of creative thinking. I believe we must take care in nurturing children and involving them in artful activities without curtailing their own ideas. If the art activity teaches a technique rather than a product, I’m all for it. Yet, if the goal is the production of a slightly varied piece like the example provided for the child, then I might be against it. We want children to think for themselves rather than merely copying. That’s why a blank piece of paper is so much better than a coloring book. While there is nothing wrong with copying to learn how to do something, let’s don’t call it creativity. (By the way, if the purpose of working in a coloring book is to learn small motor coordination, it’s a good thing.)

Research tells us that creative thinking is alive and well in young children until about first grade when it begins to wane a bit. We see it ebb and flow throughout their years, but know that it must be nurtured in order to thrive and become valued by the child. Adults who tell the child they want him or her to think creatively and then give them a pattern and color chart to follow are not modeling what they are saying. I remember when my son was four and his teacher gave him a pilgrim to color for the classroom bulletin board. When he colored it purple, she grabbed it and threw it away telling him that pilgrims can’t be purple. “Mama”, he said, “I’ve never seen a pilgrim and I didn’t know.” I don’t think that teacher had ever seen a young, irate Mother like me before, but we did get things straight!

Amabile says that creative thinking results in that which is novel and appropriate. That purple pilgrim probably wasn’t appropriate, so we might not call it creative in our adult schema. For a child, however, who had never seen or colored a pilgrim before, it may have been.

It seems that the bottom line is clarity. Let the child learn a technique, such as paper mache, by copying, but call it copying or replication. Then ask the child to think creatively and use the paper mache technique to create something new and different. Call this creative thinking. AND if the child isn’t interested, let him be. Creative thinking can be developed in many ways that do not involve arts and crafts. Some kids just don’t want to make things and that’s OK. Out future creative scientists may just be out working on their bikes rather than inside handling tempera paint!

Diversions

Summer is . . .

. . . for visiting grandchildren! A very brief break took us out of state this week to visit our grandboy and his family. It was a real treat to see how he had grown since our last visit and watch his developmental progress. Gabriel chair I’ve forgotten how you can truly observe physical and mental growth at this age. I can hardly wait until he is ready for play dough (the eatable kind, of course), finger paints and colors, although I’m reasonably sure that his Dad won’t let him help me design jewelry for a while.

The picture below indicates just how pleased “Sir” (grandpa) is with this little treasure.

don and Gabriel