Category Archives: Philosophy

organization, Philosophy

The Centers Approach to Studio Organization

Have you noticed magazines in the stores featuring places “where women create?” I eagerly grabbed a copy on my last visit to the book store wanting to learn how to better organize my own design studio. It wasn’t exactly what I expected. I wanted to see places that looked like my space, but those studios looked like something out of a home decorating magazine rather than places to WORK. When I work, things are askew, scattered and there is a general appearance of disarray. The studios in the magazine were well decorated and organized. I realize that if a photographer were coming to my studio, I would spruce it up a bit, but mine could never look like those places. Then I began to wonder . . . should it look that way? Would I be more creative amid all that beauty? I also wondered if I would be more credible if I wore fancy clothes like the designers in the photos.

Now I’m on a mission! While my goal is not to create a studio that would win a spot in one of those magazine, I could be better organized; Yet, my space should still represent the way I work. Since my doctorate is in early childhood education, I decided to use what I know and take the centers approach. Several years ago, one of my major workshops for teachers was on centers and my last book covered the topic (Tiered Activities for Learning Centers: Differentiation in Math, Language Arts, Science & Social Studies, 2004, Pieces of Learning Press) School children, especially in the early grades, often spend time in centers. In kindergarten we usually find housekeeping, blocks, art and various other centers where children spend time exploring and learning. These centers are created for specific purposes, not just for play. I even used centers in university graduate level  classes. Now, I’m using centers for studio organization. One of the keys to educational centers is to have everything you need for basic exploration in that one area. That’s not to say that a block or two didn’t ease on over into housekeeping once in a while, but when it was clean up time, all the students knew where the blocks lived.

My studio problem has been figuring out where in the world I last used this or that tool. Now, with my design centers, at least I know where the tool is supposed to be. For example, although my metal cutting shears always belong in the sheet metal center, they sometimes wander over to the hammering center. Now I’m trying to be sure I immediately put them back in the right center after their visit to another spot.  This probably sounds silly. Didn’t someone teach us that everything should have its own place? Yet, somehow this centers approach helps me. Now I can remember where something belongs because the location is based on need. I try to think of what someone else would need if they came into a particular center to work and then keep those supplies in that area.

Currently, I have the following studio centers: hammering/drilling, beading, sheet metal cutting, applying patina and torching. The laundry room doubles for washing clothes and applying patina and the torching is in the mechanical room made of concrete and bricks (no combustibles). The other centers are in my office.

I am fortunate to have a good deal of work space; However, I think it’s important to try not to take over the whole house. If I’m too spread out, the organization impedes the work. I think this centers approach would work well even in a small space. For example, shoe-box centers were functional in school. Each box contained the materials needed for learning a particular skill or developing a concept. Now, I have box centers for storage of things seldom used that don’t belong in the centers. These include wax and finishing products, stamps and ink and decoration paper. I keep these in a closet, but they are readily available.

No matter how well I organize, the proof is in the using. Do I have the centers organized correctly? Will I be disciplined enough to keep things in the right center? I can’t yet answer those questions as I have a feeling that a one week trial period is not enough to say “yes”. I am, however, optimistic, and find that cleaning up is much easier than it used to be. Unfortunately, along with clean up, that little kindergarten song we used to sing keeps ringing in my head “pick up…pick up…it’s time to pick up”. (Johnny, that means you too.) “pick up . . . “

Philosophy

Repairing Jewelry

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Where do people go for simple jewelry repair or modification? It appears that there aren’t too many folks who will take a strung gemstone piece in to a fine jewelry store for lengthening or shortening. But, let’s face it; we’re not all the same size and modifications are sometimes needed. A tiny customer in one store told me she has seldom found a bracelet that fits her slender wrist and that most necklaces are too long. The opposite, of course, although seldom stated out loud, is the heavy set woman who struggles with length for a different reason. Also, we all have one problem . . . things break. We drop a piece or it gets hung on something and then we’re left with a mess. This happens in the boutiques even before a piece is purchased leaving the boutique with jewelry it cannot sell.

I make repairs. It’s probably one of my least favorite tasks, similar to mending a garment. It is, however, a task that is sorely needed. It doesn’t have to be jewelry that I have made, I’ll try to fix most anything. Repairing or modifying a piece of jewelry seldom takes much time and is greatly appreciated by the customer or boutique owner. I always carry my tools with me when I visit boutiques that sell my jewelry. You’d be surprised how a crimp here and a clasp change there can make a woman happy. It’s especially nice if I can take care of the piece while I’m at the store without having to transport it back and forth or mail it. I laughed at the nursing home today where my mother has been for seven years. I think the nurses must send out a signal when I arrive. One came from out of no where to show me that she had lost an earrings and hoped I could make a match for the remaining one. Another, that I’d never seen before, was delivered to Mother’s room by her friend who said she just knew I would be able to fix her pin. Today was not unusual; I do a good deal of mending and/or modification for people who work there.

The store from Maine that buys my jewelry sent me a little package of jewelry that needed repair and a pair or silver earrings that a customer wanted me to make in copper. A Texas store had another little bundle of things that a customer brought in for modification. These jobs have kept me busy most of the last few days.

If you are a designer who hasn’t ventured into repairs and modifications, don’t expect this part of the work to produce an economic boom. Little money exchanges hands when I repair or modify jewelry and I don’t charge anything for modification of a piece I originally made. The exchange is, however, quite pleasurable. People want their jewelry to fit and I can help that happen. A broken piece may have been something that was treasured and its repair yields happiness. For example, a woman once brought me a very inexpensive necklace needing a clasp repair. She said she knew the necklace wasn’t very pricey, but her husband purchased it for her on their honeymoon so it was quite valuable to her. I fixed it and she was extremely happy. She thanks me every time I see her. I made necklace extenders in copper and in silver for a larger boned woman so that her necklaces from more slender times would fit. She, too, continues to thank me and purchases my pieces when the opportunity arises.

One of my favorite sayings when people ask what they owe me is “pass it on.” I  believe if we do something nice for a person she may just pass it on and do something nice for someone else. I’m not looking for reciprocation of a good deed. I’m just trying to incite the next one. A little jewelry repair here, a smile there and who knows . . . let’s just pass it on.

Bracelets, Creativity, Metal Work, Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

FFOE

The letters in the title do not stand for a secret society or club; rather, they represent the four major constructs of creative thinking: fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. While the first three are needed to develop a solid and unique design, the latter, elaboration, is often shorted by highly creative individuals who are eager to move on quickly to the next great idea. The opposite can also be true if that creative is a perfectionist. The individual may find it difficult to move on because the piece is never just right.

Elaboration is the noun form of elaborate, which Webster (1995) defines as “planned or done with careful attention to numerous details or parts” . . . The application of the term elaboration to a discussion of creativity suggests that an idea  has been embellished, developed, polished, or enhanced. (Meador, Creative Thinking and Problem Solving in Young Learners, Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press (Available at Amazon.com)

Elaboration requires scrutiny of the original idea and, just as a writer adds adjectives to a sentence to make it stronger, a jewelry designer may add more detail to the basic piece with stones or wire work.  In the picture examples, one photo shows elaboration of the original wave necklace that I started making a couple of years ago which is shown in the other photo. wave new neckThese look like very different necklaces and while one person may prefer the original, another may like the elaborated piece.

first wave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The point is not to make a judgment regarding which piece is the “best”, but rather to use elaboration to vary a piece so that a basic design gets plenty of mileage. I find it easier to elaborate upon an idea than to develop a totally new one.

While my definition of elaboration above written years ago is sound, I’m now using the elaboration step in creative thinking for a second purpose. It’s possible that a design can be overdone and have too much embellishment. I want to use the creative process to also determine if something should be removed or made smaller in a design. Creativity gurus would cringe at my use of the word for this, but we all know that sometimes “less is more”.

The final picture in this blog entry is of a basic bracelet. I worked through fluency, flexibility and originality to get to this point. Now, as I consider elaboration, I don’t know if it is better left alone or if it needs some detail. bracelet plain I’ll be playing with this design for a while. Currently, I believe the answer is YES and NO regarding detail. Some people will like the simplicity of the piece while others will find it uninteresting. Through elaboration, perhaps I can made something for both tastes.

Bracelets, Creativity, Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Organic-Good or Bad?

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More than once in the past weeks, my pieces have been described as “organic”.  It reminds me of when I wrote an article for a gifted education periodical and the editor described it as “pithy”. I had to go look that one up and still wasn’t sure whether or not the term was complimentary.

When my work is described as organic, I usually just smile and agree with the comment, but perhaps it’s appropriate to examine this nomenclature more carefully.  sunstone2Synonyms for the term include the following: natural, whole, unrefined, untreated, crude and macrobiotic. Most of those do apply to the bracelet pictured on the right, but I’m not sure what to think about the term “crude”. I think I’ll just move on from that one.

The dictionary further elaborates that organic describes something that occurs or develops gradually and naturally, without being forced or contrived. This certainly describes the work on these pieces. I begin twisting the wire in hopes that something unique and palatable will arise. Sometimes it does; yet, more often it does not. I think the important part of the process is knowing what to keep and what to let go with the latter being the most difficult part. Since I know from years of teaching creativity thinking that sometimes great ideas fall upon the design floor, I’m often reluctant to let something go. Lately, however, I find this easier since I now have a “whatsit box”. I’ll bet those of you who design also have one of these. It’s that place where you throw things that didn’t seem to work. When you peer into it days later you say “What IS it?”

Organic also means “being made of parts that exist together in a seemingly natural relationship that makes for organized efficiency”. It is this definition that fits with my belief that the designs that are unique, but flow naturally together may, indeed, be the best. While I attempt to be fluent and flexible creating more than one idea before selecting the best, it is usually the one that is unique yet emerged the most naturally that gets the nod. Forcing the design to work usually brings unpleasant results. sunstone

Both pieces pictured herein are made of sunstone and carnelian from Magpie Gemstones. The schiller on the sunstone, which can’t be seen in these photos, is quite nice and really grabs attention. Are they organic? Is that a good thing? As long as I can leave out “crude” I’ll accept the comments.

Philosophy

Meet Ups

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There are clubs and societies and then there are “meet ups”. I do not participate in the well-organized groups mentioned first largely because I had enough of those as a young wife, mother, teacher and professional. I just can’t be a good hen. “Meet ups”, however, I recently learned, are totally different. These are just loosely arranged gatherings that seldom have a real agenda. I had not heard of these until I became interested in wire work and learned there is a great benefit to gathering with like minded people. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet up with fellow wire workers who have left their egos at home. I’m speaking particularly of the San Marcos “Faux” Bead Society. We meet up once a month with merely a suggestion of what we’d like to work on. We enjoy seeing what other designers have completed during the past few weeks, ask technique questions and solve design problems together. It’s a nurturing atmosphere with no dues, no officers and no judgment. I see individuals encouraging growth in others no matter whether we are novices or professionals. I like it!

Last night I went to a meet up of a different type. The Texas State University History Department held their annual celebration of Texas music. On the stage sat a row of renowned Texas musicians who passed songs around. These included Ray Benson, Cody Canada, Raul Malo, W.C. Clark, The Sisters Morales and Cindy Cashdollar. As each performer sang solo, others would figure out what key the individual was in and fill in with guitar, dobro or voice. Every once in a while the soloist would call out a chord change or nod to a person to “take it” at which point another musician would do a short riff. It reminded me of the days when my son played fiddle and I played guitar (very badly). We would go to the Blue Grass festivals where musicians sat around in small circles of lawn chairs just trading songs. I always appreciated the older, more skilled musicians who encouraged my young son and let him have his turn. There was no real hierarchy.

While I enjoyed the music last night, I couldn’t help but notice what a great time the musicians appeared to be having. I believe they were genuinely pleased to have a venue to meet up with others who just liked to play. They just happened to be on stage in front of several hundred people. Each person could participate with the others if he or she wanted, but there was no pressure. The next gig they got didn’t depend on it. Relaxation was apparent. Unfortunately, one of the musicians didn’t seem to get it and didn’t participate with the others. He either wasn’t talented enough to pick up the tunes, he was having a bad night or he forgot to park his ego at the door. Whatever the case, he was the loser. It was interesting that the other musicians just left him alone and didn’t try to get him to play along.

So, what do these meet ups have in common? Did I learn anything from the musicians’ meet up that is applicable to the design meet ups? You betcha! The best things happen in a gathering when you try.

  • Try to join in.
  • Try to help someone else.
  • Try to encourage others.
  • Try to appreciate the small improvements that you and other make.
  • Leave ego at the door. It doesn’t matter how many pieces you did or not sell; it’s just about sharing.
  • If someone doesn’t want to participate; just leave the person alone.

It’s a real treat to go to a meet up where it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve been. It doesn’t matter if you feel funny or you feel sad; you can just BE. I think the Avett Brothers sum it up best in their song The Perfect Space.

I want to have friends

That I can trust

That love me for the man I’ve become

Not the man that I was

I want to have friends that let me be

All alone when being alone is all that I need

Thanks to the SMFBS for those Thursday meet ups!

Philosophy

More Nursing Home Adventure

The last time I did a little show at the home where my mother resides, I drug myself home and said never again . . . but, the body forgets, the heart remembers and last week I did a Spring Burst of Color for them. The picture herein shows the little display that I did in the nursing home living room.  While you can’t see much from the photo, you can get the idea. nursing home display I’ve been doing shows at this facility for six years now and no matter how early I show up prior to my appointed time I have sneakers. No, not on my feet. These are the kind of customers who sneak a peak before I’m all set up and especially before their “friends” know that I’m there. It seems that many of these “friends” want what the other person picked out before they arrived. I think it’s becoming a game for them. It makes it fun for me and I do my best to stay out of the well-intended fray. Yesterday, a late-comer picked out some funky mixed metal earrings and then we searched for a suitable necklace to go with them. Finally, she wanted a piece I had put back for one of her friends. Off she went for “negotiations” with the first buyer. They determined that I could make a second necklace like the favored one. I got so tickled that I agreed to try even though that prized piece had come from the $10 bargain tray. Will I never learn??? It’s not really a problem because these people support my mother and you can’t put any price on that.

I also get tickled at the way people pay for the jewelry other people purchased. It’s one of those . . . “if I pay for this today, can you buy my lunch tomorrow and then owe me the rest at pay day” kind of deals. I love it! I have no doubt the funds all work themselves out. I teased one man who works there because one of the female workers sought him out to pay for her piece. He came right in and gave me cash. When I asked if she was his wife, he just gave me a silly little smirk and I gave him a big wink. I’m still wondering about that one.

There was interest yesterday in the prayer finger beads I’m making and although I only sold three, I suspect folks will remember I have them when they need a gift. prayer This idea was given me from a Lutheran friend and I have enjoyed creating over a dozen of them. They measure a mere 6 1/2” around and are for holding while praying or perhaps for hanging on the wall. I box them with a decorative paper printed with either the Serenity Prayer or a quote from scripture. Several people bought these for hospital gifts. I hope they bring strength and peace to those who receive them.

box 

All things considered, I do enjoy those nursing home shows. I just have to think to wear comfortable shoes, take two Aleve before I go and remember to have fun instead of trying to be a salesman. I’m glad it all came together yesterday.

Philosophy

Free Ride?

Who says there’s no such thing as a free ride? Last week before the last of the puppies went to his new home, he was playing with the puppy we are keeping. Our puppy was sitting on a towel and the other little guy had the towel in his mouth pulling it across the laundry room floor. Since puppies don’t know about taking turns, it looked like a free ride to me.

This little episode made me start to wonder about the “free ride” phrase. I believe we get many free rides in our lifetime, but perhaps we just don’t see them as such. For example, someone held a shower at my home several weeks ago. It’s one of the few times when I’ve been able to literally sit in the back row, since I didn’t know the guests, and just enjoy myself. I didn’t have to be the life of the party or the charming hostess. It was a real treat. I think it was a free ride! I was able to ride on the bride’s veil tails and remember my own shower some 42 years ago. I also got to listen to whispers from other women about their own special times. It made me wonder if the back seat promises more enjoyment and meaning than the front. Is that where you have to be for a free ride? I think I shall try it again.

When a friend shows me a new wire or torch technique or someone at a design meet up shares an idea, is that a free ride?  They don’t ask for anything in return and I don’t have to contribute if I gave all my creativity at the office. Most of the  designers with whom I spend time are totally unselfish and share things for the sheer joy of it . . . a free ride.

. . . and the puppies? It’s blue bliss around here since we now have just the one pup we are keeping. While I was blue to see the other six leave for new homes, I feel blissful about their placements. Now I can have my laundry room back and things will begin to return to normal . . . whatever that is.

Keep your eyes out for that “free ride”. Perhaps you’ve had one recently and just didn’t recognize it. If you can’t find one, why not give one?

Necklaces, Philosophy

Too Young?

You’re never too young (or old) to pick up a hammer. I was privileged to stay with my  grandson for several days while his parents were out of town. On occasion, I would try to sneak in a little hammering on wire that I had configured while he was napping. Such a good little child . . . he wanted to help. Although I tried to interest him in his little toy hammer which had bells and whistles, he wanted mine. I was amazed that this 1 year old could wield the hammer and strike the bench block. I was, however, careful to keep my toes and fingers out of the way. He’s a strong little guy! I think his favorite part was the sound of the ping when the hammer met the block. boy hammer Do you think we have a future designer or construction worker here? I think we just have a little boy who wants to do everything!

It makes me think how much fun we all have when we try different things. The wire work group with which I meet once a month tried etching and it was fun. I enjoyed this process, but was not fully captivated by it and realized that I can try something new without having to go “whole hog” into the endeavor. This is a phenomenon I’ve seldom experienced. I usually go overboard.  I looked around the room during our meet up and saw totally absorbed women working on their etching and seemingly not worrying about anything else. It resembled the concentration and joy I saw on my grandson’s face when he made the hammer go “ping”. Do you think we could market this to psychiatrists as “Creativity, the healthy way to improve your outlook”?

rough turq

 

The pictures herein show some of the pieces I’ve done lately to “improve my outlook”. The first is a double strand of very rough cut turquoise and agate.

 

The next is a sterling silver wave adorned with cherry quartz, amethyst and pearls. silver wave

 

 

The third piece is made of shell with some spiney oyster and magnesite.

shell  

I’m definitely hoping for spring weather with the latter two pieces. I find that the boutiques are bulging with new spring clothes, so it’s time to think about pastel jewelry. All three of the pieces were new combination for me and another creative avenue. We don’t have to try something totally new to be creatively happy. It you can’t get to a brand new experience, just do a little juggling with the one you are currently tackling. I used to tell my gifted/creative students that if they were bored, it was their fault. They have to bring something to the learning experience. I think my grandson brought a great big hammer!

Earrings, Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

Bowling

How many pieces of jewelry can you make while “watching” the Super Bowl? Today was Super Bowl Sunday and the game watching from my favorite chair presented a good opportunity to get some stringing completed. I shouldn’t actually say I watched the game. It’s more that I listened to the game and looked up at the appropriate times. I must say this provided quite an earful stemming from the television noise and the cheers or the opposite thereof from my spouse. Included in the sounds were the three adult dogs who chorused the announcement of a skunk in the yard and the little yelps of the seven puppies who heard their mom barking outdoors. Need I say that focusing on the jewelry was a challenge?

Thankfully, several things did come together as shown in the photos herein. All the necklaces have earrings, but the pictures of a couple didn’t work out. I believe that all the major bead components for these pieces were purchased from Turquoise Magpie. sugalite

        sugalite ears

 

 

 

 

 

 

turq and pearls

 

 

blue

 

 

 

 

The stones/colors for all these necklaces were selected with Spring in mind. The boutiques are already filling with fashions for warmer weather and the clothes beg for these lighter colored accessories.

Seeing a warmer than Texas setting on television for the Super Bowl helped me think about Spring and realize there is hope for brighter, more pleasant weather ahead. I’m thinking that designers need some special video, lighting or music to jump ahead to the next season while still physically stuck in the current one. I guess the Super Bowl “watching” helped me get there.

I hope your team won and that even if you are not a Saints fan, you will cheer with me for the city that came back. Having lived in Louisiana for nine years and hearing first hand from those who survived Katrina, I can only find joy in this win for the city of New Orleans and the whole Gulf region.

Philosophy

What Makes an Artist?

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Have you ever been called or called yourself an artist? I recall my shock the first time I was in a store that sells my designs and the owner told a customer that the “artist” for the particular piece of jewelry was in the store today. I turned to look for her and found “the artist” in the mirror. I didn’t look like “the artist”, but who else could the store owner mean?

In my masters and PhD work, I studied many artists, particularly investigating their creative thinking. At that time, I don’t recall seeing any bios that resembled my own. For example, Julia Cameron discusses artists in her book, Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity. “Artists have stared out of windows and into their souls for a very long time. It is something in the staring-out that enables us to do the looking-in.”  I don’t recall ever really taking the time to stare out and then look in. I could say that LIFE got in the way of this, but I believe the true artist carves out time for this introspective endeavor.

Wikipedia defines artists stating “the definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art.” Webster further explains that an artist is (1) a person who works in, or is skilled in the techniques of, any of the fine arts, . . . (2) a person who does anything very well, with imagination and a feeling for form, effect, etc. . . . “ Both these descriptions make an artist more common than I suspected.

Unfortunately, only the second Webster definition, included imagination (creativity) which I believe is essential to the artist. Are artists those who perfectly replicate what they have seen created by others, found in nature, etc. or is an artist that person who imagines something unique or creates a true variation on something that already exists? I choose to believe that creative thinking is an essential component to artistry. I remember using the Torrance Visual Creativity Test to in the evaluation of several adults. One young woman was a painting major at a reputable college, but her creativity test indicated little visual imagination. I didn’t discuss her score, but learned later that she had changed majors to business. (quite a big switch). At that time, I wondered if we might save some art majors a good deal of unhappy college hours if they investigated their own creativity at an early stage or if the colleges, at the least, provided training in creative thinking.

You do not need to find fame to be an artist. That’s certainly apparent by those who commit to their art by doing as the artist for my books used to do. For many years, he slept on a pallet in his cold warehouse studio, earned money by baking bread for a bakery at night, and painted during the day. Luckily, he has now found sufficient success for a more comfortable life.

If you don’t need fame, do you need recognition to be an artist? Again, I would say no. I think a true artist solely requires appreciation from within. If so, the old “believe in yourself” statement holds true. Many of us, however, do require the appreciation of others to continue our art work. I would certainly have ceased to create new designs if my early pieces had not been appreciated. I feel it is very difficult to create in an arena of naysayers. 

What elements might it take to be a true artist? On the practical side, skill and technique developed through patient practice would certainly head the list. The less tangible elements of creativity, vision and fortitude weight strongly among those other needed qualities. If I chose these elements and wanted to work toward being more of an artist, I find that I need to go back to skill and technique. My creativity and drive have pushed me into production and now I notice minimal flaws in construction. If I want to “be” an artist under my definition, I need more skill practice. (If this was music, I’d be saying I need to practice more scales and arpeggios!) This skill practice also requires a critical eye, the kind that doesn’t accept “almost perfect”.

The difficulty will be in conducting skill practice while wanting to forge ahead with production. I need a healthy balance between the two and will try to keep from tipping the scale. Perhaps this will allow the “artist within” to emerge.