Category Archives: Philosophy

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.

Bracelets, Philosophy

Marketing Rules

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There’s probably a wonderful list somewhere that I have refused to follow, but I’ve got to begin to stick to my own marketing rules. Rule number one for me is to always wear jewelry I’ve made. I’ve followed this regimen for so long that I don’t feel right if I go out without both a necklace and bracelet on.  Rule number two must surely be the following: have another similar piece to what you are wearing available for anyone who asks “where did you get that?”. I thought I was doing pretty well with that one, but the rest of the story will follow. Rule number three: be willing to remove the piece you are wearing and sell it. Yes, I’ve also followed that one reasonably well.

Now, I have a new rule. Last week, in a rush to call on a customer, I quickly donned a bracelet that matched my outfit. I didn’t even think about my second and third rules. Off I went; I called on my customer; I sold several pieces; then, she wanted my bracelet. “Oh sure,” I said, “I will make you one of these, the one I have on is a bit too old.” Actually, it was a good three years old and I had worn it a great deal.

When I commenced to recreate the bracelet, I realized that it’s hard to find the same beads you used three years ago; but a thorough digging to the bottom of the seed bead drawer produced the needed beads. I began the piece, only to remember why I don’t make that bracelet any more. It takes TOO long! Five hours later, scratching my head I asked myself why I quoted the customer such a low price. That’s when I instituted rule number four: Never wear a piece you don’t want to make again. Rule number five must surely be: Stop quoting prices until you see how long it takes to make the piece.

Actually, the bracelet turned out well as shown in the picture. I made and sold a number of these some time ago.  ellastic bracMade on elastic from the fabric store, it is especially nice because it doesn’t require a clasp and easily slips on and off. It’s also very sturdy. I made a few of these on narrower elastic and my mother, who has severe arthritis, has really enjoyed hers.  I used matagama seed beads for the one pictured. They are shaped like drops, but are a bit larger. The turquoise stones add a little color. The second photo shows the inside of the bracelet. elastic back

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I think these are pretty good rules if I could remember to follow them. Rules, however, as we all know, are meant to be broken. I just need to be smarter about how I break my own next time.

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”.

Creativity, Philosophy

Sales’ Ego

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Lately, I’ve enjoying hearing about designers who are excited by making a specific sale, like one person, who made her first Etsy sale, and another who made a gallery sale. I may be wrong, but making certain sales seem to me to be more about someone appreciating the art/work enough to want to take it home rather than pertaining to the finances. When I first started about 8 years ago, I could hardly believe that someone actually bought one of my pieces. Someone liked it!

Sales can certainly be a big boost to the ego and creative spirit. I hear that craft shows and bazaars are slow right now, so how can we continue to work toward creating new things without the boost those sales provide? In what ways might we retain that feeling when sales are slow? Ideas . . . ?

1. Experiment more – work on new ideas with inexpensive materials and perfect them before making them with more expensive products and marketing them (examples: play with recycled materials such a wire, old beads gleaned from undone projects, etc.) Then take the next step and buy those good products for the real thing. Buy a more expensive bead once the idea is perfected– Support our great vendors.

2. Share more – meet up for the purpose of sharing ideas – get with a group of like-minded folks who appreciate (as opposed to stealing) your ideas. Be truthful to one another about what you like and don’t like. You can appreciate the creative work, but still make suggestions about design improvement. (Szarka just fixes my rough edges – THANKS)

3. With regard to #2, adopt a “take it or leave it” attitude when it comes to the comments of others. You’re still in charge of your design. Don’t take offense at suggestions. Put them in the pot and stir them for a while. If they taste good use them and if not, throw them out; but don’t throw out the person who commented. This suggestion is VERY hard to do.

4. Learn how to make suggestions to others. Read your friend and determine whether the person really wants your advice. Some people require a good deal of TACT while others can take it without the sugar.

Help me add to this list. Changes have been made here to make it easier now to comment on this blog since you don’t have to “sign up”. Feel free to add your thoughts.

Creativity, Necklaces, Philosophy

Six Thinking Hats

One of my favorite techniques about thinking is Six Thinking Hats by Edward DeBono. Dr. DeBono provided all of us with a plethora of books and materials from which to draw ideas for promoting various type of thinking. I was able to glean much from his work that I utilized both in workshop for teachers and articles for publications.

Six Thinking Hats is simple and straightforward. Each color hat represents a specific way of thinking: White is for factual thinking; Black is more thinking about drawbacks or things that might go wrong; Yellow is for thinking about positive results and possibilities; Red is for thinking with emotion; Green is for creative thinking; and Blue is for guiding or organizing the other ways of thinking. Children I’ve worked with as young as Kindergarten have been able to understand and utilize the hats. It has been my experience that although the type of thinking we use most readily changes according to our situation or environment, most of us do have one type of thinking that is our style. I am a natural black hat thinker. It is easier for me to tell all the things that could go wrong with a design or plan than it is for me to see all the possibilities. Black hat thinking isn’t bad. I’ve probably prevented many a disaster in my life by having critical thoughts at the forefront. (I probably saved my children from excessive trips to the emergency room by seeing the negative results of their antics before they acted.) Yet, it can be a real downer. I wonder how many wonderful opportunities I’ve missed because I was squelched through critical thinking. If I don’t keep my natural Black Hat thinking under wraps, part of the time it can be difficult for those around me and can certainly hold back my design work.

For several years, I’ve tried to be conscious of practicing other types of thinking. White Hat = no problem, I can give you the factual details; Red Hat = no problem, crying, yelling and caring are all in my repertoire; Green Hat = I work on creative thinking all the time; Blue Hat = remembering to organize thinking works as I try to use the other colors or gently ask a complaining person if they can come up with any positives about their situation; Yellow Hat = hmmm . . . I think this would be easier if I didn’t listen to the news reports.

It seems to me that I might apply the Six Thinking Hats in the critic of creative work. It’s not necessary to use all the hats each time we apply the technique. Simply select those that are needed. There are two pictures below, but for an example, take a look at the turquoise and pearl necklace that’s on it’s way to a customer in Maine. pearlturq White Hat thinking allows me to write on the tag attached to the piece that it is made of turquoise and pearls and that the lobster clasp is sterling silver. Wearing my Red Hat, I can tell you that I didn’t feel very excited about this piece when the customer requested it because it was quite simple.  Yellow Hat thinking reminds me that I made this pretty quickly with a minimum of steps and was able to mix together some pearls remaining from another project. It’s also a plus that this customer purchases a good deal of turquoise and pearls and I know I can make her happy with this piece. I also feel I should be grateful that I don’t have to think very hard to complete this piece. Black Hat thinking, however, tells me that I’m not learning much from making this combination of beads AGAIN.  If I use Blue Hat Thinking to organize those thoughts turqcarnelian I can be left with a positive feeling as I wrap up the piece. I think the best order might be White, Black, Red and finally Yellow. It works for me and I’m thinking how good it is to sell something!

Philosophy

Time for Classical Music

It’s that time of the year again when I need to listen to classical music. The catalogue for our ranch production sale is due to the publisher in about 10 days. That means we are putting together the layout complete with pictures, footnotes, statistics, etc. Although the sale isn’t until October 24th, the preparation is currently intense as we figure out which animals are pregnant and ultrasound sex check all the embryos for catalogue identification. (If you would like to see a few videos of some animals they are on our website at www.dreamcatcherranch.net/ranch/events) Therefore, it’s time for logical thinking and classical music. Music from the European baroque period which extended approximately from 1600 to 1750 is associated with composers like J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, and many others. I think of this music as very logical-mathematical in the repetition of patterns and musical motives. That type music helps keep me in the groove of logical thinking and patterning which is what I need to put together an organized 42 page catalogue. I’ve experienced and heard others says that it often takes a while to settle into a particular task. I believe this may be because that task requires a different type of thinking from what we commonly utilize. For example, when I first get ready to organize our production catalogue, it may take me almost an hour to actually make a good start. I’m just not readily used to the type thinking this requires. Some people seem to stall in front of the computer when asked to write something longer than a short email. The words just don’t come. Perhaps this is because those folks aren’t used to initiating the type of verbal thinking required for the task. I do, however, believe there’s hope and that many of us can initiate specific types of thinking through stimuli. It may be through music, objects, pictures, locations, etc. since stimuli vary with individuals. Many designers have a specific location where they sit and are automatically engaged in creative thinking. Others begin creative problem solving as they handle beads, wire or other materials. I seem to be programmed to specific types of music. While I don’t suggest replicating the experience of Pavlov’s dog, wouldn’t it be great if we could all determine what stimulus initiates a specific type of thinking? We would certainly save a good deal of time and frustration spent as we wait to START thinking. The expression of grandson Gabriel (taking his very first dip in the swimming pool) best depicts my true feelings about needing to continue my logical thinking, as opposed to my natural creative way, until the catalogue is complete. But for now at least all I can do is turn on Bach and get back to work. swimming
Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Timing is Everything

I’ve heard the saying in the title many times and often believe it is true. For example, as teenagers, my children knew when it was a good time to ask for something and when it would be better to wait.

Today, I wondered if my timing was just a little off. While I’m getting to the top of the “hill” that I may someday be old enough to be “over”, I’m not there yet. I have always worked diligently to know what’s in and what’s not with the young crowd. As a piano teacher, I kept up with the latest music so that my students could play what was popular as desert on top of their Bach and Mozart pieces. I even rewrote many popular songs to make them easy enough for my beginners. Now, I’m thankful that my son keeps me reasonably up-to-date on new music and artists. As for clothing, I’ve even gotten used to young men’s baggy pants that may need a hitch up while the wearer walks and midriffs exposed on young and some not so young women.

Yet, lately I’ve been thinking my open minded/up-to-date attitude may be slipping. I just didn’t realize that I could wear my pajamas to the grocery store. It seems that when I go to the grocery store on Sunday mornings, I encounter young couples in their pajamas who appear to have just crawled out of bed. The first time, I thought it was just a single occurrence, but I’ve noted it numerous times since. Some of these couples even have on their bedroom slippers. One pair of slippers was complete with cute little dog ears. Today I realized that my timing is just off. I’m going to the grocery store at the wrong time or on the wrong day. I’m much more comfortable when I go on Wednesdays, the same day that the bus from the assisted living facility brings their residents to shop. I can converse with those people and help them find their food without feeling odd. I just don’t belong with the pajama crowd.

Timing is also important when we try to sell things. Jewelry designers trying to make sales at outdoor events in this persistent heat need to realize that there’s probably nothing wrong with their work – it’s just the timing. Hopefully, cooler weather will give sales a needed boost.

Right now, copper jewelry seems to be selling well. The timing is right for it and I’m working to create new options for the use of both copper sheet metal and copper wire. Pictured below are a couple of new pieces that will probably work better for fall than summer. Although we are in the midst of our hot weather, boutiques are now clearing their pastel merchandise and preparing for the arrival of fall clothes. Now is the time for jewelry designers to be thinking fall as well.

Timing – such an important element in life. There must be some unique formula to help me get it just right. I sure wish I could figure it out before I’m any closer to the top of that hill!

browncopper spikes

         orient

Philosophy

We Can Look

Lunch with Mom is always an interesting treat. We frequent the drive thru establishments since I cannot lift her wheelchair into my car. She’s really accepting of this and just loves being able to “escape” from the home. Yesterday, while driving to the Dairy Queen, she continued to ask about this and that kind of car as they whirred by us. Eventually she said, “I don’t know why I’m so interested in cars. I’m not going to get one.” (“whew”, I thought) I told her that it was OK to look whether you were going to buy or not. “Like men?” she asked. Again suggesting that it might be OK to look, but not want one she told me she wanted one! Although my Father has been gone for almost 9 years, I quickly changed the conversation.

My conclusion from Mother’s wisdom is that it’s OK to go to all those bead shows and to peruse the websites whether I’m planning to get something or not. A plethora of ideas often pops into my head while enjoying the eye candy. I do try to keep the computer time down since it takes away from my design time, but following are the four websites that I try to keep up with:

www.magpiegemstones.com

www.jewelrylessons.com   (Eni Oken)

www.beadingdaily.com

www.auntiesbeads.com

I’m pretty disciplined about the beads shows. For each, I give myself both a time limit and a budget, the two things from which I seldom veer. A list also helps unless you lose it at a vendor’s table. After my lunch with Mom, I’m feeling pretty good about going to those shows . . . after all, it’s OK to look.

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.

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!