Category Archives: Philosophy

Creativity, Philosophy, sewing

Problem Solving-a Permanent Fix

Problem solving is a natural part of life. Every time a designer begins a piece, he or she faces a myriad of problems such as which beads to use, where to place the focal, how long to make the piece and so on. These probably don’t really seem like   B I G    problems and you may see them more as choices. Yet, we do solve these little choices in the same way that solve the bigger issues.

During creativity training courses, we learn all sorts of great ways to move toward problem solutions. I’m thankful to have had this training during another phase of my life and subconsciously rely on it often. We can also view and learn from problem solving in nature. The first photo below shows how the bulls here at Dreamcatcher Ranch solved their problem of finding something delicious to eat. Much to the chagrin of the hunters on our property, these ten big guys helped themselves to the deer corn out of one of the feeders. A hunter captured this photo from his video cam at the site. So what’s the problem?

cowcorn

There wasn’t really a problem for the bulls, but we had a problem that centered around how to keep them out of the deer corn and make the hunters happy. We thought about how to keep the corn away from the bulls, but quickly realized that there wasn’t any type temporary fence that would keep these guys away from food. So, we reversed the situation and decided to keep the bulls away from the corn. We let them happily spend the couple of weeks until hunting season was over in the large steel pipe fence pens near the house where they lounged and ate nice bales of hay.

The next photo shows another problem that occurred at the same venue.

raccooncorn

This one is a bit more difficult to see, but you will again recognize a deer feeder and note the raccoons on the ground. The raccoon in the tree, whether the sole perpetrator of this theft or simply the one sent by the others, is reaching from the tree over to the hanging feeder. He must be saying “hey, guys, do you think if I shake this thing more deer corn will come out?” He appears to be solving his problem quite nicely. This time, we just gave up, thinking there was no way to keep raccoons away from that feeder. My question is “how did he get down from  there? “

In both photos, animals are seen just doing the natural thing to solve a problem. So today, I decided to think naturally too. For the several years since I made my mother the sweatshirt shown in the photo below, she has been having me iron the hearts on the sleeve.

sweatshirtYou can see that they are “flying hearts” which is what I intended when I made them. I thought a little motion would be cute, but these want to crease in half after laundering. Mother doesn’t like this and since I do her laundry, she usually sends this sweatshirt back home with me if I forget to iron down the hearts. Last week, having forgotten to iron the hearts, I snuck it into her closet at the nursing home while she wasn’t looking. Later in the week when I picked up her dirty clothes, she explained that the day she wore the sweatshirt, she told everyone she saw that her sleeve hearts looked funny because her daughter (that would be me) wouldn’t iron them! So, I took the sweatshirt home and planned to iron those silly hearts. Yet, last night, I decided it would be better to solve that problem once and for all. While it seemed natural to just keep ironing the hearts after each washing, I was becoming just a bit annoyed about it. So, I took a different approach and today I tacked those little gals down permanently with thread. It seemed like the natural thing to do. It also was the simplest thing to do. Why hadn’t I done it before?

sweatshirt2 It seems that sometimes, I forget that I can solve a problem rather than putting a band aid on it as in the case of just ironing the hearts. I could have saved a time and frustration if I had just fixed it right to start with. We fixed the bull/deer corn issue right the first time and the raccoons seemed to have solved their problem, so why can’t humans? The next time I run into a little problem irritant, I’m going to use my animal instincts!

By the way, my mother will be 90 years old tomorrow. I love solving her little problems!

Philosophy

Gabriel is TWO

This is the month for birthdays in our family and today is grandson Gabriel’s day. I used to think birthdays weren’t very important, but now I realize they are a good day for remembering. Today, I’m remembering the day G was born at a mere 4 pounds six ounces and I can still feel the agony that his prematurity brought to us all. Yet, look at him now. I am thankful for good doctors and nurses and for his parents who calmly took it all in stride. Gabriel is a fitting name for this child who made pitiful little wheezing sounds as he first tried to breath. The neonatal nurses said it was because little male Caucasian babies don’t develop their lungs as early as others. He did mimic the celestial Gabriel blowing his horn. Another biblical reference is that he was born on his great grandmother Eden’s birthday.

         Gchristmas3 Christmas 2010

ghammer   g

You can note from the picture above left that Gabriel was busily perfecting his hammering technique. He is usually fascinated by my metal supplies; so I provided the large piece of Styrofoam into which he hammered many nails and rivets. Like most children, he preferred to play with these real objects over his Christmas toys.

The second picture on the right shows how much he’s grown in just a year. Isn’t it nice he got some hair? Who knows what the next year will bring, but I trust it will be interesting and blessed. Happy Birthday Gabriel!

Philosophy

Why Craft?

Many years have ebbed by since I last researched the value of arts education. It used to be of particular interest to me when I taught piano to very young children, four years old and up. At that time I consumed the research that justified how this training can affect healthy brain development. This week, however, during a reading raid on the magazine section of the local book store, I again became intrigued with some research. This time my interest peaked when examining a copy of Craft, a magazine produced in the UK. Thumbing through this publication, I landed on an article in the Archive section written in 1997 by Mike Penn. This is a reprint of “A New Vision in the Making” which has been retitled “What Has Craft Given Us?

The article discussed and commented upon information gained when the Crafts Council in the UK sponsored a project that explored and defined craft learning. (http://mikepress.wordpress.com/2007/03/16/craft-research-2/) While there was a pedagogical bent to this article that seemed to question how institutes of higher learning approach craft education, I felt it could engage thought among those of us interested in craft as a hobby and/or vocation.

One quote in this article grasped part of my belief in the value of craft for all of us. While I probably would not agree with much of what Harry Braverman, who was an American Socialist, wrote, I do appreciate the following quote:

“We think of craftsmanship ordinarily as the ability to manipulate skillfully tools and materials of a craft or trade. But true craftsmanship is much more than this. The really essential element in it is not manual skills and dexterity but something stored in the mind of the worker . . . it is the knowledge which enables him to understand and to overcome the constantly arising difficulties that grow out of variations not only in the tools and materials, but in the condition under which the work must be done.”

I certainly enjoy my craft, but other than a source of joy and a small income, what does it do for me? That can largely be summarized by the term “problem-solving”. Craft makes me solve problems and inherit in problem-solving is creative thinking. Ok, you are thinking. How can solving the problem of something like how to solder a little metal angel so that the solder doesn’t spill onto her copper body possibly be of any value other than the singular product? How does solving a jewelry design problem help in the grand scheme of my life?

It’s a matter of brain exercise. We all would most likely acknowledge that in elementary school we became faster at learning to add through repeated practice of the addition facts. Remember those wonderful flashcards? Did you try to be the fastest in your class? Problem solving is the same. We’ve got to practice it to become proficient. I choose to practice problem solving through craft. At times the problem is as simple as “what am I going to do with this expensive piece of sterling silver sheet metal I purchased?” Yet, each time I creatively solve a problem, I become a little better and a little faster at the process.

The issue is not whether problem solving in craft is valuable, but rather whether it is transferable. Does the type thinking involved in solving the problem of what to do about the solder on the metal angel transfer to problems in other areas of life? For some the transfer is automatic while it may not be so for others.

I believe that those who succeed at transfer are either encouraged and taught to transfer this learning or consciously work at it. Craft pedagogy, including local jewelry classes or workshops at bead festivals, could easily encourage problem solving transfer. Many of these already do encourage creative thinking and problem solving is usually inherent. As students, we can look for these experiences and appreciate those instructors who value craft for something beyond the product.

Don’t get me wrong; the product it usually why we craft. Yet, I believe we should also value the process and the brain stimulation it offers us. In a phrase: KEEP ON CRAFTING!

Philosophy

The Little Blue Pony: A Christmas Tale

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We were a very young couple just starting our lives together when we first saw the little blue pony. He sat in the store window just waiting for someone to take him home. We had already purchased Christmas toys for our little boy who was about three years old, but the pony just kept calling to us. Finally, one day we went in the store to look more closed and see if we could afford the little fellow. He had even more personality when we examined him closely, but his price tag made us turn away. He just cost too much money and we had recently purchased our first little three bedroom home. The toys we had hidden away would just have to be enough.

As Christmas approached we both tried to forget about the little blue pony. Yet, his store home was right near our grocery store and we had to pass by his window often. Finally, on Christmas Eve day, my husband suggested we take one last look and see if someone had purchased the little blue pony or if he had been marked down. But, there he sat waiting, waiting, waiting for some child to take him for a ride. That year there were no last minute Christmas specials at the store where the pony lived, but we bought him anyway. We just couldn’t leave him alone to watch as other lessor toys found their way under children’s Christmas trees.

image

Brad, Garland, TX, 1973

So, on Christmas morning about 1973, the little blue pony found his home under our Christmas tree in Garland, Texas. As the years ticked by, he was well ridden by our little boy and then his sister who was born much later.

image

Kim, Centerville, Ohio, 1977

It seemed, however, that my husband and I loved that pony even more than our children did.

One year, when we lived in Alexandria, Louisiana, I was trying to hurry along with my Spring cleaning and put the little blue pony in the stack of belongings that went to the New to You thrift store. When my husband found out I had donated that pony, he went right down to the store and got him back. What was I thinking? Since that time, the little blue pony has moved with us four times, but remained safely stored without worry of going again to any thrift store.

This week, the little blue pony was pulled out of storage and cleaned. It’s amazing just how good he still looks. Except for the teeth marks on his rockers where one of our puppies chewed the wood, he might pass for just a few years old. No one would guess that he is 37 years old. His revival marks the passage of time as a new little boy takes hold of his reins. The daughter, not yet born when we got the blue pony, has brought us a grandboy to pet and rock the little blue pony. It appears that after all these years, the pony we couldn’t afford can still find his way into our hearts.

Ghorse1                 Ghorse2

gifts, Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Torch Work, Wire Work

Charming: Another Word for Sharing

I have previously mentioned a group with which I meet once a month. We get together and share ideas about working with wire and other materials for jewelry design. Although I’m not a “joiner”, I really enjoy this group and we’ve met together for over a year without any big arguments. That’s probably because we are a “faux” society. We have no rules, no officers, no dues and no big events to plan. This is probably why we get along so well.

We decided to exchange charms for Christmas. Rather than the usual exchange by designers where participants bring one thing and leave with someone else’s piece, we brought a charm for each person. I walked away with 12 different charms. Some were wired while others were soldered creating an array of very different looking objects. It was fun to see how each person approached the task of making charms in her own unique way.

I used the charms on the necklace shown here. They hang from copper tubing purchased at the hardware store. The charms are separated in a few places by larger copper tubing cut into small links. Without these pieces and the extra wire wrappings all the charms sat right on top of one another and refused to show their personality.

charm from Faux The tubing hangs from several types of fibers including yarn, silk cord and ribbon. I also attached a small copper chain. These hang down in the back where the closure is a handmade hook and oval. You may have seen something similar to this piece (minus the wonderful charms) in a recent beading magazine.

It’s fun to wear this piece and look down at the charms. I know who made each one and the piece reminds me that we are all so unique; yet, we can come together and make a beautiful whole.

After the experience of sharing with this group and creating this piece, I read about a group where each person contributed to necklaces that traveled around the world. The latest Belle Armoire Jewelry, Winter 2011 shares Around the World: A Necklace Round-Robin starting on page 24. I gleaned from the article that each participant started a necklace, creating several inches, and then mailed it to the next person. Individuals added specified lengths to each necklace when it arrived. The gals also kept a blog or journal about what they were adding and how it was created. In the end, each person received a necklace that had been “around the world” having traveled to several different countries. Pictures of these necklace show them to be as eclectic as mine above.

There are so many ways to share this time of year. Christmas, hopefully, brings out the best in all of us. The simple sharing of your talent is priceless. Whether you share a visual art form, the gift of gab, the sound of your music or a simple glow that makes others feel good, we all seem to feel better when we give and share.

Yesterday, as I left the nursing home where my mother resides, one of the aides waved at me and said he hoped I got everything I wanted for Christmas. You know, I couldn’t think of a thing I really wanted except healthy and happy friends and family. When I told him that, he knowingly smiled and understood. I wish the same for all of you.

Merry Christmas!

brain, Philosophy

Collaborative Learning

The title of this post easily rolls off my tongue and down to my fingers as I type. It is not new to me or other educators and has been predominant at the forefront of teaching since before the push for cooperative learning in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. Personally, I’m very much a loner and hadn’t thought much about the need for collaborative learning until yesterday when a news feature about Hole-in-the-Wall Education Ltd. brought it to mind. Information from the website for this group http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/index.html  follows:

“Hole-in-the-Wall Education Ltd. (HiWEL) is a joint venture between NIIT Ltd. and the International Finance Corporation (a part of The World Bank Group). Established in 2001, HiWEL was set up to research and propagate the idea of Hole-in-the-Wall, a path-breaking learning methodology created by Dr. Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist of NIIT. . . . [it} was first tested in a slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi, in 1999. The experiment was replicated in two other rural sites in the same year. The first adopter of the idea was the Government of NCT of Delhi. In 2000, the Government of Delhi set up 30 Learning Stations in a resettlement colony. . . . “

At first I scoffed and said to myself, “this is nothing new.” Yet, I still listened. Finally, I gleaned from the news story that Hole-In-the-Wall revolves around the idea of four or five students gathered around one computer trying to learn something or answer a specified question. This minimalist approach to computer learning gets much of its punch from the fact that there is only one computer. The students must communicate and share ideas rather than working independently. This certainly isn’t a new idea, but many of our learning arenas have gotten to the point where it seems each and every student sits at his or her own computer terminal and communication, if it exists regarding the learning, flows through cyberspace.

Incubating about the above information, I wondered why I’m not applying it to my current fascination with design work. Where is my think tank? Where is my hole in the wall setting? Consider the value of designers from various facets of work coming together to answer a question, solve a problem and/or brainstorm new uses for materials. We often do these things independently, but do we spent enough time engaged in collaborative learning? I, for one, do not.

I do see collaboration through various chat groups, but find this usually amounts to a question followed by responses from others about what they have used in a given situation. This is not collaborative learning. This is one person telling another what has previously worked. In a think tank, ideas come together to create something new to everyone. From intensive creativity training, I know that an ultimate idea can be garnered from simply watching the body language, eye movement or vocal inflection of another person, something we can’t get from computer chat. Often, we don’t even connect the thought with that person, yet it comes to us just the same.

Many designers are expertly engaged in social networking via the computer. It is an essential part of our business. What might happen if we stole two or three hours from this once or twice a month for collaborative design work wherein we were not trying to learn or make something, but simply trying to develop new ideas or techniques? This collaboration would be process based rather than outcome based. It would be a designers think tank. It could be an acrylic artist, a sculptor, a wire worker and a metalsmith. It might be a seed beader, a polymer clay artist, a fiber artist and a scrapbooker. It could be any combination of people interested in collaborative learning.

At a minimum, a designer think tank would provide a thinking challenge and brain stimulation. Perhaps a few dendrites would strain to branch and some of us would be removed from our comfort zones. I know that to stretch and grow in my work, I much be a bit uncomfortable and experience a little mental pain. I need to get into a situation where I don’t readily know the answer. Perhaps some hole-in-the-wall design collaboration might just do the trick. What do you think?

Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Torch Work, Wire Work

Like a White Tornado

 

tornado2

Like many of you have probably been doing, I’ve been racing around the last few days cleaning my house to prepare for company. The phrase “like a white tornado” kept creeping into my thoughts only I seemed to be moving like a GREY tornado. My interpretation of that means an older slower version of a cleaning wonder. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if a “white” tornado is racist. Go ahead and laugh, strange things enter my head when I’m inhaling those cleaning products.

I seized the opportunity to sit down at the computer and prove how silly my question really was. The initial information provided online was about a cleaning product, Ajax, and a slogan used to advertise it in 1972. No wonder I thought about this phrase;, that’s when my son was born and I was “into” cleaning. This link should take you to a video of one of the commercials used for Ajax.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vurmg1yffg  The commercial could lead you to believe that the product makes cleaning go faster.  That’s when, at the rate I was moving, I was sure I was a grey tornado this week.

I was still curious about white tornadoes and found more information which might have produced the idea behind the Ajax slogan. I learned about white tornadoes from http://www.chaseday.com/tornadoes.htm : A tornado can appear white when it is “front lit” by the sun. Since most of them are photographed with the sun behind them, they look black or dark grey. (Perhaps being a grey tornado isn’t that bad.) You may also see a white cloud of water rotating into a froth at the base of the tornado. I’m sure you’ve really been wondering about that for quite a while.

The picture at the top shows my version of what might be left behind by a white tornado. The “ditch” in it reminds me of what I was taught as a girl in tornado alley Oklahoma. If you are out when you see a tornado coming and you can’t get to shelter, lie down as flat as possible in the ditch beside the road. I’m thankful I never had to do that.

I’m also thankful for readers like you who go all the way to the end of my entries, even those that are silly like this one.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Creativity, Philosophy

Time for Carving

We’re less than one week away from Turkey Day and carving time. I’m always thankful that when we were a young married couple, a friend and neighbor in Centerville, Ohio taught my husband how to carve a turkey. Actually, my spouse already knew how to do it, but our friend showed him a different way to carve the breast such that it was both efficient and attractive. Each year we think about those neighbors and the good times with them.

As I prepare for family visits and Thanksgiving today, I’m discovering that meat is not the sole entity I’ve been carving lately. I’ve been carving out time to be creative. This is a “must do” on my agenda each day; but how can I be sure it happens? I’m reminded of another acquaintance, this time from Garland, Texas, who told me that she liked to sew, but couldn’t do it until everything else was completed at her house. She said that she just never got done with everything. Well - - da - - who does? Isn’t there always one more floor to sweep or bill to pay or cow to check? (I guess you might not have a cow to check.) The point is that we can’t just wait for creative time to miraculously arise from our schedule. We have to MAKE it.

This has been a very nice busy season for my little jewelry design business. The boutiques have kept me busy and I’ve added vending at just a few shows. Today is the first day since the beginning of October that I haven’t had a list of orders to complete. I think I’ve finished and delivered them all. So, does that mean that I can finally be creative? No! I haven’t been waiting for this day, but have carved out time to be creative every day. I don’t mean that I have been creative by finishing the orders. The bulk of these have been specified or replicas of other designs. Yet, I have done my best during this busy season to leave at least some time each evening to just be creative with no succinct notion of what should emerge from the design work and no time table for completion.

I believe that creativity is like anything else and it must be practiced. Many factors such as the stress of this season and/or emotional circumstances can easily rob a person of the ability to think creatively. Yet, the more you have practiced and gathered expertise at being creative, the less you lose during stressful periods. For example, we know that elementary school children regress on their reading skills during the summer break unless they diligently continue the reading of challenging books at home.  I also believe that the better the child is at reading, the less he or she loses (Meador’s theory). I found this to be true when teaching piano. A first year student lost more music reading ability during a break than a third year student (assuming they were any good a reading by that time).

If you concur with this analysis, what can you do about it? Let’s start carving! As I have mentioned in another posting, I really rely on my computer calendar. I’m diligent about typing in all my bill payment dates, appointments and things for which I must prepare. When that list pops up each morning, I’m right on track and when the list is complete, I’m done. But, aren’t there other things that I should be doing? Of course there are, but those are probably on tomorrow’s calendar and I sure wouldn’t want to mess up the system by getting ahead (ha).

When the list is complete, everyone has been fed and the daily household chores are finished, I have time to be creative. Granted, this isn’t usually until after dinner, but at least I can look forward to that frame of space. I’ve kept to this schedule for a long time and thankfully my spouse has grown used to what occurs in the evenings when my tasks are complete. It’s my time! I guess that I could take a lesson from my dog who comes in to enjoy a rawhide bone each evening. When he’s beside or chewing on that bone, you’d better not try to pet him. He might just bite you. If anyone should try to take away the time I’ve carved out to be creative, I might just do the same!

Happy Carving! Remember – you’re worth it.

Creativity, Diversions, Philosophy

Playing with Dough

This isn’t about money! Who would have enough to play with anyway?  Yet, it is about playing with dough.

While at the nursing home yesterday, I asked the art teacher (working with three slightly comatose inmates) whether or not she has worked with polymer clay. The activities director overheard us and said she had been wanting to do some sculpture with a few of the residents. That’s when I told her about playing with dough . . . play dough.

I have an activity for and a recipe for making homemade play dough in one of my books, It’s in the Bag. (Pieces of Learning Press, Available at the publisher's site) I’ve used it for years; given it away; and even selected it for use in a motivational speech at a meeting. In my workshops on the brain, we used to make the triune brain out of three different colors of play dough. As you can tell, I’ve made a good deal of the stuff.

I was so pleased when my daughter, who was probably the very first recipient of my homemade play dough made it for her son. It’s really neat when your progeny can pass it on. You can see from the expression on my grandson’s face that his mom made it a fun experience.       playdough 2

Of course working with clay isn’t solely for fun. It is great for developing motor skills and will also give the child a safe experience with mixing colors. (Adults – it can also work for soothing the nerves through a sufficient amount of play dough squishing or relieving frustrations by pounding it!)

Just in case you need to do either of the above mentioned adult activities or have a young person coming for a fun day, why not give this recipe a try?

Playdough

Combine in medium-sized saucepan

1 tablespoon oil 1 cup salt 2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tarter 2 cups water

Heat and stir until mixture forms a ball. Place mixture on waxed paper to cool until you can work it with your hands. Knead the dough until it is smooth and then store it in a zip-lock bag. *Food coloring may be added when kneading the dough. Paste cake decorating colors are move vivid than liquid colors. HINT: if you get the paste coloring on your hands, it can be removed with toothpaste.

*I wear plastic bags on my hands when working in the food coloring.

gifts, Philosophy, Wire Work

Raining Cats and Dogs

We weren’t really expecting a storm last night, but we weren’t in charge of the weather. First the lightening blessed us with enough brightness that sleep was tough. Then the thunder joined it. Consider the auditory experience of thunder followed by one fearful dog outside yelping and another puppy thinking it must be time to play in the middle of the night. These two were then joined by two more who barked simply because they didn’t know why the others were up. I’ll bet you’ve heard this at your house although I hope you have a few less dogs to chime in.

Finally, I let the scared dog in so she would quit barking. This of course caused the others to bark because they also wanted in. Eventually, thinking all was in order with the fearful animal beside the bed, I went back to sleep. Alas, once the dog was comforted, she realized she was hungry and commenced to eat out the bottom of the dog food sack in the laundry room adding a new auditory dimension. Eventually, the dog quieted and the thunder subsided just in time for the rain to begin falling on our tin roof. Are you getting the idea.

As I fussed with my dog in the house, I could only imagine the other folks who were probably doing the same thing. I have at least two friends whose dogs don’t like thunder. Those women probably have bags under their eyes today just as I do. Oh well, we DID need the rain . . . but I wish we’d gotten more than 1/2 inch.

It’s amusing that I spent my design hours last evening making cats and dogs (and the occasional rabbit). Was it a premonition?  Who knows, but I’m not making any tonight because I really need some sleep.

By the way, the critters in the picture are bookmarks. My cousin suggested bookmarks might be a nice item around Christmas. I’ve been making the cats for several weeks, but just figured out the dog and the bunny. The animal fits in the book and the tail hangs over the book spine. I will put them on cards to give as gifts. Let me know if you need any. I can’t seem to get them made fast enough to put in my etsy shop.

Raining cats and dogs . . . let’s have a night of silence on this date or in lieu thereof, could we get a couple of inches? cats and dogs